| Author |
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Snojet
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 18, 2009 - 11:07 pm: | 
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If this is in the archives, then please direct me there. Has anyone experience the following… Rode home from work, the bike was soaked with rain, approx 58 degrees F. My commute is 29 miles. At about 5miles into the trip, with a intermittent rain I experienced from the engine, a very nasty stumble, with some backfiring, and then it died. I coasted off to the side of the freeway. At first the engine did not want to start. After about a ten second break (turned the key completely off) it started again. Ran very rough then cleared itself and ran like normal. Then experienced the same thing for six more times. I got off the freeway after second episode and then rode side streets home. At about 8 miles from home the engine ran normally. The rain did slow up too. To note; I rode at 3300 to 4200 rpm once on the side streets. It seemed that the problem started at the lower rpm’s. HELP!!! |
Josh_
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 18, 2009 - 11:28 pm: |
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Any modifications to the bike?
Could be many things, electrical (cracked coils, wires or plugs; bad ground, short, crack in ECM or loose cables; problem with one of the many sensors incl kickstand), water in the gas, plugged fuel vent...
On a tuber I'd blame the kickstand switch first tho my S3 sounded like that when the fuel filter got clogged.
Interesting that it happened in lower RPMs first, that sounds more mechanical/physical.
Do you have a shop manual? Start checking connections and look all over for cracks or loose pieces.
Got about a garden hose?
Start the bike up in the driveway and try the hose - GENTLY in places water might normally go. A sprinkler could work also. |
Snojet
| | Posted on Thursday, March 19, 2009 - 12:14 pm: |
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Thanks for the reply. Also forgot to mention that my bike is a 2006 Buell Ulysses (XB12X) with 3100 miles on it. Plus, during the episode yesterday I stopped and got more gas. I filled it up (2 gallons. worth), I was thinking of some water or contaminated fuel, that's why I filled up then.
Rode it today and the bike ran fine/normal; no rain, temperature was 40 degrees F.
There has been no modifications to the bike and I don't have a service manual yet.
From reading the owners manual, my bike doesn't have a kickstand sensor. "Josh", I will give the plug wires, ecm, and connectors - ect... a very good look. I like your idea of using a sprinkler and try and duplicate and trouble-shoot this problem. Thanks for your help! |
Josh_
| | Posted on Thursday, March 19, 2009 - 01:11 pm: |
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Hopefully it's bad/old gas! |
Snojet
| | Posted on Saturday, March 21, 2009 - 05:11 pm: |
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This is an update. I have been looking through the web site and found this.
http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/384 2/257670.html?1171755373
This is the link to another person having the same problem.
I wish I would have found this before I posted my problem. In fact I'm a little embarassed because I should have known to start looking for an electrical problem; starting with plug wires, ect... This weekend I'm going to go through my bike very thorough and see what I got going on. |
Littlebuggles
| | Posted on Sunday, March 22, 2009 - 09:41 am: |
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I used to get a similar problem on my M2 in the rain, turned out to be a bad connector on the voltage reg, turns out the waterproof/insulated plug cover was keeping the bullet connector form snapping all the way in and the moisture would get in there and cause the bike to run rough in the rain. Not sure of the placement on your bike, it's just behind the front wheel on mine. |
Etennuly
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 - 10:35 am: |
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My '06 Uly did exactly the same thing a couple of months ago. In the rain it quit on the Interstate and I coasted off the road to have it fire right back up. It did it about six more times in the last fifteen miles of that trip.
Since then I have not ridden it in rain, but have done a 1200+ mile trip and another 1000 + miles around home. I have noticed that sometimes when I go to start it now, the gages will not move when I turn the key on. Then wiggling the key will make it all well.
I have read some recent posts where someone with the same issue has replaced the ignition switch(at $350.00), and some have said just pull the ignition switch harness out and look for broken wires.
In the past my 36000 mile bike has had broken wires in the steering head bundle and the ground wires behind the headlamp have broken off. Therefore, I am going to open up the harness and have a close look again to see what is to be found.
Good luck with that. I will post back if I find anything of importance. |
Snojet
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 - 05:34 pm: |
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Thanks for the tips/info "Littlebuggles" and "Etennuly". I'll be looking into those. This last weekend I disassembled my bike. I didn't find the smoking gun but I did find alot of beginnings of chaffing wires. I repaired those wires and then re-routed or tied-back the harness or singular wire(s). I did a ohms check on the plug wires while flexing them - do defects noted, plus a good visual inspection. Didn't see any obvious problems with the wires or the coil. I do regret not spraying contact cleaner on/in all the connectors and then spray or apply some kind of silicone dielectric on them to keep out the moisture. I will be going back in and doing just that, soon. Also, I will disassemble the ignition switch/headlight area and see what's-what. Again, everyone thanks!! |
Etennuly
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 - 06:10 pm: |
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You are welcome and if you have any ambition left after you do yours, you are welcome to do mine! |
Monkey
| | Posted on Thursday, March 26, 2009 - 08:18 am: |
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Not to muddy the water here but my 06 Uly has quit twice now in the rain w/in the last week-heres the weirder part; the cooling fan comes on and the red engine warning light flashes like the bike is hot-however its been about 40 degrees and raining out-the bikes not even warmed=up the operating temp-let along being hot, as it seems to think that it is-. It wont restart and the fan will not shut off even with the key off-I have to didsconnect the battery- after leaving the bike alone to dry -or whatever-re hooking up the battery resetsthe 'system' and it is ok-until the next ride..im tired of pushing the bike in the rain in rush hour traffic-any ideas? thx |
Ignoramus89
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 08, 2009 - 04:06 pm: |
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Had a similar problem with by xb12. I got caught in the rain, and made a LOUD almost a backfire sounds, and it lost most of its power. I, thankfully, was on my way to the dealer when it happened, and eventually got it to crawl there. The techs had no idea what to tell me, but when I started it up, it was fine.
No problems since, so idk what to make of it. |
Gunslinger
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 15, 2009 - 10:56 am: |
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I had a stall about two years ago on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. I was caught is heavy rain and hit a puddle the size of lake Huron. The bike sputtered and died, but I got to the side of the road safely. After a few minutes I was able to start up the bike and get back on the road. The relay box on an M2 is right where the rear tire throws water. I have made liberal use of dielectric grease and tried a couple of home-made covers. If I come up with a good one that is simple to make I will post pictures. |
Snojet
| | Posted on Thursday, April 30, 2009 - 02:40 pm: |
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I should have updated sooner. As I stated above, I was going to go through the bike.
Well I did and found some other chaffed wires. Check the world-famous "77" connector that I've read about, found it to be ok. I will install one of those voltage monitors (haven't decided which one yet) and then probably hard point the 77 connector with one of those Granger terminal block gizzies.
I repaired all damaged wires and then gooped up all the connectors, plug wires and coil assy with the dielectric grease.
Got the service manual and did another ohms check on the wires and coil, found them to be within specs.
Went through a small amount of light rain and had no adverse effect. I am still a little "gun shy" when it comes to any other rain classification. But I know one day I will be giving my work a good test. |
Snojet
| | Posted on Friday, May 01, 2009 - 09:58 pm: |
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Today, I was sick of the rain!! It has been raining for 4 days.
So, I rode in to work with it wet on the roads but not actually raining. Throughout the day I rained pretty good, so my bike was soaked. When I got off I was a little nervous about the ride home. It rained on me nearly the whole way home, sometimes heavy or moderate. Right now I'm so Stoked!! I didn't have any problems, all that effort of inspecting and applying the dielectric grease, WORKED!
Sorry for maybe making more of this than what I should. Here is one of the reasons why. We have good fun being mean to each other.  I was getting teased for not riding in any misty or rainy weather. In fact they called me "The fair weather rider", they teased me saying that I could only ride when it was nice and sunny. Now I shut them up. HA HA HA HA This is all in good fun with the other riders and non-riders. A little work place bashing. |
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Got caught riding in the rain and it went bad