Tdm850 help needed.

[surlybiker]

I really need help with this one. The bike (tdm850 98') keeps switching itself off and on really suddenly. Riding along as normal, its like an invisible hand suddenly turns the key to off and then back on again really quickly. Not off-on-off-on-off, just off-on. The bike lurches, goes dark them comes back to life again. Using main beam or the pass switch and sometimes the indicators causes it to shut off. Just noticed that this evening, up the Banbury road into a dark bit, hit main beam and everything got darker and very quiet. Switched main beam back off, bike came back to life. Only seems to want to do that at normal revs and not tickover.


I'm desperate because its my only form of transport to do a 80 mile round trip a day.

[Scotsman37]

I would look at your switch unit on the right side as that is where your emergency cut off switch is and so you may have to take it apart to inspect it. You may find that it needs a thorough cleaning with WD40 and to check it to make sure that nothing has come out of place or has been bent that can create a short circuit between the switch that allows you to use your lights and the emergency cut-off switch.

Also, I would trace back the wiring from the front handle bar to the fuse box and disconnect/reconnect each of the electrical block connections. Clean them with WD40 just in case the crap from the road has got into it or has been pushed in by high winds/jet spray. Double check that the wires going into the connection blocks are secured. You may find that there maybe another block connection just situated under the fuel tank which connects the front set to the rear set of wiring loom.

Oh yes the fuse box because is where your turn signal fuse is and including the headlight fuse too. So it could be case of a dislodged/faulty fuse and maybe even a wire or 2 has become slightly loose at the connection block plugged into the fuse box and so give that connection block a thorough cleaning with WD40.

[sickpup]

Check the ignition switch and battery connections.

[stinkwheel]

Sounds like a malfunction of the sidestand idiot switch to me. Bypass it (usually by joining the two wires together). Make sure you don't try to ride off with the stand down like everyone used to before the advent of such things.

I bet that either the sidestand is 'bouncing' on its spring, you are catching it with your heel or the switch is knacked.

My supermoto does exactly the same if you stand up on the pegs in a certain way and catch the stand with your heel.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Git]

I would have a look at ignition switch and the battery cables.
If I read the post correctly, one minute you can be riding along, bike switches off, goes dark then comes alive again? do the lights go out or just go dim, if they go out I would miss the switchgear and kickstand switch and dive in the ignition barrel and battery/wires. I once had an ztx750, that had a habit of switching itself on and off periodically, after a bit of we traced the fault to a dodgy ignition switch.

The fun of electrical gremlins