Bike would not start in the middle of ride?

[2006FJR]

The weather has been so nice lately (64 degrees) that I decided to take the wife and I for a ride down to San Pedro and Pacific Palisades to see the new Trump Golf Course and the coast. There was not a cloud in the sky and the wife and I had a chance to see one of the best sunsets along the coast that I think I have ever seen. It was a perfect ride and the kind that makes you glad that you bought an FJR. After the sunset we were hungry so we went to our favorite restaurant on 2nd street in Long Beach called Dominco's. When we went out to get on the bike for our trek home the bike would not start? It seemed to have pretty of juice and seemed like it wanted to kick over. All of the drunk guys in the bar next to Dominco's were saying that I should have bought a V-Rod and this would not have happened. It would be faster and would not break down. They were not mean spirited but I had to stay calm! :assassin:

We thought it could be the fuel but I had 3 bars? There was a Yellow light on the dash that was on the whole time but I have no idea what it meant? About 15 mins later I tried it again after the tow truck was already in route and the damn thing kicked over and we left. Does anyone have any ideas what it could have been? I am taking it in the dealer next Wednesday which is a few days BEFORE my 1 year warranty is up. One last thing, is there anything else I should have checked since this is my last free trip to the dealer?

 

[mike25]

I am taking it in the dealer next Wednesday which is a few days BEFORE my 1 year warranty is up. One last thing, is there anything else I should have checked since this is my last free trip to the dealer?

Buy the Y.E.S. warranty now.

 

[MrTwisty]

That yellow light is equivalent to the "check engine" light on your car. Every time you turn the key on, the ECU goes through a series of checks (all the sensors and stuff). If the light stays on, you have a problem. If the engine fired, but would not run, it could be that a sensor (like a throttle position sensor) is either starting to fail or you have a loose wire to the sensor.

 

[madmike2]

1.) Call D&H Cycle and buy the Y.E.S

2.) Have you had the ECU exchanged under warranty?

 

[Geezer]

'Plenty of juice' indicates that the starter was spiniing, and 'wanted to kick over' implies that you did get some spark and actually had it pop a couple of times. If so, then I would agree with the bad fuel theory.

You can read the codes from the ECU that were stored when the yellow light went on. Check the FAQ for instructions.

 

[2006FJR]

1.) Call D&H Cycle and buy the Y.E.S
2.) Have you had the ECU exchanged under warranty?

I have a 5 year extended warranty already through Yamaha so I guess I should not be too worried but I heard it is harder to get things done under the extended warranty for some reason. As far as the ECU being changed under warranty, I will look into that since I have no idea what an ECU is? Thanks all for pointing me in the right direction. :clapping:

 

[FJRSTAR]

1.) Call D&H Cycle and buy the Y.E.S
2.) Have you had the ECU exchanged under warranty?

I have a 5 year extended warranty already through Yamaha so I guess I should not be too worried but I heard it is harder to get things done under the extended warranty for some reason. As far as the ECU being changed under warranty, I will look into that since I have no idea what an ECU is? Thanks all for pointing me in the right direction. :clapping:

An engine control unit (ECU) is an electronic control unit which controls various aspects of an internal combustion engine's operation. The simplest ECUs control only the quantity of fuel injected into each cylinder each engine cycle. More advanced ECUs found on most modern cars and motorcycles also control the ignition timing, variable valve timing (VVT), the level of boost maintained by the turbocharger (in turbocharged cars), and control other peripherals.

ECUs determine the quantity of fuel, ignition timing and other parameters by monitoring the engine through sensors. These can include, MAP sensor, throttle position sensor, air temperature sensor, oxygen sensor and many others. Often this is done using a control loop (such as a PID controller).

 

[FJRSTAR]

1.) Call D&H Cycle and buy the Y.E.S
2.) Have you had the ECU exchanged under warranty?

I have a 5 year extended warranty already through Yamaha so I guess I should not be too worried but I heard it is harder to get things done under the extended warranty for some reason. As far as the ECU being changed under warranty, I will look into that since I have no idea what an ECU is? Thanks all for pointing me in the right direction. :clapping:

As usually occurs with a technology shift, computer-controlled engine management has replaced old failure modes with new ones. With advanced age, a failing ECU can cause seemingly random starting and driveability faults. For example, a vehicle may refuse to start when cranked with the starter motor, but may respond easily to a push start. Failing electrolytic capacitors in the ECU no longer smooth the power supply to the microprocessor, and the varying load on the starter motor causes sufficient line voltage fluctuation that the computer reboots repeatedly while attempting to start the engine. An industry has evolved to refurbish ECUs with this and other types of failures related to age and use.

 

[cota95]

I have a 5 year extended warranty already through Yamaha so I guess I should not be too worried but I heard it is harder to get things done under the extended warranty for some reason.

As far as I can determine, Yamaha does not offer a 5 year extended warranty. I've had no problem with repairs under YES