Bike Problems
Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 8:11 am
Don't ya just hate it when you get into something to take care of a problem and one issue just keeps leading to the next.
Problem 1. Bike is overheating
Purchase #1. I grab my allen wrenches to take off the fairings to see if I can get an idea of where to start looking for the problem. At this point I am hoping for the best and wanting it to be nothing more than a wire disconnection. Of course with my luck I immediately realize that my wrenches are not Metric and have just enough play to know that I am going to start stripping bolts if I attempt this repair now. Head to Home depot and low and behold the only option I can find (Other than using the folding key type) is to purchase a full set of standard wrenches to get the Metrics. I already have three sets of standard. End up purchasing the screw drive set that includes the star drivers also. May as well. I am sure I will need them at some point in time. $16.00
Purchase #2. Get all the fairings off. Locate and trace the wiring. No problems. Everything connected correctly. Locate the fuse box and check the fan fuse. Yup, crispy. Replace it with one of the spares. FREE (have to remember to buy some spares though).
Back the bike out of the garage and fire her up letting her get up to the 200 degree mark. I start watching as she is climbing about 1 degree every second or so. Fan should be kicking on at 207ish. Nothing. I let her get to 220 which is about the hottest I ever saw my last bike get to and shut her off. Wheel her back into the garage and let her cool while I do the same with some dinner and a beer.
Head back out to take a closer look at the fan itself. It spins freely, but doesn't feel right. I Unbolt and unwire the fan, which requires a partial removal of the left radiator coil to get to the last screw (not sure how I am going to get it back in there). Looking at the fan it doesn't appear to be in that bad of shape. I am completely overlooking the problem at this point. While it is outside the body frame I wire back up and connect the thermostat switch wire to ground and she fires, barely. Kinda hesitant, but at that moment I realize where the problem is. The plastic fan blade is missing the center circle that connects it to the motor. So that explains the no spinning.
Purchase 3. Check around for pricing and in stock availability. Of course the best price I find is on ebay, but with all the problems I have had so far I have decided to go with a new one. New fan motor $140, new fan blade $28. 7 - 10 business days till they arrive. I might have been able to just go with the blade, but the motor feels a little rough on the spin and I don't want to half a$s this.
All this and my problem may not be fixed. There is also the chance that the relay switch went bad. Looking at another $50 for that.
At this point I have emailed the seller asking if he knew about any of these problems.
Not a happy camper. Looks like I won't be riding for at least a week.
Problem 1. Bike is overheating
Purchase #1. I grab my allen wrenches to take off the fairings to see if I can get an idea of where to start looking for the problem. At this point I am hoping for the best and wanting it to be nothing more than a wire disconnection. Of course with my luck I immediately realize that my wrenches are not Metric and have just enough play to know that I am going to start stripping bolts if I attempt this repair now. Head to Home depot and low and behold the only option I can find (Other than using the folding key type) is to purchase a full set of standard wrenches to get the Metrics. I already have three sets of standard. End up purchasing the screw drive set that includes the star drivers also. May as well. I am sure I will need them at some point in time. $16.00
Purchase #2. Get all the fairings off. Locate and trace the wiring. No problems. Everything connected correctly. Locate the fuse box and check the fan fuse. Yup, crispy. Replace it with one of the spares. FREE (have to remember to buy some spares though).
Back the bike out of the garage and fire her up letting her get up to the 200 degree mark. I start watching as she is climbing about 1 degree every second or so. Fan should be kicking on at 207ish. Nothing. I let her get to 220 which is about the hottest I ever saw my last bike get to and shut her off. Wheel her back into the garage and let her cool while I do the same with some dinner and a beer.
Head back out to take a closer look at the fan itself. It spins freely, but doesn't feel right. I Unbolt and unwire the fan, which requires a partial removal of the left radiator coil to get to the last screw (not sure how I am going to get it back in there). Looking at the fan it doesn't appear to be in that bad of shape. I am completely overlooking the problem at this point. While it is outside the body frame I wire back up and connect the thermostat switch wire to ground and she fires, barely. Kinda hesitant, but at that moment I realize where the problem is. The plastic fan blade is missing the center circle that connects it to the motor. So that explains the no spinning.
Purchase 3. Check around for pricing and in stock availability. Of course the best price I find is on ebay, but with all the problems I have had so far I have decided to go with a new one. New fan motor $140, new fan blade $28. 7 - 10 business days till they arrive. I might have been able to just go with the blade, but the motor feels a little rough on the spin and I don't want to half a$s this.
All this and my problem may not be fixed. There is also the chance that the relay switch went bad. Looking at another $50 for that.
At this point I have emailed the seller asking if he knew about any of these problems.
Not a happy camper. Looks like I won't be riding for at least a week.
