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2004 Bonneville died while riding and doesn't turn on

1K views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  Buzz Bar 
#1 ·
Hi all,

I recently had issues of my RPM shooting up and down like crazy while riding so I decided to park the bike until it was fixed. I had a feeling it was the ignition module as the carbs were just cleaned so that has been replaced with the Procom CDI module and it was running sort of fine until last night.

I was riding on the highway and it started to lurch around 85MPH so I made sure to cruise below that speed. While cruising along, the bike just died on me so I quickly made my way to the shoulder lane and had to get my bike towed.

Once I got home and tried starting the bike, it didn't start. The headlight and signals worked but the neutral and oil light didn't go on nor did it turn over/click at all. It did rain a little so I'm hoping it's not a ground issue.

Perhaps the R/R ?
Any ideas ?

Thanks !!
 
#2 ·
At first thought this seems like an ignition switch issue. The switches are prone to water and dirt ingress which leads to corrosion and spark erosion of the internal contacts. First thing is to remove and strip the switch and see what condition the contact board is in. There are actually 3 pairs of contacts inside, 2 of them control lighting and ancillaries (turns, horn etc) and the third set controlls ignition. The oil/neutral lights and starter are all on that circuit, as is the igniter.

There are a few alternaitves and fixes on here which range from cheap fixes like relays on the switch to hands free keyless options. This thread may provide some useful information:

http://www.triumphrat.net/air-cooled-twins-technical-talk/732258-cheap-ignition-switch-fix.html
 
#3 ·
I agree with first looking at the ignition switch, in the spirit of checking the easy things first. Its internal spring loaded copper contacts are corrosion prone, as mentioned above. On my friend's '05 Thrux, this switch was a constant problem. On my '03 T100, it always worked fine because although I kept the bike clean, I never washed it. It seldom rains here, so no water ever got into the ignition switch.
 
#4 ·
I'll check that out, thanks guys ~!

Also, do you think it'd be the ignition/coil if my bike wasn't letting me go past 80/85MPH ? It'd lurch a lot like if it's running out of fuel and that was after replacing the module with the Procom CDI unit

Thanks
 
#5 ·
The switch could cause this too with an intermittent connection powering the ignitor and causing havoc.

I'd suggest ensuring you have stable voltages first.
 
#9 ·
Another common (though less likely) problem is the bottom of the saddle rubbing on the connector for the CDI unit causing a poor connection: lift off the saddle and 'jiggle' the connection and see if the bike will fire into life...
 
#11 ·
Check the switch. It's under the engine with a single conductor. It shouldn't stop you from firing unless the side stand switch is on too.

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