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Speaking of key fobs - how long should the battery last?? Hadn't given it a thought but I've had to replace both fob's batteries in my '13 Camry this year. My '02 GW original is still going strong as far as I can tell. Don't use it much but still - Maybe it's time to replace the battery....
Owner’s manual for the 2018 wing says the fob battery should last 2yrs.

:doorag:
 
Several people have suggested keeping an additional battery on the bike, perhaps taping inside gas access cubby. I too accidently shut off my fob. Would be nice if message appeared stating "No FOB (or FOB shut off). I got LUCKY and checked FOB first.
 
Several people have suggested keeping an additional battery on the bike, perhaps taping inside gas access cubby. I too accidently shut off my fob. Would be nice if message appeared stating "No FOB (or FOB shut off). I got LUCKY and checked FOB first.
You are too modest. You used the age old technique, check the easy stuff first.
 
You are too modest. You used the age old technique, check the easy stuff first.
Thank you, and you're probably right - I owned a Go-Kart track for 25 years (I didn't do the repairs myself for long), an arcade for 20 years (I did most all the repairs) and I have done computer repairs for a livelihood since DOS was pretty much the only game. Truth is, I do start with the easiest points of possible failure and would hate to count how many times I would ask " did you check the gas and oil?". I work hard so I try to eliminate the easy stuff first. I do remember thinking that I was LUCKY the FOB was off - how and when did I shut it off? Perhaps my belly held in while I retied my shoe. I LOVE THIS BIKE. Its the best bike I have ever ridden, by far.
 
Hey Robert, good luck with your issue..it sounds like one of the more “unique” ones. What is the name of the Tucson Honda dealer? I am headed from New Mexico to Tucson today...may stay a few days and go by the dealership? Do you have big concerns about their serci e dept? Tucson is convenient for me as I pass through there on the bike several times per year. Thanks and good luck.
 
I wonder if it depends on how often you turn off the SMART Key or if you leave it on all the time.
All the owner’s manual says is the battery in the smart key system normally lasts about two years. No mention of turning it off when you arent’ riding the bike. For comparison, HD recommends changing out the fob’s battery on a yearly basis.

The majority of time, I leave my fob on. Only time I have shut it off is when the bike was parked in front of my motel door on a trip and when I was in close proximity to the bike while eating at a restaurant/cafe. I’ll just get in the habit of changing the battery out every year like I did with the HD fobs.

Perhaps our electrical techie guru’s Fred H and Techdude2000 will chime in on whether turning the fob on and off all the time reduces the lifespan of the battery.

:doorag:
 
To update my Dead bike, The dealer called and said I had my key turned off. Im sure this could have happened because I never actually checked my key. When my wife came to rescue me with her key she had told me she turned it on but I never verified that. Plus I could never get the PIN number to start the bike and the fob worked for luggage and so I assumed the Key was on.

I feel Silly but feel better about bikes reliability which has been great so far. 6200 miles.

Sorry about the false alarm...

Robert
More of what I would call a "learning experience" than a false alarm. I haven't stepped over to the '18 model yet, but I am sitting in the bleachers over here trying to learn from y'alls (Mississippi twang) lessons before (or if) I jump on one.

My biggest question for everybody here is, How detailed of a walk around with you do the dealers do in order to explain everything on your new ride before kicking you out the door?

I ask this because I've dealt with some in the past who didn't even explain (or have answers for) the basics of some features before saying, "Thank you for your business!"

As much as I appreciate the knowledge some of you gentlemen share with us, there are some things that should have been relayed to us before leaving the store.

:flg: 'Murica!
 
My biggest question for everybody here is; How detailed of a walk around with you do the dealers do in order to explain everything on your new ride before kicking you out the door? I ask this because I've dealt with some in the past who didn't even explain (or have answers for) the basics of some features before saying, "Thank you for your business!"
My experience is this varies widely from dealership to dealership. Some dealerships have knowledgeable personnel and go over more that just the basics with you. Others barely go over the basics and personnel are not very knowledgeable about the features on the bike.

On the other hand, I’ve seen customers who don’t want anything explained to them. They just want to get on their new bike and ride off into the sunset. Several times I have seen them return and ask; “How do I do this or how does this work.” (DCT models)

As much as I appreciate the knowledge some of you gentlemen share with us, there are some things that should have been relayed to us before leaving the store. :flg: 'Murica!
:agree: that as minimum, the basic features of the bike should be explained. On the other hand, many owner’s never break out the owner’s manual which in most cases can answer many of their questions.

:doorag:
 
My experience is this varies widely from dealership to dealership. Some dealerships have knowledgeable personnel and go over more that just the basics with you. Others barely go over the basics and personnel are not very knowledgeable about the features on the bike.

On the other hand, I’ve seen customers who don’t want anything explained to them. They just want to get on their new bike and ride off into the sunset. Several times I have seen them return and ask; “How do I do this or how does this work.” (DCT models)



:agree: that as minimum, the basic features of the bike should be explained. On the other hand, many owner’s never break out the owner’s manual which in most cases can answer many of their questions.

:doorag:
HA !!! YOU EXPECT THEM TO READ SOMETHING ! :wink2:
 
To update my Dead bike, The dealer called and said I had my key turned off. Im sure this could have happened because I never actually checked my key. When my wife came to rescue me with her key she had told me she turned it on but I never verified that. Plus I could never get the PIN number to start the bike and the fob worked for luggage and so I assumed the Key was on.

I feel Silly but feel better about bikes reliability which has been great so far. 6200 miles.

Sorry about the false alarm...

Robert
If I'm correctly reading your description of the problem, the luggage would open, but the bike wouldn't start, and the dealer told you your fob had been turned off.


Your description of the problem and the dealer's report do not gibe with my understanding or experience. It's my understanding that the luggage should not work with the fob off. As a test, I just turned my fob off and went to the garage; the luggage wouldn't open. I turned the fob on, and the luggage opened. I turned the fob off, and the luggage wouldn't open.


If your fob was off, your luggage shouldn't have opened. Is it possible your fob is faulty?
 
I picked up my new Tour DCT in early September. Truly a great bike. A few weeks ago it failed to start after being idle just four days. Hmm. I plugged in the Optimate 4 battery tender for the first time and later the bike started fine and I went for a ride. Then having sat idle for six days it failed to start again exhibiting the same symptoms: lights and accessories work, there was a mechanical noise when pushing the start button but engine did not turn over. This time no amount of time on the tender made a difference. Battery connections were verified clean and tight.

I bought the bike at Niehaus Rt 66 Cycle Sales in Litchfield Il, over a three hour ride. Great buying experience. At their advice I removed the battery and brought it into my local dealer who tested it. "0" battery health was the diagnosis: replace the battery. That's good I thought, good chance it's not the bike. Then the local dealer refused to warranty the battery, saying it was unique from every other part on the bike and I had to bring it to the dealer I bought it from. Cost for a new battery then and there? $150.

One of the owners at Niehaus later called and we spoke at length. He disagrees with the local dealer's position and intervened on my behalf. Alas, they refused to budge. Then Niehaus had me choose another dealer much closer than he and called ahead to insure my battery would be dealt with under warranty. My plan is to wait for a break in the Chicago area weather, attempt to start the bike after charging battery with a small old-school charger on his advice, and ride it to that shop as they require having the bike. Jumping the bike is an option the manual says shouldn't be done.

The point of this post is to verify that indeed bad batteries are possible culprits on these new bikes when starting issues occur. It's also a commentary on traveling a bit to get the best deal on a new bike. My local dealer promises that any other warranty issue I have they will be happy to take care of, but they certainly didn't leave me with a warm fuzzy. Very frustrating to drop this kind of coin and have to struggle with getting a simple failure addressed.



My bike just did this exact same thing. It had been sitting about a week on a trickle charger. I unhooked the charger and made sure the key fob was on. I turned on the ignition switch and the dash lights came on as normal. Then when I hit the start button, I also heard a mechanical noise for several seconds but the bike did not start. Did replacing the battery correct this problem with yours? I think we did get a batch of bad batteries.
 
All the owner’s manual says is the battery in the smart key system normally lasts about two years. No mention of turning it off when you arent’ riding the bike. For comparison, HD recommends changing out the fob’s battery on a yearly basis.
There were a couple posts here about fob batteries going dead. Could have been an old battery installed at the factory, who knows. Hasn't been 2 yrs yet, that's for sure.
 
I never cut off my FOB. The fob seems to be working fine. Unlocks everything and the dash panel comes on like normal. I just hear the mechanical noise when I press the start button, but it does not start, so I am speaking of the motorcycle battery, not the fob battery.
 
Kinda on the same subject but do any of you cut your FOB off when you get home, etc? I personally don't and leave it on the bike.
I bring mine in the house and turn it off because I think--I don't actually know--that the fob transmits a signal that the bike reads when the fob is close. I'm just guessing here; I could be 100% wrong on how this works, but I turn the fob off because if it is transmitting, then I'm saving battery life. I can't think of any other reason Honda would have included an on-off capability; no other fob I've seen has an on-off.
 
My biggest question for everybody here is, How detailed of a walk around with you do the dealers do in order to explain everything on your new ride before kicking you out the door?
My bike was on order with HOR for about a month. The day before I arrived to pick it up, the salesman sent me an email with a link to videos so I could learn about the bike. Let that sink in a second...bike on order for a month (with 10% deposit already received by HOR), link sent the night before pickup.

Emergency start procedure was NOT demonstrated or even discussed. No explanation of the 2 emergency keys and code, just a statement that those are the emergency keys and code. A passing mention about what happens if I lose the fob and the expense of a new brain.

And despite my repeated texts to the salesman that I was riding up and trading in a bike, he thought I was "trailering" up and back.

Overall, not a great buying experience, but since I got the color I wanted and will likely not buy another bike ever again, eff it.
 
I can't think of any other reason Honda would have included an on-off capability; no other fob I've seen has an on-off.
Because if you are sitting inside a restaurant, and your bike is parked outside in close proximity, your bike can be started and ridden off if the fob is turned on. If the fob is off, it can't be started.
 
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Because if you are sitting inside a restaurant, and your bike is parked outside in close proximity, your bike can be started and ridden off if the fob is turned on. If the fob is off, it can't be started.
Good thought. I just tried it. I turned on the fob and put it on a stool behind the bike. By actual measurement with a tape, the trunk won't open unless the fob is within four feet, and even then, though the trunk will open, the bike won't start. I put the fob on the trunk rack, and it wouldn't start from there. To get the bike to start, the fob had to be on the pillion seat or closer. So having the fob on when I'm away from the bike, even if it's not that far away, doesn't render the bike vulnerable to theft and can't be the reason for the on-off.


Try it yourself, please, and post the results for confirmation or difference.
 
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