Douglas
"Ardbeg Man"
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2013
- Messages
- 187
- Location
- Anchorage, Alaska
- Ride
- 2010 Rocket Roadster with Jardines 2006 Kawasaki Concours
I wont drone on about the Rocket, we are all here for the same reason...it is the love of a big cruiser matched up with oh-so-much fun torque and horsepower that forms the addiction. I just wish that, like my Honda Valkyrie, every time I punched the starter it just lit up.
History: 2010 Rocket, only mod is Jardine exhaust and K & N lifetime filter. 26K. Second owner starting at 14K and since ownership have had to replace the Stator and the typical cam shaft gasket. Last summer I put 7K trouble free miles on, always lights up on the first punch. End of last season began only starting on the second punch, then eventually the third, then the 4th, and eventually not at all.
Fast forward to February and I take advantage of my local shops (only one for almost 3 thousand miles) winter deal of free pickup/delivery to put new tires on the girl and to have them check out the starting issue. They report that despite my keeping it on a tender and even a trickle charger that it just needed some time on the charger and it started for them...they return it.
I try to start it-no go. Off we go in the MC hauler. Tech sez we think its the rectifier/regulator and they replace and claim it starts...this time when they drop it off I get smart and start it before they leave, it lights on 2nd or 3rd punch. OK. 2 week go by, its been on the tender and the snow/ice gone so its time to feed my long suffering addiction...no go. This time there is some insinuation from the service manager that I am unaware of how to start a motorcycle and well...we will come get it again.
A call from the shop sez we think it may be the starter...it is sent out for bench testing and comes back clean as whistle good starter. The bike starts for them. I go to pick it up and while chatting with the manager the tech rolls it out and starts it up. I drive away and make about a 40 mile run and return to my garage...2 days later I get excited for a ride and no start. Clocks work fine, they sweep, lights are bright, battery is solid.
I just finished scouring the archives for threads related to "Eastern Beaver Ignition Switch Relay" to see if that is the direction I need to go in. The one and only dealer is beginning to get that look like "I wish he would stop coming in our door"
History: 2010 Rocket, only mod is Jardine exhaust and K & N lifetime filter. 26K. Second owner starting at 14K and since ownership have had to replace the Stator and the typical cam shaft gasket. Last summer I put 7K trouble free miles on, always lights up on the first punch. End of last season began only starting on the second punch, then eventually the third, then the 4th, and eventually not at all.
Fast forward to February and I take advantage of my local shops (only one for almost 3 thousand miles) winter deal of free pickup/delivery to put new tires on the girl and to have them check out the starting issue. They report that despite my keeping it on a tender and even a trickle charger that it just needed some time on the charger and it started for them...they return it.
I try to start it-no go. Off we go in the MC hauler. Tech sez we think its the rectifier/regulator and they replace and claim it starts...this time when they drop it off I get smart and start it before they leave, it lights on 2nd or 3rd punch. OK. 2 week go by, its been on the tender and the snow/ice gone so its time to feed my long suffering addiction...no go. This time there is some insinuation from the service manager that I am unaware of how to start a motorcycle and well...we will come get it again.
A call from the shop sez we think it may be the starter...it is sent out for bench testing and comes back clean as whistle good starter. The bike starts for them. I go to pick it up and while chatting with the manager the tech rolls it out and starts it up. I drive away and make about a 40 mile run and return to my garage...2 days later I get excited for a ride and no start. Clocks work fine, they sweep, lights are bright, battery is solid.
I just finished scouring the archives for threads related to "Eastern Beaver Ignition Switch Relay" to see if that is the direction I need to go in. The one and only dealer is beginning to get that look like "I wish he would stop coming in our door"