Occasionaly runs like crap.

[RocketEd]

34K mile 2010 Roadster. Has had the Eastern Beaver headlight relay kit since 6,111 miles.
I'll use yesterday's incident as an excellent example of what I'm dealing with.
Temp's in the low 80's F and the fan comes as I wait to pull up to the gas pump. Bike is running fine and the fan is still running when I turn the bike off. Start the bike and notice the ABS light stays on as I ride off. Bike starts running worse and worse, so I pull over in the shade and turn the bike off. Pull the seat to check for loose connections, fuses, etc. Find no issues. Turn the key on and nothing, no gauges no lights, nothing. Turn it off, wait a few seconds and turn it back on. Lights come on, gauges sweep, etc.. Hit the start button and nothing, not even a click. Check that the headlights are on (they were), hit the start button again and it starts right up and runs great the 20 miles home.

Purposely did not wiggle the bars or ignition key.

Not the first time it's happened and the one constant seems to be the bike being hot enough to require the fan running when I shut it off, even if the bike sits long enough for me to grab lunch. Bike barely runs well enough to move under its own power and sometimes the check engine light comes on too, and the turn signal indicator flashes at warp speed. The check engine light goes off as soon as the bike starts and is running normally. Letting it sit for a few minutes while I check fuses and scratch my ass trying to figure it out seems to be all it needs.

If the fan comes on at a stoplight, etc. and I continue to ride I've had no issues.

When it's running like crap I've tried just riding it for as long as I can stand to, and it doesn't clear up on its own. It has to be shut off, let sit, and restarted.

I've cleaned and tightened all battery and ground connections. When the bike is running normally it runs great. I can run through a tank of gas with no running issues.

Battery is 3 years old and kept on a Battery Tender, has 12.8 volts after sitting overnight not hooked to the Tender. It spins the motor over very well.

Hate to say it, but I'm beginning to suspect the ECM.

Any ideas from the collective?

 

[owl]

I'm a great believer in checking the easy stuff first.

Have you checked there are no leaks on the air lines?

 

[atomsplitter]

The ECM running spotty is unlikely, it would run crappy all the time. Sounds like a sensor feed is glitchy, like the O2 sensor or cam timing sensor. Clean those (one at a time) and see if there's any difference after each one. Good luck.

 

[RocketEd]

I'm a great believer in checking the easy stuff first.

Have you checked there are no leaks on the air lines?

Yes, I checked the vacuum lines, charcoal canister, etc., when I had the tank and side covers checking the wiring.

 

[RocketEd]

The ECM running spotty is unlikely, it would run crappy all the time. Sounds like a sensor feed is glitchy, like the O2 sensor or cam timing sensor. Clean those (one at a time) and see if there's any difference after each one. Good luck.

I will check those, thanks.
My thinking on the sensors was that if they were bad they would throw a code, which they haven't, and the same thinking that holds that the ECM would always be bad I thought would also apply to sensors. My thinking, or what passes for my thinking anyway, is that since so far I'm only having the issue when I shut the bike off after the bike has gotten hot enough to run the fan, that the ECM is overheating sitting there.

When the bike is running, it runs great, no sputtering, no drop in fuel mileage, pulls hard to redline, etc. So far when this issue raises its head, it doesn't just run poorly, it will barely move under its own power to the point I'm concerned about traffic running me over. It surges and dies, with no backfiring.

Wait a minute, literally just thought of something. Maybe I'm overthinking things and Owl is onto something.

Can EFI bikes suffer from vapor lock?
That doesn't explain the lack of power when I turned the key for the first time yesterday though. Hmmm.

 

[atomsplitter]

Vapor lock occurs when the float bowl gets hot enough to vaporize the fuel. No float bowls. The fuel line could vaporize the fuel if hot enough and the fuel is already hot in the tank. Wrapping that line should be easy enough. I would not suspect that however...

 

[RocketEd]

Yeah, I was just grasping at straws there.
When I hooked up TuneEcu this morning and there was a stored code there about no power to ECU, but I don't know if that was from the last instance or me screwing with the fuses. No error codes about any sensors stored. I'll have to load up the computer and cable to check it roadside the next time it happens.

All very frustrating, I was hoping to use the Rocket for a big road trip this September.

 

[RocketEd]

Yeah, I was just grasping at straws there.
When I hooked up TuneEcu this morning and there was a stored code there about no power to ECU, but I don't know if that was from the last instance or me screwing with the fuses. No error codes about any sensors stored. I'll have to load up the computer and cable to check it roadside the next time it happens.

All very frustrating, I was hoping to use the Rocket for a big road trip this September.

 

[atomsplitter]

Intermittent troubles are hardest to knock down. Try one fix then test it. The other option is to ride it to the dealer for a new one without the hiccups....

 

[RocketEd]

That's where I'm at now, try it, test it. So far, even though the bikes have been available for 15 years I've not found anyone with a similar problem.
This particular bike has occasionally had weird electrical problems almost since day one. I think the only relays I've not replaced are the EB high beam and the turn signal relay. (Yes the EB solid state low beam relay expired.) It didn't have the right harness from the factory, etc. PITA.

Even though I know you were kidding, I'm sure I could do the trade in since at present the only time there's an issue is if the bike is shut off with the fan running, but that's not the way I roll. When younger I was on the other end of those kind of deals and I'll never knowingly do that to someone else. Plus, I don't want a new version of the same bike that has the computer locked down tight.
Besides, I already traded the thing in once and bought it back, so it looks like I'm stuck with it.