Waterlogged Dogs

[alhall88]

Well on my way home from Big AL's sendoff I think he may have sent me a message to remind me that these things are a pain in the ass. You guys in Washington who always ride in the rain seem to get by so what's your secret? On my way home in the pouring rain after about 1 hr riding started to cough and buck when I tried to give it any throttle. I thought maybe it was just sucking in water and running bad. Well move on to hour 2 of riding in steady rain and it's bucking so bad I had to pull over. Tried to start a couple times and the battery died. So I get a tow home and throw the bike in the barn till today. Well after being on the tender bike cranks but no start. Then I figure I'd check the gas even though I only had 70 miles on it and guess what bone dry. So I gas it up starts fine and runs great. So I buzz up to car wash to knock off the heavy shit and it starts bucking again. Once I rode for a couple miles it was OK.
So I guess when its bucking like this it will use extra fuel? But not sure what to do to be able to at least ride in the rain when it happens. Maybe new plug wires. Also not sure if the open coils are a factor or not. Any other ideas?

 

[Five Five]

plug wires...

 

[hollywoodjohnny]

I've been lucky only got wet a couple times, now I got the EHC wet once when washing and it wouldn't run till it dried

I'm a fair weather rider, meaning NO RAIN, I don't care how cold it is just has to be dry

 

[Brew]

Well for one, I'm running the stock covered coil and two I have a spike air cleaner and it wears a rain sock over it to keep from sucking in the rain. Three, I have put dielectric grease in all my connections when I had my tank off. I've never had my hand controls apart so they're still water tight. So far so good and I always run in the rain and so does Ray ray and Knotso. Good luck and I hope you get that issue fixed...:2thumbs:

 

[FST954]

I got in the rain today for the first time my speedo started to act up oil light came on and neutral light stayed on after it dried up all was good

 

[BBChopper]

If the air filter gets wet it will suck more gas! Also load up!!

 

[KnotSo]

No secret here and I have never waterproofed anything. K&N filter oiled properly with louvered grate. When I wash the bike with a hose and sudsy wash busket, I cover the area under the seat with plastic, and put those flimsy rubber mechanics gloves over the right hand controls and over all turn signals, and never have an issue, so far. Heavy rain after 300 miles gets old but the only thing I can suggest is getting in your "bubble" and ride.

 

[lee]

could be coincidence - I had trouble in the rain a few weeks back (nothing compared to what I've got now but thats a whole other story). I had to keep pulling over as the engine kept trying to cut out and I thought it was the right hand control. It turned out to be a broken plug wire - the metal fitting inside had come apart. You never know. I always get the oil pressure and neutral lights coming on in the rain and also my turn signals some times which is a royal pain in the arse when you're on the motorway.

 

[CHOPPED]

I rode mine just under 800 miles in the rain to Laconia and back this year. I did not have any problems. I just made sure I put rain socks on my intake.

 

[chihuasbigdog]

Al, I have the same symptons on my wat to Sturgis in some hard rain, the reason was those friggin filters without socks were choking. just sayin.....

 

[MARV]

check the plug from the stator

gets too wet, archs, doesnt charge, ignition misfires, ??????

mine arched so bad one seriously wet trip to laconia i had to solder and remold the connector ends on the VR plug from the stator.

 

[alhall88]

I'm just running the slotted S&S air cleaner, its pretty well oiled as well. Gonna change the plug wires and just shake it off for now but at least I know that my mileage will go to shit in a hurry when its sputtering like that.