More adventures in the Land of Evil Corrosion

[QQBS]

For the past four to five years my '83 had had a very random fengine cut out problem.  I'd be riding along and the tach would go to zero and the engine would simply quit running.  Rocking the on off rocker switch would immediately return operation (usually with an embarrasing loud explosion from the gas filled exhaust system), sometimes for days, sometimes for seconds. The problem would happen at idle, at high speed, or at slow manuvering speed.  The most fun times were in the middle of slow sharp turns when you depend on engine thrust for balance assistance.  Power loss in the middle of critical banzai passes was also thrilling.  Needless to say, I'm lightening quick in the reset procedure.

I tried different TCI boxes and safety relays.  I switched the safety relays around.  Nothing made any differance.  I was about to go crazy.  Then about a month ago my headlight low beam went out.  I've been running a 100/130 bulb for at least the last ten years without incident.  A check of the bulb showed no signs of being burned out.  Then the bulbs operation became erradic and random.  Moving the high low rocker switch restored operation sometimes and sometimes not.  Sometimes the high beam was also rendered inoperative as well.  Because the rocker switch was controlling in so uncertain a manner I decided a logical place to start was cleaning the switck.  I took it apart as far as I could, sprayed it well with brake cleaner(it was all I had), and reassembled.  Normal Operation was immediately restored.

Shortly after all this transpired, the engine cut out problem became intolerable.  Something had to done.  Then I thought how the headlight rocker switch had failed and saw a similarity to the engine cut randomness.  I disassembled the on off rocker and thourghly cleaned and 3 in 1 oiled it.  Inititial operation originaly worse than before.  But after working it back and forth for a few minutes normal operation was regained.

Took a 100 mile run today without any cut out events!  The problem has definatly been altered for the better with every indication of victory.  It's good to win.  If anyone has had similar problems, clean your switches before going into deeper unknown exploration.  Cheers.

[Lucky]

glad you found the problem :)

[Rick G]

Hi Q,  I think that this is to be expected from 20 year old bikes. My first and worst parts Vision, had an after market dimmer switch on it, so its happened to someone else! But I like your solution better. good to know they can be reserected.