Cracked plug cap/HT coil
I'd be looking here too. Had similar issues on a single spark 1150 a few years ago. Finally replaced the coil which fixed it. Remove and clean the HT leads first then maybe try swapping a coil with a known good bike.
Side stand switch issue, or maybe worse? Tricky problem.
- Thread starter Aidan1150
- Start date
I'd be looking here too. Had similar issues on a single spark 1150 a few years ago. Finally replaced the coil which fixed it. Remove and clean the HT leads first then maybe try swapping a coil with a known good bike.
Thanks Micky & Alf, bit what I can't understand is how she runs fine in neutral yet cuts out when in gear. Surely if a coil was faulty she would cut out when in neutral too?
Your original post mentions nothing about dodgy gear indicators or intermittent neutral light issues. Have these arisen since you changed the gear indicator sensor or did you fail to mention these in the original post?
The running issue sounds like a coil problem to me. I’m no mechanic but as I understand it, a damaged coil can sometimes only become apparent under load. Hence when the revs increase, the unit fails – albeit in neutral or when trying to pull away in 1st gear.
The running issue sounds like a coil problem to me. I’m no mechanic but as I understand it, a damaged coil can sometimes only become apparent under load. Hence when the revs increase, the unit fails – albeit in neutral or when trying to pull away in 1st gear.
Well, I fitted the new Gear Position Switch today, but the problem persists.
When I first switch the ignition on I have no neutral light, no battery light and no oil pressure light. The RID does light up and shows a 0 in the gear position display.
When I start the bike I still have none of the above lights and the RID still shows 0.
With the bike running in neutral I select first gear and the bike cuts out. It will restart with the clutch lifted but when it reaches 2000rpm it cuts out. When running in 1st gear with the clutch lifted, the RID displays a 1 but the neutral light is lit too, not brightly, but rather dim.
The bike runs and revs perfectly well when in neutral, even though the neutral light is not lit.
All lights, indicators and hazard lights work as normal.
Tonight I opened the connector blocks at the headstock and tested the wire that runs down to the oil pressure switch and have continuity along that wire yet the oil pressure light doesn't come on at all.
The side stand switch is bypassed at the moment as the side stand and switch were badly damaged in a shipping container but it was grand for over 6500 miles so I don't think that that is part of the problem at all.
Could it be that the RID that is at the root of the problem do you think?
This is doing my feckin head in.
I'm sorry to see you're still fighting with this Aidan.
As far as I understand, the RID is a passive device - it just displays information and doesn't control anything - that's done my the motronic (which feeds the RID with most of what it displays).
Things like bad ignition coils etc wouldn't cause the cut out when you select a gear and wouldn't cause the strange behaviour of the warning lights / RID.
The more I read, the more I think it's a wiring fault (or possibly a motronic issue). I'm not sure if you've already done this, but I'd have the tank off and check the integrity and seating of all the wiring connectors (especially the big ones around the motronic. Then I'd start to delve through the harness systematically checking for breaks / earth faults etc. A last resort would be to borrow a spare motronic off someone and try it out, but rule out wiring issues first.
Hope you get to the bottom of it.
Aidan ... you mentioned running OK at low revs (ie tickover) but misfire at higher revs 
This is a common fault to 1150's that have been 'on their side'
A slight impact to one side can put hairline crack in the plug cap, which is the HT coil, and give you your problems
This is a common fault to 1150's that have been 'on their side'
A slight impact to one side can put hairline crack in the plug cap, which is the HT coil, and give you your problems
Alright chaps, I'm getting the message
and it's certainly worth a try. if you want me to post my spare coil from the mainland.
give i a bell
Stand by the phone Ashley.
And don't forget to change the plugs too
A bang on the side can crack the plug caps/HT coils but can also put a crack in the plug which you'll not see. Has been known I can promise ya
A bang on the side can crack the plug caps/HT coils but can also put a crack in the plug which you'll not see. Has been known I can promise ya
You didn't get a sidestand swith Did ya??? 
Hhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmm???
Get a replacement and "Then" we'll move on
Since this issue started with the sidestand switch etc etc I think you need everything back to where it started then we'll get stuck in
Hhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmm???
Get a replacement and "Then" we'll move on
Since this issue started with the sidestand switch etc etc I think you need everything back to where it started then we'll get stuck in
Well, I fitted the new Gear Position Switch today, but the problem persists.
When I first switch the ignition on I have no neutral light, no battery light and no oil pressure light. The RID does light up and shows a 0 in the gear position display.
When I start the bike I still have none of the above lights and the RID still shows 0.
With the bike running in neutral I select first gear and the bike cuts out. It will restart with the clutch lifted but when it reaches 2000rpm it cuts out. When running in 1st gear with the clutch lifted, the RID displays a 1 but the neutral light is lit too, not brightly, but rather dim.
The bike runs and revs perfectly well when in neutral, even though the neutral light is not lit.
All lights, indicators and hazard lights work as normal.
Tonight I opened the connector blocks at the headstock and tested the wire that runs down to the oil pressure switch and have continuity along that wire yet the oil pressure light doesn't come on at all.
The side stand switch is bypassed at the moment as the side stand and switch were badly damaged in a shipping container but it was grand for over 6500 miles so I don't think that that is part of the problem at all.
Could it be that the RID that is at the root of the problem do you think?
This is doing my feckin head in.
Well well, i may have your problem solved. You didn't mention the instrument light problems previously.
Lots of earth wires terminate in the section of loom that supplies the instruments . They aren't protected from the elements, just the main sleeve. Water gets into the sleeve and the earth wires just slowly disintergrate and go green with copper wire corrosion.
If this is your problem slice through the outer sheaf (runs along the centre fairing support bracket up to the instruments) and you'll come across a green sludgy mess -this is whats left of the crimped earth wires.
Cut off the corroded ends, clean it all up and re-crimp together. Rebind the main outer sheaf and see how it goes.
This section of loom is available seperately, plugs into the bank of connections under the tank at the front and goes to the instrument panel .
The instrument lights have been a bit dodgy for a long long time now Neil which is why I didn't mention them earlier.
I will strip that section of loom this evening and see what the wires look like within.
Thanks for the advice Neil, it is greatly appreciated.
Stewart H
Registered user
My money is still on the HT coil or leads, over the years I have seen the most bizarre symptoms from these items breaking down under load/temperature changes.
Stewart
Stewart
Thanks Stewart.
Ash is sending me across a spare coil and lead which I will have at hand to try if Steptoe's suspicions prove to be incorrect. The bike is nine years old now and hasn't had an easy time of it this past six years even though she is garaged all the time so Neils idea may well be spot on.
We'll see.
Sorry Ash, I didn't realise you were away in Europe. 
Sounds like there could well be a couple of faults here, bare with me...
The neutral, charge and oil pressure lamps are all powered via fuse 1 (the 4 amp fuse). If none of these lamps work, I would be checking this first.
In the case of the charge lamp, this is dependant on the alternator producing 12+ volts (from the D+ connection on the alternator) so that the lamp 'sees' 12volts each side and goes out (ie the 12v from F1 and 12v from D+).
IF all these warning lamps have a common supply from F1 (which I think is correct), then the failure or high resistance (due to corrosion) at F1 will allow the output from D+ of the alternator to try and supply all the lamps in question with 12volts, which, taking into account lamp resistances may cause, for example, the lamps to 'glow' less brightly when they should not be on at all.
This '12volt feed' would also have a somewhat torturous rout via items such as the fuel level/damping unit back to the motronic, thus upsetting this and possibly causing the problems you are having.
Hope this, err, helps?!
The neutral, charge and oil pressure lamps are all powered via fuse 1 (the 4 amp fuse). If none of these lamps work, I would be checking this first.
In the case of the charge lamp, this is dependant on the alternator producing 12+ volts (from the D+ connection on the alternator) so that the lamp 'sees' 12volts each side and goes out (ie the 12v from F1 and 12v from D+).
IF all these warning lamps have a common supply from F1 (which I think is correct), then the failure or high resistance (due to corrosion) at F1 will allow the output from D+ of the alternator to try and supply all the lamps in question with 12volts, which, taking into account lamp resistances may cause, for example, the lamps to 'glow' less brightly when they should not be on at all.
This '12volt feed' would also have a somewhat torturous rout via items such as the fuel level/damping unit back to the motronic, thus upsetting this and possibly causing the problems you are having.
Hope this, err, helps?!
Tonghts update.
You are absolutely correct Neil. I found a couple of broken wires in there so I cleaned and re crimped them as you said with heatshrink to protect the joints and lo and behold all the instruments lights are now working perfectly again. Thank you.
I disconnected all the plugs that sit atop the headstock. They were all very hard to separate and had quite a lot of dirt and corrosion in the sockets and on the pins so I cleaned them and refitted them. I also cut the shroud that surrounds the wires going up to the left side handlebar switch but thankfully found no broken wires in there.
Now when I start the bike everything works perfectly and the bike will tick over and rev as normal. I have a bright neutral light and the RID shows 0.
When I select first (or second gear) though the RID goes blank and the bike stops instantly.
I disconnected the Gear Position Indicator plug and the bike wouldn't start at all in neutral and when I connected the switch again the bike fired up.
I then disconnected another little plug (with two wires to and from it) that lives alongside the alternator on the nearside and again the bike wouldn't start in neutral, but when I reconnected the plug she started up again no bother.
The side stand switch has been disconnected and the wires crossed so that the bike will run and has been like that without any problem since the bike was in the States. When I disconnected the little plug on the nearside of the frame up by the alternator the bike wouldn't start in neutral, but fired up again when I reconnected the plug.
I will be ordering a second hand side stand later in the week and will get a side stand switch along with it. Ash is sending over a coil and lead which should arrive here on Thursday or Friday, so we'll see what happens when they get here.
It's something simple now I think, but it's just a matter of finding what it is.
It's not even the last way out Dave. I'd rather extinguish cigarette stubs in my eyes than own a 1200.
You are absolutely correct Neil. I found a couple of broken wires in there so I cleaned and re crimped them as you said with heatshrink to protect the joints and lo and behold all the instruments lights are now working perfectly again. Thank you.
I disconnected all the plugs that sit atop the headstock. They were all very hard to separate and had quite a lot of dirt and corrosion in the sockets and on the pins so I cleaned them and refitted them. I also cut the shroud that surrounds the wires going up to the left side handlebar switch but thankfully found no broken wires in there.
Now when I start the bike everything works perfectly and the bike will tick over and rev as normal. I have a bright neutral light and the RID shows 0.
When I select first (or second gear) though the RID goes blank and the bike stops instantly.
I disconnected the Gear Position Indicator plug and the bike wouldn't start at all in neutral and when I connected the switch again the bike fired up.
I then disconnected another little plug (with two wires to and from it) that lives alongside the alternator on the nearside and again the bike wouldn't start in neutral, but when I reconnected the plug she started up again no bother.
The side stand switch has been disconnected and the wires crossed so that the bike will run and has been like that without any problem since the bike was in the States. When I disconnected the little plug on the nearside of the frame up by the alternator the bike wouldn't start in neutral, but fired up again when I reconnected the plug.
I will be ordering a second hand side stand later in the week and will get a side stand switch along with it. Ash is sending over a coil and lead which should arrive here on Thursday or Friday, so we'll see what happens when they get here.
It's something simple now I think, but it's just a matter of finding what it is.
It's not even the last way out Dave. I'd rather extinguish cigarette stubs in my eyes than own a 1200.
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