I just picked up an 02 on Mon, and rode it 300 miles home. I took the bike on about a 7 mile test ride, and life was good. I rode it the entire 300 miles; all is still well. The last two days riding back and forth to work, she cuts in and out when sustained around 4-5k RPMs. She Idles great, and accelerates nice and smooth, and there is no sign of power loss what so ever. I can ride a steady RPM below, or over that range without a problem. My elevation is 2000 feet lower than where I bought it. Could this be the problem? Any inputs may prove helpful. Thanks in advance.
I think I have solved the problem. I put her up on the center stand, and spun the rear wheel. I watched my chain go from proper tension to banjo string tight every time my master link rounded the sprockets. After I pulled the old chain off, I found four stiff joints on either side of the master link. I replaced it with a new chain, and 1/2 a dozen rides later the problem hasn't returned.
How could a chain cause an engine to "cut in and out" . Maybe your preception of what was happening needed more input. A tight chain would set up a harmonic variation in drive performance, but not make the engine cut out. Glad things are better for you though. Regards Cal
I think that it was just the perception of cutting in and out. When I would run at a constant RPM the chain wasn't under as much of a load, so the extra friction made it seem as though it was ignition related as opposed to a drive train issue. I could be wrong on this as well and the problem may return, but for now it is not showing it's face. I thought that it may be the recall issue, being that I am still due. The parts for that are on order, and will be installed next week. hopefully if it does return the shop will find a harness issue that was related to the recall.
My Honda Shadow ACE did the same thing. I thought the transmission was about to come out. Turned out to be the chain.
I spoke to soon. Today in mid turn it burped on me pretty hard. It felt like a little stutter, and then a quick hard surge of power. When I got to work it died in the parking lot as soon as I let off of the throttle. I started her back up, and she was idling at about 500 RPM's, then died again. I didn't have time to investigate any further, but when I came out at lunch she fired up and idled at about 1100 RPM's. I took her for about a 15 mile ride with no issues what so ever. No problem on the ride home either. Could this be related to the recall, or the 30 amp fuse problem that I have read about?
Would a vacuum leak be intermittent? I don't know these motors as well as the rest of you, but I have always known vacuum leaks to be continuous. Every time I have the power loss it has been around 4500 RPM's (give or take a couple hundred) until it died on me at work today. If it is a vacuum leak, where do you recommend I start checking?
