13 V7 Stone problem

[roam]

Howdy all, had a interesting issue pop up with my 2013 V7 Stone over the weekend...

I was one mile into the ride, in 3rd with 75% throttle, when the red oil light came on and the engine died immediately. I pulled the clutch in right away and coasted over to the shoulder whilst cussing furiously. Oil level was checked before the ride and it was perfect. The decision was made to try to start the bike again and she fired right up with no warning lights on at all. I made a conservative b-line for home being only a mile away. The bike sounded and felt normal during that time. I made it into my neighborhood just as the same damn thing happened again. This time I was in 1st and going about 3 mph. Oil was checked again once home and it is still right on. I'm thinking it could be a sensor going bad or somethings loose? Maybe I am hitting the big red turbo button on the right handle too soon??? :). Thank you ahead of time!

[pyoungbl]

I'm guessing that it's the connection to the oil pressure sensor, not the sensor itself.  That would throw fear into my heart if it happened while going down the road so I understand your concern.  Let's think logically.  You have oil.  The oil pump is one super dependable part of the bike so the chances of an oil pump failure are slim to none.  The sensors have been known to fail, but I'd expect a failure to be total.  It's much more understandable to have a loose connection between the wiring harness and the sensor.  Just my best guess.

[Chuck in Indiana]

yup.

[Waltr]

  I am thinking the engine died and the warning light came on, the reverse of what you said.  Could be a bad kill switch or corrosion there.  Try (with the key off) hitting the kill switch a bunch of times on and off.  Recently washed the bike?

[davedel44]

I'm with Walter

Dave
Galveston

[clubman]

  I am thinking the engine died and the warning light came on, the reverse of what you said.  Could be a bad kill switch or corrosion there.  Try (with the key off) hitting the kill switch a bunch of times on and off.  Recently washed the bike?

:1: Sidestand switch-happened to me.

[roam]

Thanks fellas for all of the replies. I have not washed the bike in a while but the kill switch/side stand theory make sense. It is a bit scary to lose all power at once unexpected. My route that day would have consisted of some large toll bridges...eek.

[GuzziKevin]

Could it be vapor lock? Was it a hot day?

I've got about 20,000 miles on my 2013 Stone and it has always been a little difficult to start after it's been sitting in the sun for a while. There have been a couple of times on hot days when I've gotten gas and it has died within five minutes of starting. It starts back but I have to rev the engine a little to keep it going for a minute and then it will run fine. I've been told it's vapor lock and to open the gas tank to release the pressure. It freaks me out when it happens. I worry that it's that fuel filter. Maybe the evap canister is the problem? Maybe we need to get the new map from the dealer?

[ITSec]

Thanks fellas for all of the replies. I have not washed the bike in a while but the kill switch/side stand theory make sense. It is a bit scary to lose all power at once unexpected. My route that day would have consisted of some large toll bridges...eek.

The small-blocks have a known history of the side stands gradually dropping down slightly, enough to trip the kill switch. Make sure the side stand pivot is well-lubricated and the stand freely returns to the folded position. The switch itself tends to gather muck and should be cleaned.

The oil pressure sensors on the small blocks, for whatever reason, do not seem to fail as frequently as the big block sensors - but they can and do sometimes. The sensor wiring is definitely known to be problematic on both, though more frequently again on big blocks. It's worth checking the connection to the sensor. If the sensor itself is failing, it most frequently happens in a way that shows before you even start the bike - the ECU will trip an error because the switch in the sensor shows pressure before the bike has been started. This usually trips a dash error right after you turn the key, before you start riding.

[Kev m]

Could it be vapor lock? Was it a hot day?

I've got about 20,000 miles on my 2013 Stone and it has always been a little difficult to start after it's been sitting in the sun for a while. There have been a couple of times on hot days when I've gotten gas and it has died within five minutes of starting. It starts back but I have to rev the engine a little to keep it going for a minute and then it will run fine. I've been told it's vapor lock and to open the gas tank to release the pressure. It freaks me out when it happens. I worry that it's that fuel filter. Maybe the evap canister is the problem? Maybe we need to get the new map from the dealer?

I really doubt it's not vapor lock.

I mean, if it WAS you'd KNOW. There would be a rush of air most of the times you open the tank. The fuel pump itself would scream. And it wouldn't just happen when it was parked.

Remember you have a fuel pump that is probably producing 30-40 psi of pressure.

[Haze]

I have been having a similar problem with my 2015 V7, and the side stand theory sounds like a good one to check for me too.