stupid electrics !!

[StuartR]

Hi all
I'm having strange things happen to my 900 - 2000 monster. It started the other week, I turned on the ignition and everything was dead ( was perfect when it was last ridden ) went back to it later and everything was working again. Since then it has been like this, sometimes the ignition comes on other time nothing. when it was rideable it was also acting up ignition going dead when shutting off the throttle, although I did manage to ride the grand mileage of 10 the other day after messing about with connectors etc and thought it was fixed. We have tried all the obvious ...... bad earths, loose connections, handlebar switches, swapped the starter relay ( yellow box under seat I think ).
It has a new battery on and was charged but we connected it to a optimate yesterday morning, last night on going to try it again we found the neutral light and oil light on even though the key was not in the ignition it is still like this today. when turning the ignition on the fuel pump kicks in but the starter switch doesn't work, if the lights are then turned on and off the starter will then work and the bike fires up. I am tempted to take it into the dealers but last time it had a electrical problem ( heat sensor on the cylinder ) the dealer plugged it into their diagnostic machine and it could not pick any reading up so we were left to find the problem ourselves it was eventually found by talking to other Ducati owners.
Hope anyone can give us any pointers or have had a similar experience, spring is on its way and I only managed to make it to a ride out rendevous before having to limp home.

Denise

[Shandy]

It does sound like a loose connection somewhere as its not happening all the time. Is it when you put the key in a turn sometimes nothing happens??? have you checked the ignition switch itself????

[StuartR]

we've not checked the ignition switch it's just about the only thing we havnt looked at............ looks like I've got another job for Stu when he comes home on Wednesday :thumbsup:

[manwithredbike]

does indeed sound v. much like a dodgy ignition switch.

[Steve@Fylde]

Stuart either the ignition switch or the bike has a bad earth and its back feeding the circuit

[StuartR]

Thanks for the replies lads, I have swapped the ignition switch from the 750 to my 900 this morning ................ still doing the same thing, dash lights on, fuel pump comes on, no ignition on. will check the earths again today if I can find them all !!;)

Ta
Denise

[Starter Sprag]

It could be snapped wires inside the 'protective sheath' around the Headstock

Try turning bars lock to lock, whilst trying to start the bike, if it comes alive~then dead again, as you're turning the bars, it's snapped wires

[Robbo291]

SuartR/Denise
Sorry to jump in just joined the club but i might be able to help Ive had monsters for the last 10 years of and on and had a few electrical problems in between. I recently had a problem exactly the same as yours. I went through all of the obvious, earths,switches etc and changed the starter relay. The fault ended up being the starter solenoid, the small two pin plug that goes in the middle was'nt properly pushed in all the way. I hope this info might be of some use. I hate electrical problems but love Dukes.

[StuartR]

Update on my electrical problems .............
Thanks guys for the input, starter sprag was right, when we checked the wires around the headstock they had been pinching between the headstock and the forks, the wires were damaged and black ( strange never saw it the first time we looked ). Anyway after doing a few cartwheels round the drive ;o)) thinking I was up and running again it all turned to doom and gloom again when it came to starting it up. The bike is still not right..... it is running fine, actually it hasn't run like this for a long time but it is still not starting properly. when the starter button is pressed it's dead but when the light switch is turned on a squealing sound comes from the general relay under the seat when this stops and you turn the light switch off and press the starter switch it fires up, strange I know and to confuse matter it only does it when the bike has been laid up, try to get it to do it twice and the starter works. Any ideas ? could riding the bike with damaged wires have blown something ( although as said it only does it when laid up overnight ). Up to now have swapped general relay, starter solenoid, battery and handlebar switches off the 750.

Denise 900sie

[Buzz]

Had all sorts electrical of problems with mine - sometimes it would start no trouble, sometimes all the right lights came on but it wouldn't turn over, sometimes when running the 'low fuel' light glowed dimly (even when it had fuel - and the light got brighter as the revs went up!).

It turned out to be the relay in the side stand switch circuit was faulty (a known problem with that particular relay - can't remember the name but did a search on google and the laverda/guzzi forums were full of stories of them failing).

To solve the problem on mine, I simply shorted the little bas:Furious: ard out and threw it away!

It's started and run faultlessly ever since. Can even start it the sidestand to let it warm up (but obviously need to be careful it's up before setting off).

Mines a year 2000 M750. Not sure if the wiring's the same on the 900 but worth a check.

Good luck. There's nothing more annoying than an intermittent electrical fault!

[StuartR]

Ta Buzz
Worth a look, although I had that mod done when I picked my bike up from new so it may not have that relay on ? Now it's getting worse, I can't even ride it today as when I put the front brake on the bike cuts out, I'm about ready to chuck it down the road. Well time to put my faith in the dealers I just hope they can find what's wrong. Will let everyone know if they find anything might come in useful for someone else ......