Electrical burning smell ......?

[Bobbin-Man]

I have an intermittent electrical burning smell - I first noticed it when riding 2 up but it has since re-occurred a few times. I seem to think it happens only after I brake heavily and over a reasonable distance - which would of course happen when riding 2-up, I'm normally very light on the brakes when riding solo.

Bike is an '06 with ABS/Servo, 50,000 miles. Could this be the start of the route to servo failure or is there another common fault that would cause the smell? Definitely electrical. If it is the servo is there anything I can do to slow down the failure or better still address it completely?

Stu.

 

[Fanum]

I think it's rather unlikely to be any servo electric burning......They would either work or not work.......doesn't matter what load you're pulling, the wires just carry an 'on' or an 'off' signal to the brakes (oversimplified I know, but the point is, a large load wouldn't cause an excessive voltage to be sent)

More likely to be pads getting a wee bit hot, if it really is directly related to riding two-up.


Next time you smell it, park up and have a good sniff around the bike.......start near brakes and also check the engine cover in case the alt belt is slipping

 

[jamm13dodger]

Is it definitely your bike? I often smell such things on a ride and it always turns out to be a car or other vehicle. Just a thought.

 

[Bobbin-Man]

Definitely my bike - the smell is too consistent! Thanks for the replies I'll check the brakes next time I get the problem. Come to think of it burning brakes/clutch are a very similar smell to burning electrics!

 

[Giles]

Is it your pants??

sometimes when I'm two up and her indoors has her leather clad legs pressed up against my buttocks, my pants can get very hot

 

[Fanum]

Is it your pants??

sometimes when I'm two up and her indoors has her leather clad legs pressed up against my buttocks, my pants can get very hot

So to summarise, you like hard things in leather being thrust against your buttocks?

 

[crumbles]

I have an intermittent electrical burning smell - I first noticed it when riding 2 up but it has since re-occurred a few times. I seem to think it happens only after I brake heavily and over a reasonable distance - which would of course happen when riding 2-up, I'm normally very light on the brakes when riding solo.

Bike is an '06 with ABS/Servo, 50,000 miles. Could this be the start of the route to servo failure or is there another common fault that would cause the smell? Definitely electrical. If it is the servo is there anything I can do to slow down the failure or better still address it completely?

Stu.

I would suggest (as you say light on the brake's)that it is your brake's,as after while, especialy if you ride one up a lot of the time,they build up a slight glaze,under heavy braking two up,you then start to burn the glaze off as the load exerted through the pad's is more exessive.
Mike.