engine stopped on the highway

[yack_ass]

Hi guys, been away for quite a while but a new season is fast approaching and my Girly needs some love.
Last year, I had an incident which I couldn't focus on because of lack of funds, time and energy.

Tiger-955i, 2001, 75000km+

I was driving on the highway at around 130 km/h and all of a sudden the bike died. It just crapped out. (engine off, lights off, dash board off, niente).  After some meters (in gear), it revived itself and continued working. This problem repeated itself next day when I went to see what is going on.
When cold the engine starts normally and it idles normally. When it's running everything is normal. It runs smooth. But all of a sudden it just turns off. When I stopped moving it was reluctant to start (via starter button, on the highway I had enough inertia to keep me going).

No weird sounds. Performed the 12 minute tune to no avail.

This happened on a Sunday. I'm mentioning this because, on Friday, I rode the bike over some steep hills and the road was gravel. I used the engine to brake (quite a lot) and it stalled on me a couple of times. Could this have done it?

I didn't go and check the battery right the next day (I didn't have the multimeter at the time) and after I did, it had gone south.

Some possible issues that may or may-not have influence on the situation:
- cracked head gasket
- in weeks prior to the incident I had to change the fuse for the blinkers 3 times (bad/cheap fuses maybe?)
- GPS cable connected directly to the battery (I think this is the culprit behind the dead battery)
- both lights on via relays (I found a topic on how to test if they have a diode inside which cuts out when the ignition is off, will check if they are with or without that)


So where do I start now? I know I have to replace the head gasket. That is not a problem. Could it even be related?

I'm thinking maybe there is an exposed wire somewhere and it's reeking havoc? Charging problem?

I did a search, but found nothing, please re-direct me if there is something somewhere I could read and would help.

I suppose the first step is buying an OBD2 reader (or whatever it's called) to see if the computer tells me anything.


Selling the bike is not an option :D

[birddogone]

Sounds like a Hall Effect Sensor (crank sensor). My ole BMW did the same thing last summer while on a trip out West. Sometimes they'll start after a cool down, but mine wouldn't start. Had a spare HES with me (don't ask) and after 3hrs working on the side of I80 in South Dakota she fired right up and made the trip back home to VA. without any problems.
Good Luck,
Rod

[Mustang]

it's not the crank sensor...................

it sounds like you have the very common and typical ignition switch problem that is well documented in the Girly section .

either broken wires in the loom right where they go to ignition switch or the other scenario is the solder connections inside the switch let go .

just about 100 % certainty this where your problem lies , you have all the issues that it would cause .

[birddogone]

Mustang, When you say just about 100% certainty, does that really mean 98% certainty?     

[Bluto]

From what I've read the 12 minute tune is for newer bikes w/ Kehin ECU's and yours would have a Sagem with a completely different procedure.  Very unlikely you bought bad fuses, far more likely there is a short somewhere in your wiring harness  (unless incorrect low amp rated fuses were installed)   Rather than buying an OBD code reader you would probably be better off buying a Triumph compatible cable (Amazon sells one, I bought one there recently and it works) and running TuneEcu, it will pull OBD codes and do much more....though it seems very likely your problem is basic wiring as was said, not tuning, FI parts, etc...

[metalguru]

Sounds like things are going in too deep without checking the basics.
As Mustang says the main switch can cause this fault which is total electrical failure not mechanical.
The other thing to check is the main fuse on the side of the battery box, it is one fuse on its own. These wear out, if running any extra load on the system these should be checked for condition at least once a year.

Contrary to popular belief fuses wear out, if a piece of metal is heated and cooled (by the passage of electricity) the metal inside a fuse will bend, if any metal bends enough it will get thinner at the bend and evetually break.

[Bixxer Bob]

MG and Mustang have it nailed. Think logically.  Which scenarios kill everything in one go? Not the kill switch, not any particular fuse, or any chaffed wire let alone an engine sensor. And having killed everything suddenly allow everything to come to life again?  Answer, either themain 30amp fuse (although how that might heal itself I'm yet to understand) or an ign switch fault.  And we had one of them in the last couple of weeks....

(and it's a well documented on here already)

[yack_ass]

Thank you guys, the prospect of "a simple electrical bug" makes me quite excited. 

Now that I know what to look for in the threads my life is easier :D.

Mod can delete the thread if need be.

[John Stenhouse]

Good luck with getting the switch off, shear nuts can be a bitch.

[PeteH]

Had roughly the same problem a while back.. the bike kept cutting out though usually just as I was turning, started ok again on the clutch or thumbed the starter.
Eventually it died and the problem didnt show up on the Triumph dealers diagnostics but they got it started again and then couldnt get it to fail, so I rode it home.
The problem raised its head in double quick time and was eventually traced to a wiring loom fault.

Best of luck in curing it

[metalguru]

Answer, either themain 30amp fuse (although how that might heal itself I'm yet to understand)

Since manufacturers have adopted the blade fuse in various forms they have given strange problems. With the use cycles they can develop a resistance across the contact surfaces and of course develop a heat source to the point that the surfaces can get carbonised. As the cycle continues the condition worsens with a small arc created and conductivity resumes untill the surface carbonises again and within time melts the fuse body which is when we usually see the problem.

There is always going to be a problem with installing delicate electrics into a hostile environment like a motorcycle.

[Bixxer Bob]

Thanks Nige, similar to my own theory about corrosion on the spade connectors on the stator being the main cause of burnt stator coils leading to failure.

[metalguru]

Yes spot on mate along with every other un-protected connector on the machine.

Good thing manufacturers realised the connectors had to be improved to carry the milliamps produced by todays sensory systems, shame they forgot about the high load ones!