[trekbiker61]

I've searched the forums and have read several posts on this subject but so fair no luck.

My friend has an '02 she bought used a few years ago. It started running a little rough a couple weeks ago. Nothing real definite just not quite as smooth as normal. Last Saturday after about a 100 mile ride with several stops and no problem she returned home and parked outside. She said the trike smelled a little hot but the temp gauge was normal and she felt the smell was because it was raining on the hot bike. She tried to crank the trike and all it would do it turn over but no luck.

I went to her house this evening and put a volt meter on it. She isn't sure if it's the original battery but she has had the bike for nearly 4 years and hasn't replaced it. The meter read 12.5 volts instead of the 13v per the service manual. When I hit the starter the voltage dropped to 11.3, well within the range above 9.8v required to start. I then disconnected the battery and put a load tester on the battery and it indicated the battery is "weak". I then re-installed the battery and hooked jumper cables to it and attempted to start the bike by jumping it. Again, a nice fast spin but not even an attempt to start.

I flipped the 'kill switch" several times just to make sure it wasn't that. I cranked and cranked because before I went to her house I just KNEW it was a weak battery. Wouldn't jumping the bike overcome a weak battery? What is my next step?

 

[trekbiker61]

I told her to replace the battery even if it isn't the main problem. Wouldn't hooking the battery to jumper cables overcome the weak battery?

 

[techdude2000]

Yes, jumping it would have overcome the weak battery. She needs to crank it for 10-15 seconds with it on the sidestand in neutral. The FI light should flash an error code. Long and short flashes, tell her to count them. If it does, I'm betting it will point to the cam position sensor, or the crankshaft position sensor. These will keep the ECM from turning on the ignition and the fuel injectors. Get the code and we will see which one is the culprit.

Note: Does she still have the sidestand? If not she will have to check to see if they left the switch there when triking it. It's not the kill switch, the 1800 will not spin the starter if that switch is off or bad. The 1500 would spin the motor with the kill switch off.

 

[Gwingbuzz]

Try this it happened to me. Remove the spark plugs, than crank over, put plugs back in might start. It happened to me and that was the fix. Good Luck

 

[trekbiker61]

Thanks for the input. I talked to her this morning and she is going to take it back to the dealer for repair.

 

[danmac]

Hope she has a full bank account! :shrug:

 

[trekbiker61]

Yes I think she has a full bank account. Thanks for you're concern. The dealer said he thinks he knows what is wrong and if he's right then it will cost around $250. I don't know her real well but she rides a $30k trike and drives a Mercedes convertable so I assume she can swing the $250.

 

[Handley]

:joke:...Does she have a sister...:joke:

 

[techdude2000]

The dealer said he thinks he knows what is wrong and if he's right then it will cost around $250.

I hope, for her sake, he means that he knows how to retrieve the error code and replace the bad sensor. Nothing like a dealer throwing parts at a problem at someone else's expense. :shock: :mad1:

 

[onewayblues]

:joke:...does she have a sister...:joke:

no doubt!