Roadhawk electrical woes

[Ozarkryder]

epper:Fixed!
:wave4:See post below:laugh:
(Crossposted to the Roadsmith and VW powered trike forums)

We just got the Roadhawk home, I did a few short rides as it isn't licensed in Missouri yet, and as the test ride when we picked it up in Minnesota, all went well. Trike handles and ran great.
Yesterday (Sat. 11/7/15) Gloria wanted to go for a ride to check it out. We got about a mile down the road, rounded a corner and the trike dies. Coasted to the side of the road, ignition off and on the trike started. Stopped for gas and all is OK. Rode to a town about 10 miles away, took a slow corner off the throttle, trike dies again. Starts the same, next corner dies again, ignition off and on starts and runs great until the next stop, round the corner and trike quits. This time it sat a while before it started. It seemed to be it quit after low RPMs, then tried to accelerate. On the way home it ran well again, and kept running as I Kept the RPMs up above idle.
Happened again this morning. Ran for a bit, Started a few times, wont start now. I turn on the ignition and the radio, headlight and running lights come on, and there is a single click from the area of the starter (solenoid?) each time I hit the starter button. There are no gauge or dash indicator lights, even though the headlight comes on, high beam doesn't work, the turn signals don't come on. Battery reads 12.78 volts, I checked all the grounds and connections I could find and they all seem good. BTW - 1835cc engine, automatic transmission in a 2007 Roadhawk.
Any ideas where to start?

 

[2blackbelts]

roadhawk

Even though you've checked the grounds (battery, starter, whatever) I think your problem is a bare wire on metal that grounds out with turns or pressure. It restarts after the circuit breakers kick in.

I'm sure you've done this, but check wires run around moving object, shocks, pivot points, etc.

I know it's not much, but it has happened to me a half dozen times over the years, always a grounded wire.

 

[Ozarkryder]

Fixed! -epper:
As seems usual with electrical problems, the solution was relatively simple, but finding it was the hard part. Never heard of this happening before, but nothing else fits after all the other options have been checked. (2bbs- a chafed wire was one of the first things I thought about. Apparently the Roadhawk hasn't circuit breakers, just the 4 fuses.:Shrug
On the ride yesterday, the trike would die going around corners. But start up after getting off to the side of the road.So here's what we think happened.
For some reason, the top fuse of the 4 in the fusebox was very loose. Usually blade fuses are hard to remove, but this was so loose I removed it as easy as plucking a leaf off a tree. There is a bundle of wires that run through the bars and comes out at the top of the triple tree, right next to the fusebox. There are 4 fuses, the top one is a 20amp that seems to fuse all the electric except the radio, low beam and running lights. I was talking to the previous owner, and we think the bundle of wires from the switchgear was rubbing against the fuse, and because it was loose in the socket it would lose contact when turning, and when I moved the bars back it would make contact again. The fuse would just barely make and break contact as the wire bundle rubbed against it. It probably arced once too often and finally blew. I got a new fuse, and this one is very tight. I also cannibalized one of Gloria's small plastic storage bowls as a cover so the wires wouldn't rub on the fuses.
An alternate theory on the trike cutting out and then running again is the fuse blew, (I couldn't see a break in the wire, but there was what seems like a burn mark at the bottom of the fuse) and it would make contact again. Sort of like if a incandescent light bulb blows it will sometimes make contact and light again if it is tapped. Neither one of us has ever heard of a blade fuse doing this, so the first theory is more likely.
New fuses in all 4 slots, the Roadhawk runs like a champ, and I couldn't get it to quit on me again. Happy campers in SE Missouri.ThumbUp

 

[stinger608]

Great information that you shared in your final post Ozarkryder!!!

 

[roadhawk]

Not surprised, same setup on our 99 Roadhawk.
Wiring in the fairing is kinda sloppy. Thanks for sharing, I'll know where to look if it ever happens on ours.

 

[Ozarkryder]

An update on the electrical problem. (Actually was fixed some time ago, I have been remiss on posting)
The Roadhawk right handlebar electrical controls are brake lights, kill switch and starter button. 4 wires come out of that side to a square opaque white Molex connector. I found one of the wires was loose in the pin, and it would disconnect when stretched and eventually reconnect if the bars were moved just right. I couldn't find a connector or pins and the tool to fix it locally, so I ditched the connector, added some length to the wires, routed them out of the way and reconnected with Posi-Lock connectors. They can be taken apart and are reusable in case the bars have to come off. (Aside from soldering, the best wire connections I've found. Not affiliated with Posi-Lock, just a satisfied costumer - http://www.posi-products.com/ )

As far as the loose fuse, another one I tried was also loose. And yet another. A trip to the auto parts store fixed that problem with better quality fuses. I got the kind that light up when they blow so I can see at a glance if a fuse is bad. There are only 4, but they are in an awkward place to access. I'll caution folks not to go the "Everything's $1.00 Or Less" store and get an assortment of 20 fuses for a buck. The blades were actually thinner than on the fuses from the auto store, and were very loose in the holder. Better fuses fit tight, no more problem, along with the rerouted wires.