| Author | Message | ||
     Hugie03flhr |
Almost 70 degrees here in N.J.. So I took my M2 for my first ride since I picked it up. Cruising along and I noticed the tach jumping every now and then. So I gave it some throttle and then it started misfiring. I then turned around and headed for home thinking if I cruise nice and easy I will make it...WRONG The tach and speedo started jumping all over the place, bike was misfiring as soon as I gave it gas until it finally wouldn't go no more. I pulled the seat checked the batt. (new) it was good. Head light, horn, ect... all loud and bright. Started wiggling wires and wouldn't you know it!!! The dam wire coming off the positive stud (WTF)on the starter going somewhere?(ECM,IGN,ect..) Broke off!!! I had to walk 8 miles get a jumper wire and connect the broken wire to the pos. side of the battery and she fired right up. So if anyone has a spuddering, tach jumping buell. Check that wire coming off the starter stud. That was my day, 10 min. of riding, 1-1/2 hours of walking and 1 min. of MF-n- Buell  | ||
| V74 |
i have a 99 m2 with a small custom tach on it,a couple of weeks ago it started to behave a bit like you described yours did,at the time i put it down to it being on the way out as have heard they dont last long and mine is about 8 years old,but starting it up today i noticed the speedo light flickered when the tacho needle hesitated or flickered,exeactly which wire on yours came off so i can check mine,the tacho jumping and speedo light flicker got less the more the engine warmed up ?? | ||
| Kyrocket |
Mine did the same thing but it was the battery. I'd get on it rather hard and it would cut out and spit and sputter and the tach would bounce around. Did that in three gears. I pulled over, left it running and checked it out then limped the two miles I had left to home. I've learned that just because the electrical stuff looks good that's not always a fool proof indicator. Sometimes the battery has just enough oomph to power some of the accessories. | ||
| Kmbuell |
Wait a minute, It's not a new bike, you haven't ridden it for some time, you didn't check it over before leaving home and it's the BIKES fault? Wake up, it is a machine. They need service. YOU are responsible for the upkeep and service. Do it your self, or pay some one to do it. I'm just glad I wasn't behind you as you were struggling going down the road and end up running over your ass. | ||
| Not_purple_s2 |
Wow, get a hold of that knee, Kmbuell, it's a jerkin'. " I'm just glad I wasn't behind you as you were struggling going down the road and end up running over your ass." Umm.. what exactly are you saying here? cause it sounds like you're more likely to run over a biker in trouble than to stop and help. | ||
| Kmbuell |
I expected a flame or two on my response. Perhaps you've not been part of a group ride when someone on bike suddenly has an issue and rapidly, with out warning, slows in front of you or swerves into you while looking down. I've seen it on the street and I've seen it at track days. It's always ugly. People get hurt because someone doesn't check out their machine before riding. It's not a knee-jerk reaction, it's a plea to understand that a problem is usually preventable. Hopefully, after a good long walk, on a nice day when you should be riding, we have learned a bit about PM'ing our bike. Let's not blame the machine for our shortcomings. | ||
| Chasespeed |
My battery died in the middle of a group ride a couple years ago... same symptoms, gauges flashing, a few spits and sputters... Then... poof... no bike, and mine is FI... ON that note, I also understand where you are coming from, and, I tend to avoid any kind of group rides... There are a few nuances with there bikes that are unique... The vibration constantly loosening, and breaking things for one... Not flaming, just stating... Chase | ||
| Buellistic |
Ladies and Gentlemen: Electronic parts, TACH., speedometer, idiot lamps have a way of telling you that you have just about got the last electron out of your battery OR JUST ABOUT TOO !!! Rule of THUMB !!!, if you buy a new battery (always the same brand)and keep it on a trickle charger when not riding and you get the last electron out of it which puts you on the side of the road in the middle of no where in the middle of the night ... Say it lasted 4 year before you extracted the LAST ELECTRON, then replace it at 3 1/2 years there after to be safe and stay off the side of the road !!! | ||
| Hugie03flhr |
V74-The wires coming off the stud on the starter. One wire is the positive going to the battery and one wire (the one that the connector broke in side the sleeve)goes to the regulator (I think) It must have been broken for awhile because I can see some discoloration on half of the connector. | ||
| Hugie03flhr |
KMBuell you DON'T KNOW what I did before my ride! A broken wire inside the connector sleeve is impossible to see or find until it breaks!  My starter has never been touched, the bike has 7000 miles, the battery is new and Buell was the last one to touch that connector. So take a chill pill and pay attention you might learn something | ||
| Chasespeed |
KMBuell you DON'T KNOW what I did before my ride! A broken wire inside the connector sleeve is impossible to see or find until it breaks! My starter has never been touched, the bike has 7000 miles, the battery is new and Buell was the last one to touch that connector. So take a chill pill and pay attention you might learn something Alright, alright... Everyone relax... You found a busted connector... okay, see if there is any way to prevent it in the future, and if not, think of a good way to fix it on the side of the road, patch wire, something.. And please, lets not make any accusations, about what did, or didnt happen. I will be the first to tell ya, when I fire the bike off to head to work, etc... I check the tires, fire it off, and go.... I dont do full blown 100k point checks everytime I fire it off... BUT, I know my ride, on the rare occasion, that I get to ride more than 20 miles a day.. I do give it a good looking over.. And, it gets partially tore apart and looked over... Chase | ||
| Wile_ecoyote |
Good point Chase. A level head will always prevail in situations like this. | ||
| Hugie03flhr |
No Problem Here Chase! Just telling everyone about a problem that may help someone else. | ||
| Kmbuell |
Hugie, My point is don't blame the bike or Buell when you have a preventable failure. It sounds to me like this is a "new to you" bike. Good reason to check it over before riding. I have 3 Buells, been riding Buells since '94 and never once have they failed to bring me home. I even have a 2000 Black M2 similar to yours. I understand letting off a bit of steam over a failure. Learn from it. By the way, the same positive cable end broke at the starter, on my S2 years ago, I noticed a tach fluctuation and shut it down, before I left home. Check the battery hold down to make sure it is tight. A loose battery is what caused my failure. It's now part of my pre-ride check. I'm not interested in any personal bashing, and I'm about as chilled as they get. No pills needed. Relax, check the bikes before riding, is the lesson we all need to learn. | ||
| Hugie03flhr |
Kmbuell....I guess it was lucky for you,  the tach started jumping around to give you a warning. I was not as lucky. I have owned harleys for almost 20 years and I always check over my bike. From what I can see the cable was over tighten on the starter and clocked upwards and someone bent it down to install the battery.(not me) All this was hidden by the rubber boot and connecter sleeve. It looks like the sleeve was the only thing holding it together. It wasn't until Ipulled gently on the cable that it came off in my hand Its going to be fix this weekend. Once I find a good heavy duty connecter because it looks like this maybe a common problem since we both had this happen |
