[rebeldogg]

Hi all,

I just joined this site, so hope someone can advise me please...

I have a 2006 FJR1300 with about 50K on the clock. I have been laid off work since the 24th of December, but have been starting and running this bike regularly and making sure that neither of my machines sit idle for weeks on end.
However.. yesterday, I popped the key in the ignition, turned it and nothing. No ignition lights, pump noises.. nothing.. other than side and tail lights and indicators working. No horn.
It's a bit weird that this should happen without hardly any use, although the cold snap we are having is a bit suspect.

I have put the bike on charge all day today to be sure it's not the battery, but before I start exploring further with limited mechanical knowledge, I just wanted to see if anyone has seen this before and might it be a simple thing (relatively) like a fuse - or even the main fuse? - I'm not sure the lights would work if it was the main fuse...

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Regards,
Alex

 

[JohnC]

If the main fuse goes, nothing will work. That's the whole purpose of a "Main" fuse. You need to remember that at idle, you are not charging the battery.

Charge the battery and get back to us.

 

[rebeldogg]

Thanks for the reply, that's what I thought about the main fuse - the bike is on charge and I'll let it charge overnight and get back to you, Many thanks.

 

[FastPappy]

Also check the easy stuff first, side stand, kill switch etc. Don't ask me how I know. :surprise:

 

[rebeldogg]

Hi, yes I thought of that - the side stand switch was changed in November and a whole lot of electrical work done too, including a new windshield motor...the kill switch wouldn't stop the ignition... This feels like either something in the ignition barrel, or a fuse... I'm curious to know if there is a specific ignition fuse seeing as the lights and indicators still come on with the key...weird

 

[Linton West]

If you are not using the bike for the winter it is best to leave it rather than keep starting it to warm up and then turning it off. The bike does not warm up enough to get rid of the condensation that can cause corrosion and the engine oil to go milky, it will also make the plugs sooty.
When I had 2 bikes I would lay one up for the winter, do nothing with it and then in the spring start it and go for a run, not even charging the battery, although you could put a trickle charger/conditioner on it.

 

[rbentnail]

Hi all,

I just joined this site, so hope someone can advise me please...

I have a 2006 FJR1300 with about 50K on the clock. I have been laid off work since the 24th of December, but have been starting and running this bike regularly and making sure that neither of my machines sit idle for weeks on end.
However.. yesterday, I popped the key in the ignition, turned it and nothing. No ignition lights, pump noises.. nothing.. other than side and tail lights and indicators working. No horn.
It's a bit weird that this should happen without hardly any use, although the cold snap we are having is a bit suspect.

I have put the bike on charge all day today to be sure it's not the battery, but before I start exploring further with limited mechanical knowledge, I just wanted to see if anyone has seen this before and might it be a simple thing (relatively) like a fuse - or even the main fuse? - I'm not sure the lights would work if it was the main fuse...

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Regards,
Alex

See post #2 in this thread -> https://www.fjrowners.com/forums/9-...round-spider-comes-home-roost.html#post909154

 

[RaYzerman]

Agree with Linton, you are not doing that bike any favours.
Yes to Russ's link, you may have a spider bite, or an ignition switch issue... check all the fuses and S4 spider to start.

 

[Way8lifter]

first thing you need is a volt meter ..8 dollars at harbor freight if you just go with a basic one ....do you have one?

 

[rebeldogg]

Hi all again and thanks for the advice - just to be clear, I do ride the bike regularly, not just warm it up - I'm aware of the issues in winter, I live in the UK, so it gets miserable here (in more ways than one!)

I don't have a volt meter, but will look into this after I have checked the fuses, which is my prime suspect right now as I have just tried again after a 24 hour charge and still have the same issue - its because the side lights and indicators coming on on and no other electrical malfunction that I am suspicious of a fuse - and which is why I was asking if anyone knows f there is a specific ignition fuse to check - which I think has been answered.

No idea what a Spider is! I have looked at this online, but don't think I am technically minded enough to know what to look for/do about it... hoping its not... I did have a lot of electrical work done in September, as I had a host of issues that I think are common to the spider issue (indicator light etc staying on, nothing working) - but I had this resoundingly addressed and pretty much every connector/block changed for new as well, so fingers crossed.

Weirdly, I did notice that the ignition lights cut out a couple of times before, starting it up after a few days unused, but that has now happened permanently, if that's a clue for anyone?

Many thanks for all your comments so far!

 

[rebeldogg]

Hi, thanks for this - I had those symptoms back in September and had all this fixed....now I know why my mechanic was going crazy trying to fix it and took ages...the bike was in a thousand bits whilst he struggled with this.
I don't have these symptoms at all this time - just no ignition lights at all, dead instruments, but weirdly the side lights and indicators work..

I am also wondering if the battery is dead...enough to power the lights, but not the ignition - its -10 degrees here, and I have always had winter battery problems with bikes over the years...hmmmmmmmm

 

[judgedelta]

I'm betting on the battery. You didn't say how old the battery is (if you even know). Anything over three years is, in my opinion, just luck. I would put a battery tender on it and wait for a day when it is a bunch over freezing to try it again. If it's -10 fahrenheit where you are, you might consider some more productive activity, like day-drinkin'...

 

[Whooshka]

You say you had the kill switch replaced? I'd spray some contact cleaner in there and check connections.

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Load test the battery FIRST.

Fully charged 12.7 + volts means nothing if it won't take / carry a load.

.

 

[JohnC]

Yes, there is an ignition fuse. Circuit splits three ways:
1. To the hot end of the ignition coils, all the time the bike is on. Other end (timing) is controlled by the ECU.
2. To the starter relay. Other end of starter relay goes to the Relay Assembly (part of starter cutout).
3. To the the Run/Start/Stop handlebar switch.

Alas, because I have a Series III, I do not have a wiring diagram available for a Series II.

 

[maximrebel]

You are getting great advice from everyone here (per usual on this forum); I would seriously look into load-testing your battery first. Doesn't matter whether the day before nothing seemed wrong, these batteries can get killed overnight (and probably was on its way anyway), and even with a good volt reading (like TownsendsFJR1300 already said) it means nothing if it can't take a load from starting or anything else. It's easy to check and the fastest way to eliminate that as a possibility. Doesn't matter whether you had a tender on it or not, these batteries die without giving you an hint of trouble ahead of time.

 

[rbentnail]

UK!! You have an immobilizer, yes?

 

[RaYzerman]

Immobilizer does not prevent everything from lighting up.... only prevents the fuel pump from working if no chip detected, starter will still spin the engine over. Of course, headlights don't come on unless the engine starts.
I vote the battery getting load tested also.

 

[rebeldogg]

Hi Everybody and thanks again for so much feedback and suggestions - I am most grateful: the day time drinking idea is especially useful given lockdown etc - spoken like a true biker - so.... I agree with the whole battery debate and am going to buy a new battery just because I don't know when the current one was AND it was suggested by my garage just before lockdown in November....

BUT!!!! I got it started this morning!!! YAY!!! I checked all the fuses, which were fine, so I started wriggling all the cables going into the ignition key block one by one... and hey presto, there's a bad wire in there somewhere and it lit up and started like normal. It felt like I was hotwiring it. I think this might have been caused / aggravated by leaving the bike for extended periods with the handlebars cranked over for the steering lock + cold weather = brittle cabling. Ill get a mechanic to strip it and replace.

It remains to say a big THANK YOU to all the contributors to this little adventure - its great to find a community like this for such issues, in these times. Stay safe everyone and fingers crossed for the spring summer so we can all get out (legally) again to enjoy our bikes.

I am a motorcycle training instructor - If anyone in the UK wants any info/advice let me know

 

[passx]

Rebel, couple of things, if you take your battery out and to a parts store they will do a full load test on it for free, at least they do here in the states, not sure about the UK but would assume it’s the same As there. Then you’ll know for sure about your battery condition.

Also, you should consider adding your location and bike model/yr to your signature line it’ll help everyone when you have a problem like this,,, welcome to the sandbox !