yet another problem with my new zx-6r - this one electrical

[wicked]

someone with a bit of mechanical/electrical please read this

ok...so there was coolant leaking onto my garage floor...took the fairings off and the leak was coming from where the radiator hose meets the radiator. loosened the worm screw clamp, reseated the hose and tightened the clamp. seems to doing fine now (although its an 85° day and highway engine temps at ~ 70MPH were hovering around 200°...not sure if that's normal...temps were much lower on my zx-10r).

so...today im on my way home from work and theres a huge wreck on i-85 and traffic is down to one lane...needless to say, lots of sitting and waiting. engine temp is around 220°. i was admiring my new bike in the back of the car in front of me. looked over for a second to see if the lane to my right was clear and when i look forward again, all electrical systems on my bike are out...headlight...running lights...gauge cluster...but the bike is still running...for about 4 minutes. then it started sputtering like the battery was dying and the alternator wasnt doing its job. i pulled over to the shoulder when it was started to die and im sitting there on the side of the road screaming obscenities (its 85°, im in a black leather jacket and my brand new bike is dead on the side of the road). so i reach into the fairing and the rectifier is searing hot. turn the key and nothing. i wait a couple minutes and turn the key again and the gauge cluster is back on as is the taillight and running lights...i try to crank it and its as if the battery is near dead. i wait another couple minutes and turn the key...same thing. so im on a hill and i push start it...turns over quickly and rode home another 20ish miles and now it starts up fine.

thoughts?

thanks in advance

[Bosnia Deluxe]

Is the bike under warranty ?

[wicked]

yep...it only has 1K miles on it

[JSKeezy]

Take it back...I would have thought it was your thermostat but take it back mane.......

[BadAssRX-7]

id saytake i back m guessing an issue with the stator now the temps. I ha 05zzr00 and dont like it 1 bit tht thefans dont turn on till 225 man thats HOT

[JSKeezy]

Same with the GSXR k5 turns on around 220....THe previous yrs model didnt even get up to that temp!!!

[Bosnia Deluxe]

I would just take it back, make them pay for towing, and the warranty will take care of the rest.

[MX Tuner]

"Make them pay for towing".

Thats a good one.

[Lazarus]

Brand new bike? I wouldn't even be posting on here. Take it back to the dealership. You paid for new w/ warranty make good use of it.

[JoeDirte]

The temps it's running at are completely normal.

[MX Tuner]

With the cooling systems bled correctly on all my bikes ('06 SV1000, '06 Hayabusa, '07 Duc 1098, '07 R6) , thay all ran about 185-190 when the fans cut on. They Hayabusa and the Ducati needed the cooling system flushed and bled well to get the temps back in the normal range. Both those would run too hot sitting still. THe Hayabusa would go into the red even with the fan running. All bikes were bought new off the showroom floor.

In other words, your issue *could* be an air pocket.

[Derrick]

When I rode my gsxr on the street it routinely reached the 220 mark when sitting in traffic on a hot day, then the fan would turn on...it also gets up there when I'm coming off the track on a hot day...perfectly normal.

Now, take that bike back to the dealer and make them get it right for you.

[DICKIEDOO]

My guess is a rectifier on the elec issue and you should take it back.

[SquireSCA]

Stator or some other part of the battery charging system. I had the exact same thing happen to me on a new CBR1000RR, only 2 months old. Stator was defective, and so the battery was not being charged. So the bike was running on battery power alone, and so the dash shut down, then the lights dimmed, and then the bike started losing power as the spark got weak and the injectors were not getting enough voltage, etc...

Honda replaced it under warranty, and it happened again two more times after that. Honda had a really bad run of stator problems a few years ago.

[bigb996]

hope i dont end up having those problems, but if i do like eveyrone said ill take it straight to the dealer. Does sound stator related. The temps you described are normal, exactly what mine runs and all my bikes previous have been near the same. Riding temp is around 190 for mine and idle is as much as 220 on a hot day. I think the fan has cut on around 210 i believe.

[keevo54]

saw on another forum it looked like the problem was an aftermarket headlight bulb

[wicked]

im a moron...im so used to the bike that i just got rid of that i think every little thing on a new bike is something catestrophic...wasnt thinking...the 09 zx-6r (like most bikes) doesnt charge at idle...sitting still in traffic it was the equivilant of running my fan, HID and entire electrical system directly off of the battery without it charging. after i came to this conclusion, i called and asked my shops service manager as well as several other friends that work on bikes and they pretty much all said the same thing...'youve been riding and working on your own bikes for years and THIS set you off? youre an effing idiot.'

thanks to all who replied and tried to help...

[Lazarus]

Thats true, idling doesn't charge the bike's battery.

[wicked]

after a day of riding yesterday and having to push start the damned thing half a dozen times i finally broke down and took it in to the shop this morning...voltage regulator is bad and theyre replacing it...so much for tomorrows ride...although we MAY ride 2 up on the SigOs cbr600rr...not sure that she could take riding bitch for an all day ride tho :-)

[BadAssRX-7]

Thats true, idling doesn't charge the bike's battery.
not true on my 05 zzr600, I put on a new left cover thanks to a lowside and i checked the sys when i got it back together. i had 12.8 on the batt. and was bouncing 14.2- 14.4 at idle no choke. But i have been told that bikes dont charge when idle... i think a better statement is dont charge much.

[MX Tuner]

14.2-14.4v is fine, actually good at idle.

[BadAssRX-7]

i know i was pointing out that some bikes do make power at idle

[wicked]

bikes been in the shop for two weeks...voltage regulator is on back order...one would have to surmise this means that im not the only one having to have it replaced...sigh...missing perfect riding weather...

[bluerider]

bikes been in the shop for two weeks...voltage regulator is on back order...one would have to surmise this means that im not the only one having to have it replaced...sigh...missing perfect riding weather...

That suxs bro, but seems to happen with some make of bike almost every spring. Hope you get it back soon.

[TarzanMan]

Next time, tell the dealer that you want a Kawasaki and not a Kawa-sucky

[bigb996]

bikes been in the shop for two weeks...voltage regulator is on back order...one would have to surmise this means that im not the only one having to have it replaced...sigh...missing perfect riding weather...

thats a bummer man, i just had my first problem. Im at around 1300 miles now and my left fork seal has started leaking. Im riding on it until next weekend and puting it in for the warranty work. Works out though bc ill be in the caribbean for 7 days while its getting fixed.

[Will]

These problems though are definitely the exception to the norm right?

[bigb996]

These problems though are definitely the exception to the norm right?

from what ive read im not the first with a fork seal issue, but thats a minor thing to have fixed.

As for his problem, his is the first ive seen so far. Its in a very good spot on our bike in the upper fairing that keeps it away from the majority of the heat and such which is normally the factor that causes it to go out.

[wpalm00]

Man, my 07 never ever had a problem. I wanted an 09 but I'm starting to reconsider now...