Oh FFS

[VladTepes]

I'm a shite magnet I tell ya.

Heaps of dramas lately - leaking shed, roof issue on house, and so on,.

But just to cap it off, after having worked at home for several weeks I decided I'd better go into the office yesterday, so I jumped on the bike.

Problem 1. No battery power to starter, only enough to get the fuel pump primed, so wouldn't start. Jumper leads got it going and off I went.  I don't have any reason to suspect the battery (at that point) as its a quality one and not even a year old.

Problem 2.  As I was riding, there was stuttering and times when just seemed low on engine power with throttle, and when it did work it was certainly not smooth. I put it down to fuel initially, but on reflection I think not.

Problem 3. It stalled / cut out (and again wouldn't restart) on busy Abbotsford Road, in peak hour.  I had to push it up the street to a driveway I could get it to - which happened to be a car tyre shop (Jax Bowen Hills for those who know the area).

Naturally all the drivers were kind and considerate and went around me without being and swearing and yelling at me.  (NOT.  Miserable pricks).

Problem 4.  I couldn't find anything wrong with it visually, so I posted on FB too see if anyone could recommend a bike shop I could get it towed to. I got as few recommendations - rang them but only one said they could look at it that day (Skinny's garage).  So I then needed to ring someone to get it towed.

Problem 5.  Apex Motorcycle towing. Kiara is out of town so unavailable. He gave me a number of someone else to call (not Apex), that person didn't answer or return my message. So I rang Wayne at Bike Tow. Well, he's also out of town at the moment so no go there. 

Couldn't find anyone else so rang RACQ (I'm a member) and they gave me the usual - yeah mate two hours or so.  This is in the middle of  major city, That's just stupid. "Make sure you stay by the bike" they say. (lucky I had shade nearby, imagine being stuck somewhere with no shade for that long )

I don't trust RACQ as far as I can throw them for motorcycle towing.  They use tilt tray flatbeds, hardly any have stands/racks they can use for motorcycles for stability. So they mostly just end up in the middle of the steel deck - you know, where all the oil from cars is, on a steel tray, and tied down.  Not at all stable - a fall waiting to happen.  Even getting it up onto a sloping deck in the first place, when there's no power is a nightmare - they always look for somewhere on the bike to attach a heavy MF winch hook...

Problem 6 (or possibly problem 1 again). I actually managed to borrow a jump starter pack from the blokes at Jax to see if I could restart it so I could ride it the kilometer or so to Skinny's.  And it did restart.  For 30 seconds then stopped again.  That happened twice so I gave up. I'm thinking this is probably electrical - I hope so, rather than anything mechanical (expensive).


Some light at the end of a tunnel?
So after all that the guy says - "Worst come to worst there's a motorcycle place behind us".
Wait, what?    Yeah turns out in the next street behind Jax, is Team Moto Kawasaki.
(I look back at facebook as I've had bad experience with Team moto suzuki dealer in the past, and there are a few people recommending that place as a good workshop, not the typical 'dealer service' experience).
So I go there and they said sure they can have a look later that arvo. I got one of them to help me push the bike up the steepish hill from abbotsford road, through Jax.  And my missus came to collect me. Spent rest of day working from home.

Here we are middle of next day and I haven't heard anything as yet. But fingers crossed it's nothing serious.


Sigh.

[KiwiCol]

Geez!  You sure do attract bad luck mate.   Shame you didn't put a multimeter over it after you jump started it eh . . .

[grog]

Agree Col, sounds like a charging problem.

[Hooli]

Sounds like either the battery has died or you've got a loose earth lead or similar.

I say that rather than charging as when the stator failed on mine it did about 30-40miles before stopping & would still run after a bump. Plus cutting out once the jump pack is removed suggests sod all power left, only time I've had a 14 do that was mine recently when the battery showed 0.78v.

[GSXKING]

  
What's the latest update you 💩🧲 ?

[VladTepes]

Regulator died.

[Dwain Dibley]

Glad it's sorted. 

D.D.

[VladTepes]

Well it will be once I get a new one fitted.

[Hooli]

Hmm shows what I know then 

Btw, when you're in there fitting the new reg. Check the rivets holding the plate on, mine had almost rotted away so the mounting was coming loose. I replaced them with small nuts & bolts as they take a lot longer to rot.

[grog]

Good result Vlad