QuestionI've taken several rides already this spring with a fully charged battery and a fresh tank of gas, but this morning as I started for work:
Several miles down the road, my bike started running rough and backfired a couple of times. It never once stopped running, but the speedometer and odometer quit displaying, and the headlight brightness went up and down. Also, it seemed to run smoother at idle and had more trouble at increased RPMs. I turned around and began nursing it home. It was still running a bit rough, but as I got closer to my house again it started running better. I parked it anyway and will start looking at it tonight. What do you think?
Thanks!
AnswerHi Chris,
I suspect an electrical problem, though I cannot be more specific without performing electrical diagnosis.
If you have the service/repair manual, perform an output check of the altenator, check individual components of the charging system, and all control switches including the ignition switch.
The ECM or CDI may cause similar symptoms if defective. More simply, a loose battery connection (+ / - cable) may cause same.
Let me know what you find out. Send me your email addy as requested if you want me to send you tech files.
Respectfully,
Mark Shively
