Wacky night with the NC

[BigGuppy]

2014 NC700x DCT, bought used in 2017 with 5750 miles, now at 14000 miles.

Last night after a 400 mile trip, I had a storm of trouble with the NC, all small at first, but getting worse. No accident, and I think I got it figured out this morning. Symptoms:

* handlebar heater blinks but wont heat, like it has a short
* Dashboard starts flickering
* Chain starts clacking more than usual
* Bike starts lurching every minute or so, like it's misfiring on a spark plug. I turn off DCT and throttle through it.
* Engine stalls at stop lights. I start putting it in neutral and revving engine a little
* Speedometer is overestimating speed by 15-20 mph
* On a slow stretch of side street near my destination, the chain slides off.

So when I looked at the chain after a looped in back on, it was hanging like a hammock. Luckily it was held alongside by the chainguard so it didn't break anything.

This morning I took it to the neighborhood shop. On the ride over the speed wasn't showing on the dashboard at all. They said they couldn't tighten the chain. It was shot. My New York shop had also mentioned the chain a few weeks ago.

So I had the chain replaced and things seem all better now.

Last night I also looked at the battery connections and at that time, they seemed fine and tight, but it was dark, the battery was hot, and I was tired. After I picked it up from the shop, I made sure to tighten the battery screws down and reseated the battery to make sure it didn't move. Loose battery connections is the only thing I can think of with the dashboard.

The bad news is the shop didn't have a matching sprocket just the chain, so I'm planning to have to go back in when I get home to get the sprocket done.

i also do thibk i have a short in the handlebar heater....

 

[Jos]

So... Mostly things that could have been prevented with regular controls and maintenance?

Not throwing any stone here, while I do check chain slack regularly, I check battery connectors less often.

 

[DCTFAN]

"the battery was hot"
IMO, that is not normal, unless
you mean warm from engine.
Regardless, with all the problems you listed,
I am surprised the shop did not analyze the battery; maybe you should.

 

[Mainsail]

It may be that you lost a ground somewhere.

 

[jimmy da vig]

Can't say that I've ever heard of, or saw a chain get that loose. But I also doubt that it's two unrelated things. A hot battery indicates a (sometimes) grounded hot wire. Like a chain whipping off the insulation of a kickstand switch.

Any short will effect the rest of the system. Check all the wires that could be anywhere near the chain.

BTW, a chain that loose could throw and break anything that gets in the way. Engine, transmission, wheel, leg, ankle. Yeah that's right, your own body parts.

Learn to lube and adjust your chain.

 

[rippin209]

Can't say that I've ever heard of, or saw a chain get that loose. But I also doubt that it's two unrelated things. A hot battery indicates a (sometimes) grounded hot wire. Like a chain whipping off the insulation of a kickstand switch.

Any short will effect the rest of the system. Check all the wires that could be anywhere near the chain.

BTW, a chain that loose could throw and break anything that gets in the way. Engine, transmission, wheel, leg, ankle. Yeah that's right, your own body parts.

Learn to lube and adjust your chain.

Don't know about the electrical but to have that many unrelated problems the lose battery terminal is a loose ground on the bike.

As far as the chain, I've actually done the same when I first started riding and didn't properly maintain my chain. I had it fall off a block from work making a left hand turn.
It fall right off and went back on just as easily, I rode the 60 miles home after work, I just rode mild on my way home with no problems, parked it until I got a new chain and sprockets

 

[b_rubenstein]

Chains don't last long without regular, fairly often, lubrication. I don't use the world's greatest chain lube. I use Dupont chain lube in the yellow can that from Wally World. I give a quick spray every few hundred miles. When I'm doing longer distance touring, and it's a 500 mile day, it gets sprayed once in the middle of the day and once at the end. I also make sure not to over tighten the chain. I have over 21k miles on the original chain and sprockets and the chain adjuster is still in the green zone.