| Author |
Message |
    
Bigdog_tim
| | Posted on Monday, March 17, 2008 - 08:19 pm: | 
|
I got the bike into the dealership. I had carefully recorded the multi-meter readings - and am pretty convinced there is a problem with the charging system. My dealer agreed - said I have a faulty voltage regulator. New one will be here in 7-10 days. |
Zac4mac
| | Posted on Monday, March 17, 2008 - 08:45 pm: |
|
Most likely, we have seen a couple of each of several different causes for electrical woes.
Bad stators, batteries and VRs.
Even a couple of loose wires and undercharged batteries.
Not many of each, but collectively a large number of "dead batteries" for our small group.
I still believe the design is good and there are a small number of SNAFUs that are to be expected.
Even with six-sigma permeating the manufacturing industry.
Relax, remember this is the bleeding edge.
It's called that for a reason.
Just checked mine.
No start since Saturday.
12.6 in DM - Park, 12.1 DM - Run.
Peace out
Zack |
Garrett2
| | Posted on Monday, March 17, 2008 - 09:15 pm: |
|
after reading through some of this stuff i got to thinking - i did mess with my dash the other day after the ride with the bike off.
whod have thought a minute or two with the dash would kill a battery... |
Baggermike
| | Posted on Monday, March 17, 2008 - 09:28 pm: |
|
I have BRP-ROTAX tel # so I am going to see if they have any info that I can use or a replacement stator from on of there bikes,
the can am spyder looks the same size from the out side and is rated at 500 watts but did not give a rpm with that figure,
I am going to ride the bike with the high beams on and see if I run into a problem,
that will give me piece of mind and then I will get a new battery because I believe the battery is damaged from the test I have done against a over six month old battery and the older battery did better,
I would have thought Buell would have swapped my battery but did not,
it is known when a voltage regulator goes it can harm the battery and how much would have it cost to give me a new one when I have had all these problems,
and had a bad voltage regulator.
Mike |
Krassh
| | Posted on Monday, March 17, 2008 - 09:39 pm: |
|
Had a similar problem with my 06 Uly in regards to a bad battery from the bike sitting to long at a dealership.
I took the bike in and stopped by the next day. Service manager said charged it all night then they tested it with their equipment and it said it was good to go.
Well I knew from my own experience that after a night on the charger it would be fine for maybe a day then would not have enough juice to start the bike.
So after explaining to them that if it sits 2-3 days it will not start they left it sit over the weekend. I also reintegrated do not start it or charge it just let it set.
Well I know this not in their normal test procedures but they agreed. So I came in to check on it and the service manager indicated it started yesterday after sitting for 3 or 4 days. I go ok if you say so. So he has one of the guys go get the bike.
Well let me tell you the look on the techs face was priceless when he returned to the desk without the bike. I was like "let me guess it would not turn over". Tech was like yeah dead as a door nail. So they replaced the battery.
Moral of the story is sometimes you have to nudge the service department to think outside of the box. |
Baggermike
| | Posted on Monday, March 17, 2008 - 09:50 pm: |
|
Thanks Krash I am getting a better battery than what is from Buell so I am sure of no troubles on the road,
I am also getting a volt meter amp gauge to with a charger included for 180.00.
this way I can see what is going on and catch a problem before it happens.
Mike |
Edmbueller
| | Posted on Monday, March 17, 2008 - 10:20 pm: |
|
I know it seems a little far fetched, but I also experimented with my new 1125r. I can't ride cause it snowed 3 inches in the 4 days I have owned her so I figured I may as well set up the suspension, detail her, you know spend some quality time...
Put the tender on - flashed green within 5 minutes. Started right up no problem.
Played with the dash - set my pin, changed the brightness, left it off the tender and let it sit overnight and through work today. Got home and put the tender on - solid orange for over 30mins. Tried to fire it up and it started right up, only to die after running for about 10 seconds (keep in mind ambient temp is about 5 celcius) Tried to start again and it fired and died in about another 10 seconds. Then would not start at all again....bad fuel smell so I figure she flooded but don't get why?? |
Krassh
| | Posted on Monday, March 17, 2008 - 10:32 pm: |
|
Picked up a 4 position Battery Tender.
http://www.batterymart.com/p-battery-tender-12v-1_25a-battery-charger-4b.html
Also picked up 4 25 ft. extension cords to go to the bikes. Best money I have spent. Charges all my bikes plus spare battery I keep around.
|
Bigdog_tim
| | Posted on Monday, March 17, 2008 - 10:57 pm: |
|
Krassh - this was something I should have bought. I now have 5 bikes in my garage and each of them is on their own tendor. (sigh). |
Bigdog_tim
| | Posted on Monday, March 17, 2008 - 11:13 pm: |
|
Some random thoughts on this whole battery/electrical system issue:
The folks that hang out here on Badweather tend to be a little more analytical than the average shmoe. We spend our free time (ok - or time we should be working) posting and reading posts. We tend to be a little more critical - maybe from reading first hand the bad things that happen to others - or maybe because we are (insert appropriate thing based on your individual circumstance).
All that being said, here goes: I am pretty well convinced there is nothing wrong with the design. I suspect the choices made by BMC are well within our expectations of performance/durability/etc. But ANY bike (not to mention an entirely new platform) will have its share of "lemon" parts (ISO be damned). In my case, I am pretty comfortable this is a faulty voltage regulator (hey - that has ALSO happened on my 2002 GSXR 750). I would so much rather this bad part be figured out now (when I was relatively close to home) rather than when I am at Laguna Seca this summer (or any other place I let the bike take me).
Others that have had problems with the stator or bad battery (insert appropriate malfunction here) - the same is true.
Now before I get flamed that we are not being compensated as beta testers - this sort of thing doesn't show up in testing. It sorta does - but not really. These are amazingly complex machines with a LARGE number of manufacturers designing for specifications that are not "off the shelf and already proven". If it was - it would not be a Buell.
I guess the point of this random musings is that good caution should be the order of the day. This is a new bike, new platform, new (almost) everything. We all have unique use cases - and that may/may not be one of the acceptance criteria to decide go/no go. That doesn't mean BMC is not hearing us (I believe they are big time - we are CORE to them).
So - before we go off and pick some other after market thing just because we don't trust what BMC is offering - let's make sure we compare specs. If the after market thing offers some real (not perception) advantage - then go for it. Otherwise - my hope anyway - is that we collaboratively work with BMC to make this bike all that it is promised to be.
Wow - I just reread what I wrote. Time for another adult beverage.  |
Krassh
| | Posted on Monday, March 17, 2008 - 11:18 pm: |
|
Yeah when I was first looking for a Tender and found this I ordered one. I did not get the extension cables for it initially and it was a pain getting everything arranged to reach all the bikes so I broke down and purchased the extension cables. |
Jpfive
| | Posted on Monday, March 17, 2008 - 11:22 pm: |
|
Great post, bigdog. +1
Jack |
Baggermike
| | Posted on Monday, March 17, 2008 - 11:56 pm: |
|
I was told I would get answers to my questions and have not,
I find this wrong and will wait a while to see if the info gets to buell and someone will let me know what is fact and what is BS.
Mike |
Brad1445
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 - 12:25 am: |
|
I had a stator failure on my 04 Firebolt while on a group ride deep in the Colorado mountains. Warm fuzzy hugs for Buell and rainbows shooting out of my butt was not what was on my mind. Getting my bike to run in the middle of nowhere was.
On that same Bike the battery failed right after the 12 month warranty. They wanted me to pay big bucks for another Harley/Buell battery. I said I did not want a replacement battery that was just like the one that only lasted 12 months. I said I could get a crappy battery for half the cost.
I guess I'm just trying to say I understand disappointment and frustration of a non performing product. I am a Core Buell customer also. I have bought two more since that bike I just mentioned with similar issues.
Bikes are expensive. I know when they don't work anything that would make it work is fair game. |
Court
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 - 07:34 am: |
|
Tim:
Well put.
The bike is very well designed. There have been some problems with a few (we're in that 5 out of 1,000 order of magnitude) voltage regulators that appear to be a vendor problem that was not caught.
There is nothing wrong with the battery and I'm eager to see what a "better" one is. Factories, knowing that they'll take at least the PR hit for a poor battery, generally use pretty top shelf stuff.
Take a fairly simple problem, toss in a 5 way conversation between folks in CT, East Troy, Milwaukee and Austria and before long it's the process that is the problem.
It gets worse when the internet sits in the Monday morning quarterbacks chair constantly inserting what they "KNOW": into the equation.
As Bill (Reepicheep) posted in another thread, one element to solving a problem is carefully looking at the data and isolating things. Reread any of the above posts and see if you can even sort out what THE issue is.
Sometimes this is akin to having a spare 5 minutes on St. Pat's day and quickly stopping in an Irish Bar in Queens the get a solution to the current political problems.
I hope everybody gets answers, I hope the war stops, Lehman Brothers survives, my yard man comes today and that NY finds a governor free of personal indiscretion but I want my Buell to do what it was intended to do. If it doesn't I go to my dealer, I let them handle the conversations with the tech folks, gix it, give it back to me and I go ride.
The motorcycle is the simplest part. |
Spatten1
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 - 10:22 am: |
|
Court: I hope your yard man comes and you get a good Governor, but Lehman Brothers tanks. |
|
