Complete Electrical Failure and then ok

Thought someone might have some clue on this?

I was riding accross Granville Street bridge the other day and the bike died. After a few feet everything came back on and wham away we go. This seemed to happen after a bump but lots of bumps riding in vancouver. Next day the same thing happened. After turning of and on the key and then off again all the gauges jumped and then stuck. Repeated and then turned off and all gauges jumped. Several key turns and then waited a half hour and all came back again. On the way home it quit in motion several times but managed to come back together and I limped home always scared the bike would die halfway over the lions gate bridge. Got back to Kits without incident.

Will look at fuses tomorrw and check out what I can. Original batter on 03 FJR (purchased in 02) with 42000KM. Seems like something loose but doesn't really fit the symptom. Some folks talked of ignition problems with intermittent operation but never heard of bike dieing only not turning on. I might replace the battery if fuses are ok.

Thought I would submit it for your comments to see if someone else has experianced this problem or would have any suggestions? Nothing like going from 100 to 50 and then back to 100 in wheelie format ha ha. No lights when it happens makes it more fun in the dark. Not a hard bike to push for 100 feet downhill but anything longer than that makes you sweat. Rode all the way from Prince Rupert to Van without incident last week. Thinking of heading home on Wednesday so have to solve something by then as there are lots of empty spaces on the 1600K ride. Thanks.

I would check the ground......seems like you might have some corrosion or a loose wire.

More likely the ignition switch has a problem. Some have experienced an electrical problem with the switch on older bikes. They applied contact cleaner on the switch contacts. Don't know how they got the cleaner into the switch. You can see the switch with its two large wires and two smaller wires at the base of the locking mechanism.

Sounds like a similar situation we saw in the very early ST1100s... turned out to be the Bank Angle Sensor would intermittently engage when hitting a pothole or railroad ties.

Hmmm. Does the clock remember what time it is?

If the clock remembers what time it is then the suggestions about the ignition switch or tip-over sensor make sense. Maybe even the side stand switch.

If the clock resets then all power has been interupted and the faulty ground idea, or other loose power wire or even a completely trashed battery would make more sense to me.

Hmmm. Does the clock remember what time it is?
If the clock remembers what time it is then the suggestions about the ignition switch or tip-over sensor make sense. Maybe even the side stand switch.

If the clock resets then all power has been interupted and the faulty ground idea, or other loose power wire or even a completely trashed battery would make more sense to me.

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LMFAO!!!

When I first started reading this reply, I thought Geezer was coming on with some New Age bullshit. "Does the clock remember the time? Does the car remember the journey? Does the frying pan remember the omelet?"

Then it dawned on me what he meant...does the clock still DISPLAY the correct time?

Damn, Geezer...ya had me for a moment there.

A goofy tip sensor or sidestand switch wouldn't cause the instruments to go down or the headlights to go off. With a tip over signal the ECU powers down the fuel injection system relay. This cuts power to the fuel pump and injectors. None of the other circuits are likely affected.

If the clock and tripmeters aren't resetting then it's likely an intermittent ignition switch.

I had a similar problem, turned out to be a loose battery cable. Clock and trip meter reset.

Sounds like a similar situation we saw in the very early ST1100s... turned out to be the Bank Angle Sensor would intermittently engage when hitting a pothole or railroad ties.

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I agree with warchild, if you go thru the diagnostics, it will tell you if you tripped that sensor.

Yes I agree, sounds like the tip over switch is engaging somehow.

Was the moon full? Have there been any missing cows in the area? These are questions that need to be asked. By the way....have you woken up with a sore bottom recently? There may be more to this then meets the "eye". :lol:

You guys are killing me!

I am with the loose connection crew. Though I disagree that the battery is a possibility. An extremely remote one perhaps.

Really check your positive and negative battery connections and the battery ground connection.

And, what about the clock reset? That will be a good indication one way or the other.

It's been two days since your original post, what is the status?

He won't remember, skooterg. It's how the aliens work. Haven't you seen the movies? It's going to take years of psychological examinations to clean any of this mess up.

Thanks for all the input.

I have not replied because I was on the road. The problem did not reoccurr after leaving Vancouver and riding home for 1700 kilometres in all sorts of conditions and speeds. Wanted to see it happen again but no such luck. The clock did not reset when it happened and I will be tearing it apart this weekend to get service done and look for this problem. When I get (if i mean) it solved I will post in this forum.

I will post a ride summary for those interested in the appropriate forum.

THe problem with my 03 FJR dying has never happened again. Weird! I do believe the final conclusion has to be the ignition and I remember a thread in 2004 regarding failed ignition switches. My key is very difficult to turn in the ignition (good theft device) and I am certain it is going to fail. Once coming off the ferry there was no way I could turn the bike on with the key so I had to sit and wait. Finally did the hokey pokey and it turned! Pretty crappy if I had to hotwire my own bike. I have never had a bike with a crappy ignition switch and I dread having to carry two keys.

I am going to price out best rrice for a new switch and then decide if I really want to fight Yamaha on a non-warranty ignition failure. Gotta believe that this is a defect in the switch though since I never have seen anything like this. What a ******* !!! Anyone got free fix ideas?

Could be a real safety issue?

My money would be on the ignition switch as well. Another possibility is the main system fuse.

A tip over sensor won't kill power to the gauges, it only shuts off the engine as

the lean angle sensor and kill switch go directly to the ECM and shut down the fuel injection system only.

If it were a loose battery connection your clock would have reset. If the bike lost total electrics,

then it is something in the main power path, and there are only a couple items this could have been.

The ignition switch (item 1) can be seen in the drawing below as well as the main fuse (item 5).

I would inspect all connections from the fuse to the ignition switch. No connectors are shown

in the drawing between the battery, fuse and ignition switch except at the switch itself.

I would pull off the connectors at the bottom of the ignition switch and inspect them, and if

I didn't find anything wrong I probably would just replace the ignition switch and be done with it.

So, if the ignition switch is binding then maybe you had it turned on, but just barely on. Not completely on to where there would be a solid contact. If I'm right then it would be a mechanical problem with the switch.

Try squirting a little graphite dust in the switch and see if that helps it turn freely. Graphite is a dry powder lubricant made specifically for locks.

100 percent it's the ign switch. Happened to me last year in Lake George. I gaurantee it!