Lights................out.

[johnnymack63]

The A43 from Northampton to Stamford is a very dark place at 10PM when the lights on your R1 suddenly go out !!

I proper shit myself. Total darkness at something-or-other MPH without any warning.

After much wiggling of wires, and rummaging behind the headlights (and a good twatting) they came back on for about another 2 or 3 miles, then out again.

3 Fuggin' hours to do the last 20 miles home (I'd started at Bristol) !!

I was wondering if there are an 07/08 R1 owners or even Yamaha technicians on this here forum that have come accross this before ?

I'm gonna take the body work off this weekend, clean the connecter etc. and look for an obvious fault so hopefully it won't happen again.

My main reason for asking the question is to see if any other R1 owners have had problems with the electrics on their bikes. I going to include this little episode in my next "used metal" instalment for PB as it's not the first electrical fault the bike has had, but would like to put it into some context.

Does the R1 have fragile electrics ?

or

Is it Matt's fault (the previous user) ?

A japanese bike with dodgy electrics ? Who'd have thought it ??

[tootall]

<scaryness snipped>

A japanese bike with dodgy electrics ? Who'd have thought it ??

Talk to Porcscratchin if you want to hear (a four hour rant) about recent jap bikes with dodgy electrics.

[stretch]

my 05 cbr600rr has started this behavior in the past few months. i have traced it to the starter switch. i think it is the job of the starter switch to cut out the lights on start-up to save that vital juice. i have not done anything about it yet at all, but wonder if wd40 sprayed in the switch gear would help, or cure it. it has been good to me, and not gone out once riding(in the dark), has gone out during the day while riding. it just takes a tap on the starter switch, in a direction sideways to how you use the starter switch.

that all said, i will belooking for a new switch this winter on the bay. try giving your switch a tap next time.

[ronenige]

there is a relay that runs the headlights that is triggered by a wire from the ecu ,of the top of my bald bit its behind the clock's , under the screen . check the relay connector block . we've had no problems but there is always a first hth

[ronenige]

my 05 cbr600rr has started this behavior in the past few months. i have traced it to the starter switch. i think it is the job of the starter switch to cut out the lights on start-up to save that vital juice. i have not done anything about it yet at all, but wonder if wd40 sprayed in the switch gear would help, or cure it. it has been good to me, and not gone out once riding(in the dark), has gone out during the day while riding. it just takes a tap on the starter switch, in a direction sideways to how you use the starter switch.

that all said, i will belooking for a new switch this winter on the bay. try giving your switch a tap next time.

had this on a blackbird at just over a year old , it is a shit design and i can see it being a regular problem

[johnnymack63]

there is a relay that runs the headlights that is triggered by a wire from the ecu ,of the top of my bald bit its behind the clock's , under the screen . check the relay connector block . we've had no problems but there is always a first hth

I'm "going in" tomorrow !

My guess is a shit/loose connector coz I was able to reach under the headlights (and above the mudguard) and feel a wire loom of some description. Pushing & shoving of said loom resulted in the lights coming back on. However, untill I see what's under there I don't know.

I'll also have a good poke around behind the clocks in search of the relay you mention.

To be continued....

Thanks

By the way, the (suprising) lack of R1 owners that have come across this problem leads me to one conclusion (so far) and that is that the problem is almost certainly Matts fault !

[porkscratchin]

I'm "going in" tomorrow !

My guess is a shit/loose connector coz I was able to reach under the headlights (and above the mudguard) and feel a wire loom of some description. Pushing & shoving of said loom resulted in the lights coming back on. However, untill I see what's under there I don't know.

I'll also have a good poke around behind the clocks in search of the relay you mention.

To be continued....

Thanks

By the way, the (suprising) lack of R1 owners that have come across this problem leads me to one conclusion (so far) and that is that the problem is almost certainly Matts fault !

Electrics y'say?

<bites lip>

[coppersaucepipe]

Fixed the same symptoms on the YZF today, traced it to the connector block from the handlebar controls to the main loom being half out.

[r1bazza]

No problems so far with my 05 model(he said touching wood* when typing).

*No not that sort of wood

[fredie]

yes i had a rear bottom engine mount bolt snap in half on my 03 raven r1. but i have done 110,000klm on it . so that explains it plus i was blowing head light globes 1 or 2 a week i went through about 50 globes

[johnnymack63]

The culprit.

What could cause such overheating in the connector block ?

The overheating pin is the one that carries the juice to the headlights.

Errr. I'm really struggling to get the actual picture in this post. Bear with me.

[johnnymack63]

Sorry, dynamic pages in the tags are not allowed

...is the message I keep getting.

[morepower]

Here you go........ I am not sure where the regulator is on the newer R1 but it could possibly be the problem as if the pins in the Regulator get too hot they will unsolder themselves and pull out. It happened with mine.

[johnnymack63]

Your just showing off now !!

How did you do that ?

So are you suggesting that the regulator could be shoving out too much juice (thus not regulating I guess) which is overheating the teeny tiny pins in the connector block ?

[morepower]

If it has a poor contact it will heat up due to the current passing through. The connection needs to be strong and the spade connections need to really squeeze the prongs. If they are not tight then the regulator will push more current through and heat up the wires but there is still not enough current to charge the battery.

[johnnymack63]

If it has a poor contact it will heat up due to the current passing through. The connection needs to be strong and the spade connections need to really squeeze the prongs. If they are not tight then the regulator will push more current through and heat up the wires but there is still not enough current to charge the battery.

Right then, soldering iron and new spade connectors it is !!

Cheers Rich

[ronenige]

pack the connector block full of silicone grease when you reassemble it , you still got the standard bulbs in it ?

[johnnymack63]

you still got the standard bulbs in it ?

Yep.

[marcaztls]

If it has a poor contact it will heat up due to the current passing through. The connection needs to be strong and the spade connections need to really squeeze the prongs. If they are not tight then the regulator will push more current through and heat up the wires but there is still not enough current to charge the battery.

I'm almost 99% sure that's what it is. See it on many bikes and even my own R1 (2003).

All models of R1 up to 04 have historical problems with a large connector connecting the front loom to the main. It's a bit exposed and as soon as it gets a bit of corrosion in it, reducing the contact area between connectors as morepower said, they burn out. Normally only one pin due the the current it has through it but I've seen other pins go too. It;s not really a problem limited to R1's but up to 04 they've had some issues with a certain block due to it's location I reckon.

Di-electric grease in connectors like that is a fantastic idea and making sure all the pins look in good condition but realistically it's only after problems like this you find out they weren't fitting so well

[johnnymack63]

Looking at what's left of the corroded pin (it does look like corrosion due to overheating) it's gonna be hard/impossible to get to to clean up properly.

Would I be better snipping the headlight wire each side of the block, soldering a nice new beefed up spare connector to each snipped wire then reconnecting with a nice bit of heat shrink and silicone grease safe in the the knowledge that

1) There is a good, clean uncorroded connection

2) The beefier spade connector set up can cope with the current needed by the headlights

and therefore

3) Overheading in the connector block will become a thing of the past.

Am I on the right track ?

[marcaztls]

Looking at what's left of the corroded pin (it does look like corrosion due to overheating) it's gonna be hard/impossible to get to to clean up properly.

Would I be better snipping the headlight wire each side of the block, soldering a nice new beefed up spare connector to each snipped wire then reconnecting with a nice bit of heat shrink and silicone grease safe in the the knowledge that

1) There is a good, clean uncorroded connection

2) The beefier spade connector set up can cope with the current needed by the headlights

and therefore

3) Overheading in the connector block will become a thing of the past.

Am I on the right track ?

Exactly what I'd do as long as the owner is happy with it. That's how my own R1 is repaired. Don't go crazy with the gauge of the wire, it's more the actual connection that counts.

[johnnymack63]

Exactly what I'd do as long as the owner is happy with it. That's how my own R1 is repaired. Don't go crazy with the gauge of the wire, it's more the actual connection that counts.

Switch yer soldering iron on, I'll be round on Friday !

[marcaztls]

Switch yer soldering iron on, I'll be round on Friday !

No worries

[ronenige]

Switch yer soldering iron on, I'll be round on Friday !

bleedin 'ell , mine heats up in less than a minute just HOW big is yours that it takes so long to heat up

[marcaztls]

bleedin 'ell , mine heats up in less than a minute just HOW big is yours that it takes so long to heat up

[johnnymack63]

Big up to marcaztls !!

Just been over to his excellent workshop near Stamford to sort the headlight problem on the R1.

Here's how it went.

2 cups of coffee

1 front sprocket fitted

1 headlight connecter remade to a standard a moto gp team would be proud of

1 apparently endless amount of R1 information stored in his head

1 fella that takes more pride and care in his work to than I've seen in years

=

1 2007 R1 fit and healthy back on the road again

=

1 Very happy Johnnymack63

Cannot recommend him highly enough (see "In this we trust").

[marcaztls]

Aw shucks!

Cheers mate, glad you're happy and sorted

[ronenige]

1 front sprocket fitted

did you go down one , cheapo performance mod

[johnnymack63]

did you go down one , cheapo performance mod

I most certainly did !

Cheap thats me !

I'm looking to pep up the R1's notoriuos fluffyness below 5000rpm by in effect cheating !!

First impressions are it's an improvement but not a total fix. I'll live with it for a bit and see if the swaer word rate reduces (very scientific measure).

[rusty]

You should've fired it back to the dealers to get repaired under the warranty.

I has a similar issue with my GSX-R, contacted Suzuki who said they'd repair it under warranty by replacing the harness

I never got it fixed in the end though 'cos I traded the bike in for something a bit more reliable!