Any idea why my 650 is dead?

[High-Tower]

Ok its not an F650, its an Aprilia Pegaso, but pretty much the same bike as the early Funduro. It is completely electrically dead. When I turn the key, the starter won't start, the headlights won't light, even the idiot lights on the console don't light up. I use it everyday and there's been no signs of battery trouble, but I tried to jump it off the battery in beloved's tin box, which didn't work.

I wondered if it might be the ignition switch itself thats packed up but I'm an electrical numpty, any ideas if this is likely and if so how to test it.

My other, optimistic, thought is that there might be a main fuse or similar, but I don't have a manual and all the obvious fuses I can see are OK.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, I'm stranded without my bike and the local shop can't look at it until next Wednesday.

 

[Jaq]

Is it fitted with an immobilizer alarm??..I know a number of peeps who've had problems with them......

 

[(RIP) Proff]

try running an earth lead direct from battery to frame.
if no difference, then wire from positive to the coil....
see if any lights come on then, if so standard aprillia broken loom


€Also check kill switch ain't seized in off position

 

[LOLGEOFF]

The first thing would be to get hold of a cheap multimeter and check battery voltage across the two terminals.

 

[High-Tower]

Still dead

Thanks for the advice guys, just been out to the garage to give them a try. Unfortunately, nothing doing by linking to an earth or coil. I don't have a multimeter to check voltage but I have just tried a spare battery that has been on the optimate. Theres no immobilizer on the bike and normally everything lights up even with the killswitch off.

 

[Timolgra]

Just like anyone else who has a problem like this with their bike, you're going to have to work it out.
People are not born with basic electrical understanding, but you're going to have to learn something sharpish to sort your bike, armed with a little knowlege you could unplug your ignition switch and join the the right wires together...for instance

 

[High-Tower]

Now I'm really confused, there's 4 wires coming out of the ignition barrel, blue, green, orange and red-and-white. Tracing them back to a multi connector the red-and-white has a spade terminal on the end which isn't connected to anything (coiled neatly round the other three wires). The orange and green are connected through the multi plug but the blue has nothing attached to the bikes loom. I've bridged the 2 that come out of the loom, still nothing. I'm going to buy a multimeter in the morning as I'm obviously going nowhere without one.

 

[Beemerboff]

There is usually a main fuse somewhere on the smaller red wire from the battery- that is not the starter lead the next smallest.Fint and chech it

As previously suggested , you can bypass this fuse by going direct to the live wire on the coil, as that comes of a terminal which is live when the ignition switch is on.

So try connecting to both terminals on the coil , with the ignition switched on- if everything is still dead it will narrow the problem down to the earth or the ignition switch.

 

[LOLGEOFF]

I don't have a multimeter to check voltage....

You could always buy one, they're quite cheap and usefull for other electrical testing around the home.

 

[High-Tower]

Thanks for the advice all. I've got a multimeter coming round later with a pair of hands attached that have more of a clue than mine. We'll give these ideas a try.

 

[High-Tower]

Its alive

Well, the hands attached to the multimeter must have sparks coming out of the fiingers. My mate diagnosed a chafed, corroded wire between the fuse and ignition switch in 10 mins. flat. A bit of soldering later and it fired up on the button.

Its not electrics, its witchcraft.

 

[Jaq]

Its not electrics, its witchcraft.

Who cares what it is.....as long as it's working now!!.......