Forum

[Davie Hall]

Well my electra x has now done 1800 miles since a total rebuild. After a few days away it seems to have stopping using oil apart from a light misting of oil on the number plate, the crankcase is vented to atmosphere also there is no sign of the dreaded mayonnaise in the oil . So can I relax for a while or am I tempting fate

[Adrian]

Apart from "Expect the Unexpected" and other such helpful(?) stuff, if whoever rebuilt the bike did a proper job with good quality components and you have run it in sensibly since, my advice is just maintain it and enjoy the ride! At least you know if something goes bang, it can be fixed.

Regards,

A

[Davie Hall]

Well it seems I spoke to soon. Going to work tonight the lights flickered for a second or two then settled down, got about 1.5 miles from home and the lights got very very bright and before I had a chance to pull over and switch everything of it went dark. Had a quick look and cant see anything untoward but now have no spark, so towed it home and jumped on my bmw and into work 20 mins late.
Anyone any thoughts on what to look for tomorrow. I also got moaned at about how there is always something wrong with it

[Norm]

Davie, not wanting to be a wet blanket but I think you were warned not to buy it in the first place lol probably the rear wheel has rubbed the wire and now blowing the fuse and a backup BMW is the only way to go

[Thack]

The extra bright lighting suggests the voltage regulator has failed.

[Davie Hall]

Norm you are probably right I maybe shouldn't have bought it, but I have and I WILL get it sorted. Thack you are correct because thats what I think. But started it up yesterday and with lights heated grips on was giving 13.8 volts and 14.3 with nothing switched on. Would have thought that being a solid state component it would either work or not. Anyhow I am going to change it for one of those newfangled power boxes, and that will hopefully be another weak point improved

[Norm]

Davie the Electra rec/reg is something I have not heard of many problems with, they seem to be standing up ok, guess there is a possibility it is suspect. When you say it started up yesterday was that before or after this latest problem. The fact it went dark indicates it has blown a fuse

[Davie Hall]

Hi Norm,I started yesterday after it had blown the fuse. When I started it and everything checked ok I started thinking about what happened. The fuse that failed was in one of the screw together waterproof ones that take a glass type fuse and was just hanging on the wires and my thought are vibration got to it and caused a bad connection before it failed and disrupted the feed to the reg rec temporarily and allow a momentary power surge. Mind you I could be way off the mark.Over the weekend I am going to wire a voltmeter to it so I can keep a visual check on it while Im riding and hopefully work out what happened

[Norm]

Davie, Fuses usually only fail if too much power is put through them, I suspect you have a short somewhere, check the wires into the pilot lights, they can cut through, also check the wiring to the tail light, that can get rubbed through on the tyre. Till you find it carry plenty of fuses