The bike just dies...randomly

[MartinKemp]

I don't even know how to ask this question...
1993 V XII - 35,000 miles

The bike most often starts and runs fine. Randomly, at street / highway speed, it loses power (seems to be running on 2 cyls.) and quickly dies. Sometimes it will start and run for a few mile again (and then quit again), other times not. If I leave it sit for an hour or 2, or overnight, it starts and runs fine again...until the next failure.

I've tried...
Replaced fuel filters and fuel pump. Didn't solve the problem.
Replaced a failed coil and thought that solved the problem. But it didn't.
Replaced corroded engine ground strap. Didn't help. Left me stranded again last night.

1. So, if you were to go looking for an intermittent short or open (loss of continuity) in the electrical system, where would you start looking? Are there any known pinch points where wiring becomes bare and short out?

2. Do CDIs fail? Are they temperature sensitive? Seems possible, but unlikely given that it once quit after only about 1.5 miles on the highway - hardly enough time for the CDI or anything else to really be affected by engine heat. But as you can tell, I've been wrong about many things already.

The dealership has spent about 16 hours trying to find the problem. They took it on a trouble free 60 mile test drive. Then I got on the bike, and 1.5 miles later, it's dead on the road side.

Any suggestions, I really mean any, will be hugely appreciated.

Thanks
Martin Kemp (beyond frustrated)
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

[Thud300]

I'm sure one of the more knowledgeable members will chime in soon, but...

A known issue is with the wire harness going to the ignition switch. The harness is secured to the frame by a couple of ties and this combined with steering action creates strain, flex and wire breakage within the insulation. Check to see if those ties are in place and if they are, remove them and save them for something else. Wiggle testing the harness might reveal the problem.

Search the forum for 'ignition switch' and you'll probably find many references to this.

[doug of so fla]

The above post by "Thud300" is a very good item to check!!!!!. very common problem with the XII. Open harness and examine each little wire for a deformity or kink or stretch.

Another odd problem that is very rare is that the "Pulsar's ( points) have a diode in them and when the system was designed the engineer decided to make a fail safe which in effect, if you have one diode in one pulsar go bad, the system is set up in series and it will kill the other pulsar so it will not run on just 2 cylinders and damage the engine.

Very rare but had it happen to one of mine. Just to eliminate a possibility have the pulsars checked. It will usually fail only when the engine is hot. Good Luck..

[Dbb3]

Had the same issue. Mine happened to be a short in the kill switch. Wiring was frayed. I went through a lot of replacements before this nexpensive five minute fix

[cushman eagle]

I will agree with the ignition switch harness suggestion

[Mr Jensee]

Most often these problems are the result of something simple. Wiring harness under and near the steering yoke is a good possibility. The kill switch is another. When I had a problem with the headlight failure light on the dash would not go out and both high and low beams were dim, I eliminated everything including replacing and expensive lighting module. It ended up that light switch on the left handlebar was the culprit. I replaced it with a new OEM controls and harness which thank God Kawasaki still had in stock fixed the problem

[MartinKemp]

Thanks for your ideas! I have all the fairing off and I am looking for bad wires. It's a lot of work.

I checked both the pulsar coils and the diode set by checking with an ohm meter and heating with a heat gun. The pulser coil(s) resistance increased (but not to infinite) and they didn't short, and the diode set resistance decreased (from about 2 megohm to around 1 megohm) but did not short. The other direction stayed at infinite throughout.

The tie wraps are gone from the harness as suggested by Thud300, but that doesn't mean there isn't a bad wire that I just haven't found.

I took the battery for a load-test today. The tech said it has about 100 cold cranking amps and should be 260 CCA. He also said that as long as the charging system is working (and it is - I get about 13.5 - 14.5 volts at road speed according to my handy Fluke), that the low CCA of the battery should never cause the engine to quit. Any thoughts on that? My '"lectrics" skills aren't that good.

I'll keep checking things. I'll bypass the kill switch and maybe the kick stand switch too.

Getting tired of walking home...
Martin

PS, the dealership that said they spent 6 hours "going through the electrical system - one end to the other" didn't even take the plugs out. I changed plugs the other day and found the plug wells full of dirt, leaves and even a cigar butt. I was hopeful that I might have a plug that was overheating as a result, but that turned out to not be the case. It quit again after 9 miles on the new plugs. Need to go pay a visit to the service manager and ask exactly what it was they did for 6 hours!

Thanks gents!

[Mr Jensee]

Don't feel bad Martin. I learned my lesson with dealerships. Some years ago I brought my Kawasaki ZRX1100 to a Kawasaki dealership. I should have known better when the mechanic who looked all of 20 said he never saw that model. All I wanted was to have the valve clearances checked. I even called them two weeks prior to make sure they ordered and got a new valve cover gasket. The dealer kept the bike for a solid month. every time I called about it they said it was all apart and were waiting for parts. What parts?? Finally I had enough and went down to pick it up. They said they changed the plugs twice. Why I don't know because I had just replaced the originals with $9 a piece iridium plugs. Apparently the lost my plugs and the same old NGK plugs were back in her. On the ride home I had trouble shifting and discovered after I got home a 1/4" extension jammed in the shift linkage. Both horns were left unplugged. And the kicker, The valves didn't need adjustment. They wanted $750 for the work. Needless to say I blew my stack. I went to the owner and explained that I had called and gotten a price of $180 to check and adjust the valves. I was NOT going to pay $750 for anything and the fact that I lost a month's riding as well. Dealers. They should just change their names to Liars Inc.

[Nails]

Honestly, I wish I could support the local Kawa dealer. But in my experience, most dealers are just parts swappers -- I haven't seen any evidence of special knowledge there. If I can't do it myself, I'll take it to an independent shop. If anything, they're too willing to say they don't know about it.

I use the local dealer for parts if they have it in stock. If they have to order it, I'll just order it myself.

However, wonder-of-wonders, I was impressed with the mechanic at the local BMW shop! (But not too sure I should show up there with an XII. ) I'm sure there are good dealerships, but that's not how I'd bet.

[Thud300]

I agree, as long as you have good charging voltage, that part of things is ok.

Pay close attention to that kickstand switch. The one on mine had actually been removed and the leads shorted together as a bypass. The switch lives in the dirt zone so it's easy to imagine it getting gunked up to the point where its contacts wont make a good connection.

Call me crazy, but I put a kickstand switch back on mine.

[cranky]

... had my scoot die a few times letting the clutch out... you are NOT
crazy, in my book!!!!