On my last ride (see photographic ride report) I experienced 3 failures:
1) front brake light switch stopped working. I discovered this when cruise-control wouldn't return to idle after pulling in brake lever, quick stop and check of the brake light confirmed faulty switch/circuit. Rear switch worked fine.
2) heated grip on throttle side experienced a melt-down. The heat had been switched on for a long time. I was riding in rain and low temps and enjoying the toasty warmth when the right grip started to get hot then very hot then throttle became sticky and wouldn't return to idle when grip was released. Seems there was a period of excessive current draw which caused wires to melt through the plastic tube before the fuse blew. I had to remove throttle grip and then cut back the portion of melted tube until throttle would return to idle position. Throttle worked well for remainder of trip it just felt weird as 1/3 of the tube had been cut away.
3) right fork seal started leaking. I check the forks at each fuel stop, wipe them down with paper towels and check for oil. The leak was negligible but a leak none the less. I made it home before the seal failed.
I'll post each repair as I make it.
About the bike. It's a 94 1100LT, I am the 3rd owner and acquired it in March of 2015. It had 50,000 miles on it at that time. There was a pile of dealer receipts, mostly for services and tires. There was no receipts nor history of any major repairs. As far as I know all the components are the original. I went through it from stem to stern, inspecting, checking, adjusting, lubricating and tweaking. I did not replace any components other than tires, fluids, brake pads and filters. It now has 94,000 miles on it and has been a dream machine! I rode the 4-corners of USA, been x-country 2 additional times and up and down the east coast several times. All without a hiccup!
First will be the brake-light switch.
I could hear an audible click when I pressed and released brake lever so the switch was working mechanically. Access to the plug requires removal of fuel tank which is straight forward but a PITA. I installed quick-release connections on fuel lines and that really simplifies the task. After removing tank and isolating the connector, a quick check revealed a heavily oxidized plug. A thorough cleaning with contact cleaner and tiny brass brush made everything okay, continuity check across the switch verified proper function. While I had it apart I decided to clean every connector and plug I could access. It's a birds nest of wires tucked between the frame tubes but gentle pulling and pushing will grant access to just about every connector. I also removed and cleaned the ground connectors before tucking everything back in its place.
some pics:
front brake light connector, oxidized!
"The ground" you've all heard about, make it clean and shiny.
bench test switch.
the birds-nest of wires unraveled.
wires tucked in and all tidy.
contact cleaner and dielectric grease, I use a very light smear across female connector when reassembling.
Topic: What Did You Did To Your Motobrick Today ? (Read 2998932 times)