Ok brains trust...im stumped.

Problem is a few weeks old. Ill describe it and list what Ive done.

PROBLEM:
* While riding, the bike will (seemingly randomly) start rapidly flashing the headlight and instrument lights
* All other functions of the bike are fine. There is no power loss - nothing at all except for flashing headlight/instrument lights
* Sometimes while this rapid flashing is happening, the indicators will also both flash
* It mostly only happens when the bike is warmed up and most often happens above 100kmh

IVE TRIED:
* replaced handlebar switches with spares
* cleaned and reseated all obvious electric connectors (ECU, tank, Ignition computer, all handlebar switch connectors, grounds, alternator, starter, battery - all good)
* replaced fuses
* checked my headlight relay wiring for issues and switched all lighting relays.
* starter motor was rebuilt with new bushes about 20,000kms ago (18 months)
* battery is fine

I havnt pulled the instruments as I also need to remove the nose fairing and im lazy, but im about to do it now. 

I also havnt changed bulbs as Im cheap.


While sitting here typing this - the tank, seat ecu are all removed - but the ignition key is turned on...the bike just sitting there with the key on...and BOTH indicators just started flashing like hazard lights.....? WTF?

Put a new fuse in the #7 position.

just a question Floyd

where is the earth for the headlights wired from ?

Fuse holder for fuse #7 might be going intermittent.

Thanks guys.

Charlie, it's earthed at the under tank spot with everything else.

Popped an old fuse in #7 and lo and behold, on the morning commute... No flashing...

Gents....


The problem persists.....  

Ill do some fiddling around at fuse 7

After an uneventful, flash free morning ride - post #7 fuse swap - I was confident the problem was gone.

On the arvo ride home, indicators were going mental.

This mornings ride, the flashing was at its worst ever. I had to even reach around and pull the headlight plug. It was strobing like a Spanish nightclub.

This arvo, the beast hemorrhaged wires everywhere.



And there is nothing apparently wrong at fuse #7....     

Change the bulb monitoring unit because that is what makes the problem happen when there is no power on fuse #7.

RicK G wrote:Change the bulb monitoring unit because that is what makes the problem happen when there is no power on fuse #7.

Cheers Rick.

Done.

Fingers crossed.

RicK G wrote:Change the bulb monitoring unit because that is what makes the problem happen when there is no power on fuse #7.

Rick - I'm missing something here. Why would fuse 7 blowing affect the BMU?

Dai wrote:

RicK G wrote:Change the bulb monitoring unit because that is what makes the problem happen when there is no power on fuse #7.

Rick - I'm missing something here. Why would fuse 7 blowing affect the BMU?

It doesn't I am apparently loosing it and I can't even remember what "it" is.
Floyd forgive me the flasher unit.
I'm not well ATM got some lurgi or I took a bait.

Far out...Im sick of taking my fuel tank off

Ive changed just about every relay many many times and now have it to a stage where the headlight and instrument lights no longer seem to flash.

The indicators seem to mostly work. they dont come on randomly, but occasionally when i hit one of the flasher buttons it will not flash. If i then hit the cancel button, and the flasher button again it will now flash....

Weird...

Have switched flasher relay, BMU, LSR...

Oh, and I cleaned the starter this morning. The brushes are like new and its now spotless

corrosion across one of the switches of the flashers switches ? causing a near earth situation ?

try and measure the earth to the headlight and directly to the battery on the other meter lead to see if you have a significant voltage drop ..meter on dc volts

see if you can get it to flash and notice the voltages if there is some there  ...an analogue meter might be best to see the change if there is one .

just a  thought


or do I get on gerty with my tools tomorrow ?

Could this be an ignition switch issue? I was just yesterday getting all kinds of screwy symptoms on my bike (including very dim dashboard lights) that all went away when I rebuilt my ignition switch.

So sorry I missed you Charlie. I was home in the shed all day too - just a different home....Bummer

I now think (with no evidence) that my original problem has been solved. Pretty sure it was the load shed relay, but could be wrong.

I now also think that my intermittent blinker (it occasionally will not stay on, but when I hit the cancel button first, then an indicator - it will work fine) problem is with a handlebar switch ive changed to, to eliminate that from causing my previous issue....

Will investigatre...but Im now very happy im not a strobing nightclub on my commute.

Whenever that happens on my bike I take out the starter and clean the armature and brushes with contact cleaner and sometimes jewelers paste on the armature, no sand paper or steel wool, that will cause brushes to wear out faster, that experience talking. That alway cures the flashing headlight and weird turn signal problems. Even when I put a new starter in it, at great expense, because I didn't know about eBay at the time, It still would do that flashy thing after about 3,000 miles or so.

Yes, I also think this problem can be related to starter motor, though I don't understand how that can happen.

I recently had a breakdown which turned out to be due to  end-of-life of one of the carbon brushes. Before I diagnosed the problem, I managed to get started and rode home with a madly strobing headlight. Both main and dip so not a dubious bulb.

I fixed the starter by swapping with another bike which has a good one and the headlight seems stable since.

None of that makes sense to me but since others have reported some linkage, I thought I'd throw it in.

I had a similar problem a few years ago, the bike started as normal but left hand indicator stayed on even after the key was removed, did not flash but stayed on, after swapping flasher boxes and checking all connections found the brushes in the starter motor were worn out, replaced the brushes all fixed.