[FindYourBeacon]

The other night I turned on my r6 to warm it up and after two minutes EVERYTHING shut off. ALL lights and engine. Nothing came back on at all until I started moving the handlebars around. Now I have noticed the lights come on and it will generally start right up if the handlebars are straight and (usually) stays running if left alone with straight handlebars. If I move them at ALL to the left everything shuts down. Same goes for the right..

What in the hell could this be? It happened so suddenly..

(EDIT) this bike has a new battery (At least I was told that)
(EDIT 2) I've also noticed that the bike does a strange clicking sound usually when I mess around with the engine on/off switch.. the clicking comes from the battery area under the seat)


(this bike is a recent purchase and ran fantastic after a carb clean/plug change) (also know this is a bike that sat for 1.5 years. However it ran fantastic until this happened.. No idea what's wrong.)

 

[Jo6pak]

Sounds like a shorted wire, probably in the kill switch circuit. And most likely a pinched wire in the frame neck where the bundle of wires run up to the handlebars.

Do you have a shop manual or Clymer manual for the bike and a multi-meter?

 

[FindYourBeacon]

I don't have any of that :/


I'm far from a mechanic but i'd like to figure this out.. Any tips on finding what's wrong?

 

[FindYourBeacon]

So the bundle of wires that come up to the handlebars... If I wiggle those around the power flickers on and off. Any conclusions from that?

 

[rje58]

Yep. Read Jo6pak - post #2.

So the bundle of wires that come up to the handlebars... If I wiggle those around the power flickers on and off. Any conclusions from that?

 

[RobMoore]

If post #2 didn't give you an idea of where to start looking, I'm afraid you may not have the knowledge to fix this, and will have to pay someone else to do it for you.

 

[DachshundUberAlles]

If post #2 didn't give you an idea of where to start looking, I'm afraid you may not have the knowledge to fix this, and will have to pay someone else to do it for you.

I agree, except I would change the word may to do.

 

[SemiFast]

Because everything shuts off. It almost has to be the wires going to the ignition switch.
Possibly the main power supply wire. (Red I believe on that bike). Could be a black ground wire or even the plug for the Ign switch wires.
So get a look at the plug first. Also, look for kinks in the wires, that would be a likely trouble spot.

Broken wires can be hard to find because the insulation on the wire may look OK but the wire is broken inside.
Of course if you see a mangled wire, start there.
With the key on, wiggle each wire individually till you get one that makes it act up.

Best as I can remember, you have to remove the fuel tank to get to the wires and plug.
Let us know how it works out.

 

[Jo6pak]

I don't have any of that :/


I'm far from a mechanic but i'd like to figure this out.. Any tips on finding what's wrong?

So the bundle of wires that come up to the handlebars... If I wiggle those around the power flickers on and off. Any conclusions from that?

You're on the track to confirming my suggestion. This is actually a good project to learn more about troubleshooting electrical issues. If you can rebuild a carb, this is a good "next step." I think you should give it a go.

1. Pick up a shop manual or Clymer manual (Clymer manual will be the cheaper option of the 2 and give you more than enough information for home wrenching) The wiring diagrams will make it much easier to track down the offending wires

2. Zip over to your local hardware store and get a cheap digital multi-meter. No need to spend a lot, just get one with the basics but make sure it has an audible "continuity" setting, which will make it easier to test wires without needing to see the display.
And pick up some spare fuses while you are at it.

3. If none of #2 makes any sense, then you'll have to start with the basics for electronics. Hit up YouTube and search for "multi-meter demonstrations" and "basic electronics" or buy a basic electronics book to get you rolling.

Sometimes things like this can seem overwhelming. But in reality, if you truly want to learn, it will end up being fun and rewarding to work on your own bike.
Start slow, be smart, and be patient.

It's only 12 volts so it won't kill you if you touch a hot wire.(it will smart for sure, but it won't make you sterile or anything.) And the electronic components of the cycle are protected by fuses, so the chance of permanently damaging anything is pretty low.

What's the worst that can happen?

 

[SemiFast]

You're on the track to confirming my suggestion. This is actually a good project to learn more about troubleshooting electrical issues. If you can rebuild a carb, this is a good "next step." I think you should give it a go.



Sometimes things like this can seem overwhelming. But in reality, if you truly want to learn, it will end up being fun and rewarding to work on your own bike.
Start slow, be smart, and be patient.


What's the worst that can happen?

What's the worst that can happen? ....... He could learn something and maybe fix the bike while he's at it.
I don't see much of a downside on this one.



FindYourBeacon, Have you looked into it yet?