5th gen all electrics died when starting

This is my 2nd 5th gen VFR. I took my first '98 to 39K miles before replacing it with a 2001 with 6K miles - and only because I saw it on the 'bay. I've put 4K miles on this one and it had been perfect until tonight.

I was riding this afternoon and all was normal. The bike started, warmed and operated normally. I rolled up to a stoplight and bobbled the clutch a bit (was fiddling with my helmet strap snap). Like an ape, I killed it just when the light turned green. As it died, I pressed the starter, but nothing happened. I wheeled off the road bed.

What I see:
Everything on the panel is dead, including the clock. If I turn off the key, the clock comes on, but with the key on, the clock goes off.

Nothing (NOTHING) else electrical happens when I turn the key on. Nothing = no clicks, no lights, no sounds. Just the clock goes off.

What I checked:
All fuses are good. The two big 30A and the whole row of 10-20A smaller blade fuses are all visually perfect.
The battery is good. It cranked over a smaller bike I have just fine.

What I don't know:
Anything else - I don't have a service manual for this bike any longer.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Nick

 

From the symptoms, there's a break in the circuit somewhere close to the battery. Check (with a meter, or replace) the 30 amp fuses and fuse holder. Check the ground strap. Check the starter relay. Get out the volt meter. The manual is available online. Good luck.

 

I feel stupid for asking, but you didn't accidentally hit your kill switch did you? I came out of a restaurant last week and couldn't get my bike to start - took me about 5 min to finally realize some prankster had hit my kill switch (I never use it) while I was inside eating. They probably had a good laugh watching me from a window seat :glee:

 

LMAO! That happened to me eons ago ('78 GS750) when I was alone on a country road and stopped for a moment. Bike acted "dead", and I was mulling a long push or just a walk back to civilization. After too many minutes jacking around and grumbling, I tried the switch. <:topsy_turvy:>

Similar thing happened in 2000, when I was in Australia, on a rented Y2K VFR. Only this time it was the side-stand. I hadn't ridden a modern bike with that safety feature before. Eh, took me a while to figure that out too.

Hahahahaha!

 

Yes, yes. I did go through the interlocking conditions. Sorry, I forgot to state that.
-Kill switch on
-Key on
-Kick stand up
-Neutral
-Clutch in/out

Still, the instrument cluster should light when the key goes on. I'm expecting a master relay. I'll PM for a link to the online manual.

Thanks for the fun responses.

By the way, I pushed the bike 1.5 miles home. I couldn't bear to leave it by the side of the road...

 

I would get the battery tested first. I've had a bad battery start a bike then die on two different bikes. NEXT.. "the drill".. http://vfrworld.com/forums/showthread.php/52131-The-Drill?highlight=the+drill

 

That was the answer! I crowbar-ed the battery with a wrench. No spark. I'll chalk this one up to experience. I wouldn't have thought the battery would work perfectly one moment, then flat fail a moment later.

I'll report back once it is purring its sweet sewing machine sound again. Funny how people assume something is wrong with the engine!

 

Glad you're back up and running. Yeah it's weird how they do that...

 

That's exactly why I replaced my battery. Intermittently worked. New battery now and all is good.

 

Confirmed! Defective battery. Thanks, all.

 

Nice work! Good idea to mount a volt meter to keep an eye on it.

 

First i woulda pulled the seat and checked that battery terminals were tight ! :distracted: