Hey everyone. I am a new F4i owner. Just picked up an 01 about a week ago, only had 5000 miles on it so I thought it would be a pretty good bike. I rode it home (about 100 miles) and it ran fine. Except when I got home it smelled like sulfur and there was a highpitchednoise coming from under the seat.. I figured thebattery needed to be replaced.the next day, I tried to start it and it was completely dead. I push started it and took it in to the shop. They said it was a bad battery, replaced it. I got on to ride home andeverything seemed fine.After about seven miles it died while i was in neutral, slowing coasting to a red light. as soon as i came to a stop I pushed the ignition button and it started right back up. I stopped at the next light.. it didnt die this time. But then, a mile later while pulling in to my driveway (in first gearwith clutch pulled all the way in) it died again. Also, started rightback up this time. Then the next day, I went out to start it, wondering if the new battery was dead now.. it still starts right up. I am afraid to ride it now though because I dont want to get completey stranded somewhere. I know other people have posted about the bike dying while riding, but theirs usually dont start right back up. Mine also idles smoothly, no backfire.
Could it be the regulator/rectifier if it still starts right back up?
Also when it dies, the display and gauges are all still on.
Any help would be appreciated..

 

Also, the bike is stock

 

Check the connections, especially if there's dried up fluid or sulfur as you say on the metal connections.

 

man, dont ever have a title like that again...thought we lost another rider...****...

 

^^ i'm with kneepuck... no more "death" words in titles, it makes everyone sad. Also, remove the seat, take a wire brush to both terminals and wires, re-attatch the cables, so that YOU KNOW they are on solid. sounds like your just losing a little connection here or there, for no real reason. just make sure you have solid contact with the battery

 

sorry, title has been edited.
No sulfur or anything on the terminalsor in the battery box. the cables on the battery are tightly connected. maybe i will just take it for a ride tomorrow, try to find more symptoms.

 

For the few amount of miles it has its hard to believe it could be just a battery. It is possible you stator is needing to be replaced. The stator is like the alternator, it charges the battery while riding. It is on the left side of your bike, the big round cover. Inside the stator is a bunch of brushes, they spin around to create the electrical current. But if the bike is an 01, they might be bad and need to be replaced is all. So if you put a brand new battery in your bike and the connections are solid, and you battery is dead again,its probably the stator.

 

If you can ride for half hour straight then your alternator(stator)+rectifier+regulator should be fine. The battery just cant drive the bike for that long. Even if the connections are tight, they can have oxide/sulfide on the surface from the previous battery burst. So +1 on the wirebrush treatment. take them off, clean and put them back. also clean battery terminals.

If you have a voltmeter that'll be the best test for the alternator etc. With the engine running the voltage across the battery should be 13-14V => charging system is fine!

 

Charging systems die in lots of weird ways, it's not always "working" or "not working". So don't just check the battery voltage at idle -- rev the motor and make sure the voltage increases or at least stays well above 13V. If it's decreasing you could have a rectifier/regulator problem.