radio cuts out

[Dbeck]

Here's an odd one. Bike is on the side stand. Turn the radio on, works fine. When I take the weight off the kickstand, while leaving it down, the radio cuts out. Put the bike back on the kickstand, radio works fine. I have put washers under the blue connecters thinking maybe that was it but that did not help.

If I try the radio while riding it cuts in and out.

Edited August 18, 2011 by Dbeck

[frankd]

The first thing that I'd do is to pull the control panel---you unlock it with the ignition key and then move the corner latch clips so that they release the control panel, and then lift it up by the handles. THen I'd reach inside and make sure everything is plugged in completely. Then put the control panel back on, making sure it's seated properly. If this doesn't do it, you'll have to take a left side of the fairing off and start moving or wiggling connectors until you find out what's not seated.

 

Frank D.

[Dbeck]

Ok, I took the panel that the radio plugs into off. Then plugged the radio assembly back in. Turned radio on and moved all the wires and connecters, checked the ground wire, that was fine. Radio did not cut out once. While radio was on took weight off the sidestand and it cut out. Very odd.

I recently had the whole fairing off so I could take the coils out and have them tested under load. They were fine. Is there something I could have done in there that would have this affect.

Wondering about the sidestand cutoff thing, but I don't have to put the sidestand up just take weight off it for the radio to cut out.

Checked the main ground and that is fine( I recently upgraded the battery cables).

I really don't know where to go from here.

Any ideas would be welcome,

Thanks

Doug

[friesman]

hmmm thats a head scratcher. I am sure someone will be along with a suggestion for ya, these guys dont get stumped very often.

 

Brian

[bkuhr]

Removing fairing required unmounting of amp/tuner. Wonder if something not remounted tightly, and jars enough when just standing bike up from stand?

[Dano]

When on the sidestand with the engine running in neutral, pull in the clutch and shift into first. If it dies, so far so good. Next try the same thing with taking weight off the sidestand. If the engine doesn't die, the sidestand switch is misaligned and probably dirty. Is there a lot of slop in the sidestand?

 

Check your main ground down at the right front of the engine case, take it off and clean it well. Do the same to the radio ground.

 

Are you losing the readouts on the radio also? Or just the speakers?

 

Check the above and let us know what you find.

 

Good luck,

 

Dano

Edited August 20, 2011 by Dano

[Dbeck]

If i put bike in gear while the sidestand is down the bike dies. I can take weight of sidestand with bike running in neutral and it stays running, as it should. There is no slop in sidestand.

 

I just put the new battery cables on maybe two weeks ago so I'm sure they are clean. But when I get home from work tomorrow I will take the engine ground off and clean it anyway just to cross that off the list. I checked the radio ground yesterday and that looked good. The readouts on the radio go out when this happens not just the sound. So somehow losing power to unit.

 

I have also moved the fuse panel around and all the connections in that area. Does not affect radio. It's crazy, all I have to do is move some of the weight of the sidestand with my hip standing next to the bike and radio cuts out. Can the sidestand have anything to do with ground?

 

Thanks for the ideas. I'll let you know what I find tomorrow.

Doug

Edited August 20, 2011 by Dbeck

[Dano]

Ground runs thru the sidestand switch to cut out the TCI and the sidestand indicator on the dash. Two different switch legs off the switch, but 1 ground lead feeding the switch.

 

Hmmm, you're obviously holding the handle bars while doing this and adding a LOT of torque to them while holding the bike up. I think I would check the connector for the ignition switch as accessory power runs thru here. Start checking all the connectors around there. You can also pull the headlight bucket and check connectors thru there too.

[friesman]

I would put the bike on the center stand and have a goodlook at the side stand switch wires etc. Then i would put the side stand down and apply pressure to see if your radio comes on, you may be able to see movement somewhere while it is on the center stand.

 

Brian

[Rocket]

hmmm thats a head scratcher. I am sure someone will be along with a suggestion for ya, these guys dont get stumped very often.

 

Brian

 

If it was fine prior to pulling the fairing, it looks like K.I.S.S. (keep it simple st--id) applies. Meaning have a good look around the radio, like the radio ground wire connection, on the amp mounting bolt, it is not a ring connector, so it can slide out as the bolt is tightened. Another possibility, but unlikely, is power connection at the inline fuses, which should be in the vicinity of the turn signal lens & the flasher units on the Mk1. Also check the amp / harness connector, to ensure that none of the pins has backed out.

 

[Dbeck]

Ok, think I narrowed it down. When I sit on bike and radio is on, it usually works if I don't move the bike around, and I kick sideways on the left foot rest, everytime it will cut out then go right back on. If the bike is on the sidestand and I do this, radio does not cut out. No affect if I kick the right side foot rest.

Its got to be the sidestand cutoff. Thats the only thing close to it that has wires. Do I have to remove the crome cover with the allen bolts in it to get to the cutoff?

 

I need to wait for a buddy to come over and help me get it up on the center stand( my 135 pound body just doesn't quite have enough uumph to do it by myself), then I can mess around with the cutoff and see whats up.

 

I'm ready any minute for someone to come around the corner of the garage and say

"Smile, your on candid camera"

[friesman]

crank up your air suspension as high as it goes and then park your rear tire on about a 3/4 inch square of plywood. then it should be easier to get on the center stand.

 

Brian

[Dbeck]

Got it up on the center stand, no matter what I do I cannot get the radio to cut out. It must ground the bike somehow. When just the sidestand is down if I move the stearing wheel or bounce the bike the radio cuts out. The sidestand moves along the ground when you do this so It must ground the bike somehow. The radio ground is in place and tight, it was clean.

 

I guess i'll take the lower front plastic off and check the ground again, but moving all those wires I can't get the radio to cut out.

 

My next thought is to have someone sit on the bike without the sidestand or center stand down while I have the radio out of the fairing but in its connections and try moving things around. The last time I did this it was on the sidestand. Maybe thats why I couldn't get a cut out.

 

I hate those electrical gremlins!

 

Had my Son sit on the bike, I moved all the wires and stuff in the radio compartment, the flasher plugin and signal on right side. All the wires coming from handle bars. no reaction. If I hit the amp on top I get a cut out. Got to be something there.

 

I'll get back to you.

 

.

Edited August 21, 2011 by Dbeck

[Trader]

crank up your air suspension as high as it goes and then park your rear tire on about a 3/4 inch square of plywood. then it should be easier to get on the center stand.

 

Brian

 

I have a 4" piece of 2 x 4 for that very reason.

[Dbeck]

I think I'm done for now trying to figure this out. The weather is to nice to have this thing all tore apart just to have a radio.

 

I have a mechanic next week who is going to split a carb for me that is just not working right. While he has it I'll ask him to take a look at it. Maybe a new set of eyes and his experience will find the problem. I'll let you know what it was if I find out.

 

Thanks for all the advice.

 

Doug

[Guest tx2sturgis]

When I take the weight off the kickstand, while leaving it down, the radio cuts out. Put the bike back on the kickstand, radio works fine.

 

 

Thats a 'feature'!

 

However, the 2nd gens have a full time radio.

 

 

[Rocket]

I think I'm done for now trying to figure this out. The weather is to nice to have this thing all tore apart just to have a radio.

 

I have a mechanic next week who is going to split a carb for me that is just not working right. While he has it I'll ask him to take a look at it. Maybe a new set of eyes and his experience will find the problem. I'll let you know what it was if I find out.

 

Thanks for all the advice.

 

Doug

 

Also, maybe hook up with Bubber & head up to the P.I.P. meet in Laporte Mn. It is held on the Labour day long weekend. There is usually some work done on bikes & they might be able to spot the problem.

 

I won't be there, this year, as I am now back on the wet coast & not only 1,000 miles away.

[frankd]

When it 'cuts out', does the radio display go blank or does the display normal and the sound just goes out?? This will let us know if we're dealing with a power problem or a radio problem.

 

Frank D.

[mbrood]

Does it lose it's presets?

 

There's basically two power wires... one is from the switch (main) and one is directly from the battery keeping the presets in memory.

[Dbeck]

Yes the radio display goes out. And I have lost my presets several times. It's a power problem somewhere, although with the tank cover off and wiggling all the wires and connections I can't find any bad connections. Maybe the amp is going? really hard to say. Just put everything back together and now it just cuts out when I ride it. Seems to get worse as it warms up. Can't get it to cut out while sitting on it. Although as I have found out, this could change.

 

And to tx2sturgis, maybe this is a safety feature on the 1st gens so we don't get distracted by the radio while driving.

[bongobobny]

OK the controller is just a bunch of switches and a display. The actual memory for the presets is in the tuner box bolted to the amp box that is bolted onto the fairing frame. There is a separate ground wire coming out of that assembly that is, as mentioned, a spade type connector, not a ring. I would suspect that ground first...

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Ok...since were all shooting in the dark here:

 

Could it be something, a component, fuse, loose wire, something thats actually physically loose inside the radio or amp?

 

Maybe when the bike is leaned over to the left, this loose component/wire/contact/whatever is touching, and when the bike is stood up, the change in lean angle causes it to quit?

 

Almost like the lean angle sensor...but not quite...its reversed.

 

Try raising the kickstand but then with some help, leaning the bike over to the left and see if the radio comes to life that way. If a component was loose on the circuit board it may just get enuff contact when leaned over, but go intermittent when vertical and riding down the road.

 

Hey just my

[Dbeck]

Yesterday, at one point the radio did cut out when leaned over on the right side. This thing is so intermittent, now it won't cut out until I'm riding it. I'm just so frustrated with this thing right now. Just got back from a ride, cuts out almost constantly. So I shut the radio off and enjoyed the ride.

 

I thought the same thing, that maybe its in the radio or amp itself.. could be. But.. it worked fine before I had the whole front end off to get the coils out. I must have done something. I'll see what my guy says this week when he splits 1 of my carbs for me. I'm about done with it.

Doug