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[Dan_Lockwood]

Okay guys and gals, I've got a new one, or at least one I haven't seen posted yet.

My wife and I went to a great Crawfish Boil today, which had nothing to do with the problem, but after we left we rode for about 30 miles and then the problem started.

I took off from a light and got going in probably 3rd or 4th gear at following car speed at very light throttle and it would let out the loudest backfire and the bike would hesitate.  This happened several more times, again under light throttle.  Then we pulled off onto another country road and it backfired a couple times and then just quit running.  I tried the throttle without any luck and then I flipped the kill switch up / down several times and the bike started back up.  This was done with the motor coasting down with it still in gear and the clutch engaged.  We rode a bit more and after a couple beverages, Diet Pepsi for me, we started back the 11 miles on country roads to home.  It backfired two or three more times but didn't quit running.

The backfire is similar to the old days when you'd shut off your car ignition and then flip it back on to let out a big bang, or blow your muffler off the exhaust pipe.  This is not just a spit in the running, this is an actual shut down momentarily and then back on.

I have a PCMIII but have had no problems with that.  The fact that it actually quit running leads me to some electrical malfunction maybe in the handle bars etc, not sure though.

Has anyone else had this happen and if so, what was the cause?

Thanks for reading about my problems.

 

[Fired00d]

Since you mention electrical malfunction have you washed or had your bike in the rain recently (since your last ride). I remember some mentioning about strange things happening w/there PCIII when they have gotten water in them.

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

[sadunbar]

Okay guys and gals, I've got a new one, or at least one I haven't seen posted yet.

My wife and I went to a great Crawfish Boil today, which had nothing to do with the problem, but after we left we rode for about 30 miles and then the problem started.

I took off from a light and got going in probably 3rd or 4th gear at following car speed at very light throttle and it would let out the loudest backfire and the bike would hesitate.  This happened several more times, again under light throttle.  Then we pulled off onto another country road and it backfired a couple times and then just quit running.  I tried the throttle without any luck and then I flipped the kill switch up / down several times and the bike started back up.  This was done with the motor coasting down with it still in gear and the clutch engaged.  We rode a bit more and after a couple beverages, Diet Pepsi for me, we started back the 11 miles on country roads to home.  It backfired two or three more times but didn't quit running.

The backfire is similar to the old days when you'd shut off your car ignition and then flip it back on to let out a big bang, or blow your muffler off the exhaust pipe.  This is not just a spit in the running, this is an actual shut down momentarily and then back on.

I have a PCMIII but have had no problems with that.  The fact that it actually quit running leads me to some electrical malfunction maybe in the handle bars etc, not sure though.

Has anyone else had this happen and if so, what was the cause?

Thanks for reading about my problems.

 

Ignition switch?  Battery cable loose?  Although it should keep running with either of these shorting out...  Ride through heavy rain lately?  (water in PC?)

[vagabond6542]

Since you mention electrical malfunction have you washed or had your bike in the rain recently (since your last ride). I remember some mentioning about strange things happening w/there PCIII when they have gotten water in them.

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

I was wondering the same. But here is a slightly different take. The possibility the ECM could be a little screwed up, due to a connection problem. The best way to find that would be to disconnect the PCIII and straight connect the ECM to see if the engine can run without a backfire. Just a thought.

[REGGAB]

Familiar sounding problem.  Happened to me in Manhattan, KS last summer after washing the motorcycle.  ECM harness to PCIIIUSB harness union got soaked.  Opened it up, dumped out the water, dried it out, put it back together, and she purred again.

[Lzyboy]

What ever it is, I hope you get it fixed and back on the road; without chitie chitie bang bang!

[AXIL]

throttle by wire? check for shorts.

[Dan_Lockwood]

A little more information.

First of all I've never washed the bike with a hose nor has it been in the rain lately.  It's parked in my garage all the time unless we're riding it.  When I've been in the rain it's never been enough to "soak" the bike only enough to be annoying.  I've not loosened or adjusted any of the hand controls or had anything loose other than the main ECM harness to install the PCMIII.

It didn't seem to be related to heat or the same conditions to cause the backfiring.  It's really just a quick off and back on of the ignition, so it seems.  Maybe it was just luck that after I jiggled the kill switch that it started back up.  I was coasting down for probably 5 to 8 seconds and during that time the motor was off without any inkling of firing back up then all of a sudden it's back on and doesn't backfire again until after we had parked for about an hour.

We're riding again tomorrow and I'll fill you all in on the running tomorrow.

Thanks again for all the input.