VF 500 dead on side of road

So I'm driving around for about twenty minutes, go through a toll bridge start picking up speed again and once I level off around 50 mph the bike starts sputtering.

RPM gauge is going crazy, and isn't reporting the engines actual RPM's. The rest of the instrument panel is dead, neutral light wont come on, and blinker indicators aren't working.

The bike looses all power when I release the clutch, so I have to ride the clutch to keep the bike moving at all ~10mph. When I get to the top of the bridge I coast down to a safe spot.

The bike is still idling bit it doesn't sound steady, so i decide to turn off the bike by turning the key to off. Waited a couple seconds and turned the key back to on, nothing happens, dials are dead, no indictator lights work, lights on the bike don't work. I try pushing the start button to turn it over and nothing happens at all.

I think the alternator is dead, and he battery was able to give me just enough juice for a spark. But is pretty much empty now, which would explain why when I turned it off, the battery didn't have anything left to turn it over again, which doesn't matter cause without an alternator I'm not going to get very far on a new battery.

Thoughts? I'd like to avoid paying for a tow and just go fix it on the side of the road if it sounds doable.

 

Take a fully charged battery and regulator/rectifier with you. Or just a battery to get it home. Then change the R/R, which is most likely the culprit.

 

ahhh, between the alternator and battery... yes that looks like it could be it! hopefully the shop down the road might have one!

I don't think i'd be able to ride the bike home at 10mph if that's all a new battery is going to get me. Would it make sense to follow the removal instructions and test the R/R on with a meter on the side of the road and reinstall if it's ok to make sure all the connections are solid?

 

If the bike battery only gets u to like ten u could try a fully charged car battery lol

 

If you MUST ride on a discharging battery, pull out the headlight fuse, and don't ride at night.

A tach jumping around then no power suggests a possible problem with a ground connection or dirty plug somewhere, possibly a failing battery.

You need to test the charging voltage and the battery's electrolyte level.

 

thanks guys, i was busy all weekend, and realizing that i don't have a garage per say to actually work on the bike, and it's raining, i caved and just called the shop down the road to pick it up, monday they'll give it a look over.

 

My VF700f did the exact same thing, and we (meaning me and a few people who were nice enough to pull over and help me out) determined that it was an internal short in the battery. We got a new one and it was right back to normal.

 

So the bike won't run without a battery? I thought the alternator could keep the bike going at full power?

 

There is a difference between a battery with a bad cell that still has juice, just not enough, and a dead battery with an internal short. If your battery is shorted internally no alternator in the would will both run the bike and deal with that load.

 

pleeease let it be the battery then, it should be the first thing they check, and the cheapest thing to buy

 

Winner!!! the shop just called after going over the bike!