Help! Broken down at the Nugget

[Vegasrider]

Can't get my bike started, wonder if someone could assist with a trailer. Would rather pay a forum member than a tow. Only live 2 miles from Nugget in sparks.
Kenny
702-858-6959

[Vegasrider]

Thanks GM for offering to help.  After getting it started through the push start, once I got home, the bike would not turn over again.  You mentioned some kind of clutch plunger? Obviously, by passing the start switch did the trick from the push start.

[A DRAGON]

If you need help in the future you can always call me aswell
775-560-6998. Man that sucks breaking down

[Vegasrider]

Thank you Dragon.  I've been having starting issues for over a month now.  It's been intermittent and I am having a hard time trouble shooting my problems.  This is the reason why I haven't been going on the weekend rides, I don't trust my bike and I don't want to have bike issues outside of Reno. 

What I do know that the bike will not crank after riding, on an intermittent basis.  It never dies when riding so it's not a electrical connection issue.  I hear the fuel pump come on, but when I hit the starter, it just clicks.   I thought it had something to do with my crankshaft position sensor since it did give me that error code once or twice.  I usually roll the bike, get the gears repositioned and I usually can get the bike started.  Sometimes, it does turn over with a struggling sound, like it's a very weak battery. 

Weak battery? Well everytime I come home, I plug it to the charger and it turns green after a few minutes. 

I found out that the bike jump started, bypassing the starter switch.  Could it be a starter relay or starter solenoid? After all, the bike has 104k miles worth of starts. 

I really need a new bike.

[Sub-Sonic]

Glad you were able to get home.  Breaking down is no fun.

I really need a new bike.

Here's a nice Yamaha with only 16k on the clock.

http://www.sierrasportbike.com/smf/index.php?topic=4273.0

[GreenMachine]

SS, that would be one solution to address the problem. 

VR, you might want to simply replace the neutral switch with another one.  It may be faulty.  Although, I'm not familiar with that bike.  I do know that it has a diagnostics mode you can switch it into.  Great way to eliminate certain items or to see if any codes are thrown.

An FZ6 that doesn't start and that has had the dual headlight mod, seems to have issues charging the battery.  So I'm guessing it's either the battery getting run down or the neutral switch ($16) giving you grief.



http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/262045905658?ul_noapp=true&chn=ps&lpid=82

[Vegasrider]

Had to push start the bike this morning and after work.  I took the bike over to Motosource to get the battery load tested, battery is fine.  They think it might be the starter motor, or whatever makes the starter crank.  They don't think it's the switch.  Anyways, I left the bike their and took a cab home.  They are going to do some more trouble shooting and go from there.  In the meantime, looks like it's the RTC Ride Bus for me.

[dub]

You need a back-up bike. The Tiger was down for about a month while I replaced the destroyed front wheel. I rode the SV650 to work during that time. (of course, I also have a car).

[Vegasrider]

Dub you are absolutely correct, I need a cheap back up bike.  I had one back in Idaho, a Yamaha XT225 Enduro that I equipped with studded tires for those snowy and icy days.  But like an idiot, I sold it thinking I was moving back to a warmer climate like Phoenix or Vegas.  I never thought that I would land my ass back in a similar climate as Boise.








Ice, Ice baby..........

[GreenMachine]

Damn!

There's a limit to how far I'll go to ride. 

Just ask Dub.   

[slmoto]

Damn!

There's a limit to how far I'll go to ride. 

Just ask Dub.   

And here is that limit...



I shouldn't joke though, the closest I've come to dropping my bike is when I stepped down on some pine needles but luckily I was able to keep everything upright.

[slmoto]

Vegasrider, are the studs that effective where you can ride semi normal or are you white knuckling it everywhere you go?

[dub]

And here is that limit...

omg dude, lmao for real. 

[Vegasrider]

Vegasrider, are the studs that effective where you can ride semi normal or are you white knuckling it everywhere you go?

I never felt white knuckled when I was out riding in those conditions when I was with my XT.  As long as I didn't lean the bike over when turning, and just kept the braking down to a point where it was a gradual stop, the bike handled great.  On the FZ with my Pilot Powers, yes, at times I felt white knuckled and probably endured one of my most challenging rides.

Picture taken about an hour before I left from work on my FZ6, as long as I stayed on the tire tracks I thought I would be fine.  For the most part yes, but the snow was so deep between the tire tracks I was restricted to one line so no lane changes.  I could only take right hand turns, no lefts, and I needed to make one left to make it home.



Once off the highway and onto the surface streets, this is what I was faced with. 






Made it home though without dumping my bike.  Problem was that my FZ is equipped with heated gear, the XT was not.  So I have to give up heat for traction, and I choose heat over traction most of the time and it has bit me in the ass at times.

[RichVee4]

I remember reading a comparison test of car tires snow, all season and summer tires.  Cars of course, but would guestimate mc tires would be somewhat similar to a summer tire.   For the acceleration test to 30mph, on snow,  I thought it was noteworthy the car with summer tires couldnt complete the test, wasn't able to reach 30mph.    When you add the challenges of stopping and lean angle on a mc, no winter riding for me.