[lookin4fish]

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I took the bike out for it's first ride today and it was great to finally ride it after so many months. I can't lie and say I wasn't a little worried for the first ride due to the fact that it was taken apart and rebuilt over a 5 month period. I had hoped I had tightened every bolt and left no screw unturned, but I had to put my faith in the big man upstairs and my dad sitting next to him that everything was ok. I made it back alive. no wheels fell off and the engine stayed on the bike. I even took my wife out to eat (her idea as a celebration for finishing the bike) on the motorcycle and everything went pretty well. i know it would have not been possible without all the help I received here. I am in the process of uploading a picture and some videos of the first ride and will post them once they are done. Thanks again for you help!

Anyways...I did have a couple of problems when I was riding. Twice I was riding and the bike just quite on me. I did not lose power, and the bike started right back up and worked fine. I did a search on "engine cutting out" and it looks very similar to problems people have had with a bad pulse generator. Does this sound like the problem. I say some suggest a kill switch problem too. I am bummed to find out that I have to go to the timing belts to replace this since I was in there doing the timing belts about mid april. So I assume I have to drop the radiator again? Next dumb question is there 2 pulse generators, one each side of the timing belts? Second thing that I dont know if it is a problem or not yet, but I felt that the gas gauge was falling pretty quick. I had only road 40 miles and had lost 3 bars off the gas gauge. Seemed to be dropping way to fast. I thought I remembering my dad getting 40+ mpg but it sure does not look like I am heading in that direction! Thanks for you thoughts.

 

[walkabout]

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you dont say what year the bike is. i dont think it is the pulse generator because it would probably be just two cyclinders effected. i would suspect your ignition switch or the off switch on the handle bar. my bet would be the ignition switch, when they give trouble its like you described. some of the early model 1200s had problems with the ignition switch. there is some good information posted somewhere on how to repair it.. that being said be sure your battery cables are clean and tight. regards walkabout:smiler:

 

[walkabout]

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you dont say what year the bike is. i dont think it is the pulse generator because it would probably be just two cyclinders effected. i would suspect your ignition switch or the off switch on the handle bar. my bet would be the ignition switch, when they give trouble its like you described. some of the early model 1200s had problems with the ignition switch. there is some good information posted somewhere on how to repair it.. that being said be sure your battery cables are clean and tight. regards walkabout:smiler:

 

[walkabout]

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one more thing, if that bike is an 84 the pulse gen. is located on the rear of the engine. it is located on the front on the other years. the pulse gen.s are side by side. also the 84 was the year they had ignition switch problems, i am not sure asbout the other years. best of luck walkabout

 

[Ken Bergen]

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walkabout wrote:

you dont say what year the bike is. i dont think it is the pulse generator because it would probably be just two cyclinders effected.

Use to was I thought that too but apparently the ECM has a hissy fit and gives up when only one pulse generator signal is there.

From his picture the bike is an 85 or later but lookin4fish could have stood behind the camera so that we could see more of his bike, his lovely pillion on the other hand only adds to the beauty of the bike.:blackstuff:

 

[notodd]

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great job, looks good

 

[AUwing]

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That actually looks like an 84 aspy the pulse gen will be on the rear of the bike

 

[Ken Bergen]

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AUwing wrote:

That actually looks like an 84 aspy the pulse gen will be on the rear of the bike

The mirrors unless aftermarket say 85 or later with pulse generators in the front.

 

[rideandslidejim]

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As far as fuel mileage,my 86 gets high 30's low 40's on normal comutting. If i milk it on the hwys. i might get high 40's. The fuel gauge on mine is not proportional to fuel use, it stays on full quite a while and drops pretty quick through the mid range of the gauge.

Have fun and enjoy !! Jim

 

[sctrucker]

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i woulodnt worry too much at this stage about the fuel mileage, the guage can be inaccurate

like the other duys say, check the cut off switch and the ignition switch, they are the likely culporit, also, limit the number of keys etc. on the key ring, all that weight hanging there is bad on the ignition switch

 

[DaveO430]

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Ken Bergen wrote:

walkabout wrote:

you dont say what year the bike is. i dont think it is the pulse generator because it would probably be just two cyclinders effected.

Use to was I thought that too but apparently the ECM has a hissy fit and gives up when only one pulse generator signal is there.

Me too, I just figured this out myself with my 1200 project, it will not run if 1 PG is bad.

 

[lookin4fish]

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Sorry about the big dork standing in front of the bike. its like he thinks he owns the thing or something...the bike is an 1986. I don't have any other keys on the key ring. So is the concensus that it is more likely to be a problem in the ignition switch? I did mess around the area of the ignition switch when I was changing the steering bearings. it looked like a sealed unit so I dont think I could have unplugged anything. Any suggestions on how to eliminate one from the other? Thanks!

 

[ceasefire49]

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Okay for those answering this problem question: If it is the pulse generators like some suspect why does it start right back up and run fine? I don't know so I am just trying to clarify. I mean does the power on the dash stay on? When it shuts down does the oil light come on if you put it in Neutral when it does this does the n light come on? I am no rocket scientist but it seems if those stayed on it would not be ignition. Does that sound right everybody or am I missing something.

 

[ceasefire49]

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By the way must have been a Mosquito Holiday. Last time I went through Mn this time of year the Screen was covered.

 

[JerryH]

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All I can say is it sounds like an intermittent electrical problem in the ignition system somewhere, but I am not familiar enough with the Goldwing yet to make a good guess as to where. Is your bike carbed or fuel injected? I have an '85 LTD with fuel injection, and am getting a little over 37 mpg, actual, not by gauge. I did not know the carbed models had an ECM