Bike still cutting out in the wet

[J.M.]

Bugger.

https://sphotos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/317528_556561484378819_134680059_n.jpg

GS500 2004.

Essentially as the bike gets wet. One (right) cylinder starts to intermittently work. As you progress, it'll just stop working completely.

Moving from a standstill requires a lot of clutch slipping and yields the performance of a 50cc ped.

Motorway at full throttle just maxes out at about 7k RPM, so you can get a 50mph.

Eventually it got to the stage where the engine was just completely cutting out.

What I have done:
- Replaced spark plugs with known working ones
- Replaced coils/ht leads/ht caps with known working ones
- Gone over all the wiring of the bike that I could see with heat shrink
- Removed all accessories from the bike

I'm thinking there must be a connection somewhere which is earthing once wet.

Does anybody have any clues what to check?
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2004 R1 & 2018 XSR900

[P.addy]

Have you checked the coils themselves.

WD40 the lot, sand down where they bolt to frame.

Cover it in silicone spray and let it set. Happened to my Bandit 600, died in rain only... did that and problem went away

[Scythe]

Fit a fender extender to front mudguard to stop water getting kicked up?
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2009 Yamaha YBR125 -> 2000 SV650S -> 2005 Kawasaki ZX6R 636

[P.addy]

[J.M.]

Well the coils were replaced. Replaced them as an entire unit of Coil -> Lead -> Cap.

Rides exactly the same as before. Makes me hesitate that there may be an electrical issue before the coils.
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2004 R1 & 2018 XSR900

[P.addy]

[J.M.]

Nope. Even covered all exposed wires in insulation tape just to make sure.
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2004 R1 & 2018 XSR900

[P.addy]

[J.M.]

I can't afford to buy/insure nice bikes
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2004 R1 & 2018 XSR900

[bladerunner]

Switch gear or loom going to them suffering water ingress? Try disconnecting the kill switch connector when at home and hit it with a hose pipe. Also steam rising from the engine/ rad condensing under the tank and dropping onto the loom and ht side of things can give issues. Finally is the motor water tight where the pickup leads exit?
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Current bikes...cbr929, KDX200's, Rd125lc mk2, RGV250's

[YBR Ric]

Spray the water over it at night and look for any electrical arcing which would almost be invisible during the day.

[Clutchy]

Not really sure how to word this, ill give it a go, someone please correct/help me!



The electrical component that generates the spark (is it known as a distributor on a bike?) could be an issue, water could be getting in but I imagine that would affect the other cylinder aswell?


If not keep working backwards?
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Malaguti F12 Phantom-Dead, Suzuki AY50- Dead, NRG power DD LQ, CBR125.
*33 BHP restriction up on 10/12/14* Current bikes/car: SV 650 S/ MKIV GOLF
Guide to pass your test with no lessons!

[Clutchy]

If not can we not go back to looking at the carbs?

Long shot but is there a chance that water could be getting in at any point (assuming all issues are because of the rain) on the carb and diluting the petrol to a point where it wont spark?

Is there anyway where you can get the bike to cut out like before and test to see if the plug actually sparks off the block to test?
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Malaguti F12 Phantom-Dead, Suzuki AY50- Dead, NRG power DD LQ, CBR125.
*33 BHP restriction up on 10/12/14* Current bikes/car: SV 650 S/ MKIV GOLF
Guide to pass your test with no lessons!

[haroman666]

^^^ Think they're CDI unit, like the Bandits.

If it's CDI problems then good luck to you sir. I believe you can open them up and replace a capacitor or resistor or something in there, but it's not easy (Saw a thread on some other website, i'll see if I can find it, although it's for a Bandit)
Or a replacement for >£100.

Have you got a wiring diagram for the ignition system? Might be worth getting one and just going over everything that goes between Battery, signal generator, CDI, coils, plugs.

As said in your last thread: WD EVERYTHING!!.
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The mistresses: 2000 Honda CBR600f, 2000 Honda VTR1000

[J.M.]

I'll try to answer in order:

@Blade
I doubt it will be anything like the kill switch, as those circuits completely cut both cylinders from sparking. The issue seems to be that the spark gets progressively weaker until it just can't spark.

I will look at the wiring diagram later today... although I've left my manual at my other address 30 miles away

My hope is that the coils are attached in series rather than parallel, with the left coil being before the right coil. If that's the case then I suspect a dodgy earth before the left coil, meaning the right coil is getting progressively less voltage until it cuts out, then the left cylinder does the same.

It's also worth noting... in the wet the backlights for the clocks seem to vary in brightness depending on RPM. This doesn't happen in the dry. The last time that happened, I had a charging fault which I fixed (but not this present fault).

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@YBR, cool idea to try, thanks

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@Clutchy, carbs aren't the issue. There will physically be no spark present, rather than just a terrible mixture. I have managed to reproduce it on one occasion (before replacing the coils+leads+caps) by chucking water all over the front of the bike.

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@Haroman
Mine is CDI, yes. It has a range of confusing gizmos on the bike, like a throttle position sensor and an air flow sensor, along with a CDI and a signal generator to tell the coils when to spark, on a carbed bike.

I have a wiring diagram, but it's in my manual 30 miles away. I think I have a PDF on my laptop too though, which I shall be looking for/through today.

WD shall be coming to play I feel, yes.
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2004 R1 & 2018 XSR900

[sickpup]

Is it a single twin lead coil or two single lead coils?

[TotalGSXR]

[Vincent]

Sorry if mentioned already but have you tried swapping coils to see if the problem changes cylinders?
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Space Is Deep

[J.M.]

[P.addy]

You replaced both.

Do you remember your old working one, tried that on the currently broken side? Doubt you would have 2 faulty coils but... I would have swapped and seen if it was the coil breaking down or some wiring somewhere.

Well, you have 2 weeks or so it strip absolutely everything electrical off and check for everything.

Start with the loom

[moppy]

[J.M.]

Unfortunately I left the other coils back in Birmingham... so I can't try those until I'm back there.

Although I may go back sooner than 2 weeks. I'll look for a dry day after a week or so and go for it probably. Need to see that girl ASAP because I have been, quite frankly, ruining all chances with her slowly since Saturday morning.

As for the ZZR... I would love one. However insurance still says no... at that was before my fault accident.
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2004 R1 & 2018 XSR900

[Alpha-9]

Pour small amounts of water on bits of the bike while it's running to try and isolate the problem area?
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Fzr-600 1999

[J.M.]

Yeah, I'll be trying that Alpha

Okay... just been looking at the wiring diagram. TotalGSXR has sent me a photocopy of his manual's wiring diagram, thank you!

From the CDI, 1 wire goes to a solenoid, which then goes directly to the coils. The diagram makes it appear that the coils are ran in parallel rather than in series.

I anticipate that my first port of call shall be to track down this wire + solenoid and check it for defects.
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2004 R1 & 2018 XSR900

[sickpup]

DO you have a copy of a wiring diagram you can post for me to look at?