Tip over sensor broken bracket and engine stall - DANGEROUS!

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ericlondonhayabusa

Registered
I was riding on the freeway (with my girlfriend pillion) on my '06 Hayabusa when my motor suddenly cut. Luckily, I was able to move to the shoulder without incident.

I turned off the ignition, turned it back on and the motor started right up. Not knowing the issue, I drove off the freeway (I was next to the offramp) and left the bike in a parking lot for the afternoon. We later returned to the bike, it started right up and ran fine until we were nearly home, at which point the motor cut again when I was turning onto my home street. Again, turning the ignition off and back on worked and we made it home safely.

Since I had recently installed a TRE, I thought perhaps that was the issue so I yanked it and rode around the block, but my motor cut again.

This time I did more research and it became apparent that the issue might be the tip over sensor (which automatically cuts the engine if the bike falls over). Sure enough, the tip over sensor was hanging from two wires by my rear brake master cylinder - the bracket had somehow broken. I rigged a temporary solution and will have a buddy weld it back for me, but this is one of the most serious safety defects I have ever encountered on a bike. It appears from various postings here and on other forums that this might be an issue with several Suzuki years/models. I searched on the NHTSA website for any recalls related to the Hayabusa specifically but could find none, including none in progress.

The purpose of this post is three-fold:

1) to let people know about this serious safety issue (I would inspect for this on a regular basis) AND
2) to obtain feedback from other forum members as to whether they've experienced this issue, especially if it's created a dangerous situation SO THAT
3) I can file a safety complaint with the NHTSA. I would like to get as much feedback from others so I can include it in my complaint.

Thanks,

Eric
 
Welcome to the .Org, and thanks for the heads-up. Never heard of that one before. Wonder if it's already listed on the NHTSA's website?
 
welcome. also have not heard of this issue before. not an expert but highly doubt this is a design flaw/defect. good luck with your pursuit!
 
Really...Seriously? You're gonna file a complaint against Suzuki because the bracket broke? It says somewhere in the manual of every motorcycle about a pre ride check, so I doubt you'll get anywhere, especially since you looked down and noticed it. This isn't a common problem, things break, that's life. Be grateful the bike was cuttung off, and not the throttle sticking, because that's almost never fun.:laugh:
 
sixpack577 said:
Really...Seriously? You're gonna file a complaint against Suzuki because the bracket broke? It says somewhere in the manual of every motorcycle about a pre ride check, so I doubt you'll get anywhere, especially since you looked down and noticed it. This isn't a common problem, things break, that's life. Be grateful the bike was cuttung off, and not the throttle sticking, because that's almost never fun.:laugh:
Click to expand...
I had the same thing happen to me and absolutely no way of knowing the issue until I pulled the tank off. This was on my 05 and I think it should be a huge concern for Suzuki.
 
yup, it happens :laugh: I don't think it's a serious safety issue though. It's not like it would cause the rear tire to lock up. The engine dies so you whip in the clutch and coast down. Either get an eliminator plug from Greg (boost-by-smith) or tape the sensor to the frame so it can't get loose.
 
you know one thing i like about trouble shooting threads, is everyone rips the TRE off their bike first then goes from there :laugh:
 
Last edited:
OK folks, thanks for the responses. Couple of responses to those responses, some other posts I found on this topic (I stopped looking after two threads) and my plan:

#SixPack577: my pre-ride checks usu. consist of tire pressure, chain tension, oil level, clutch and brake fluid - I don't typically lift the tank to see if for example the head is warped. Don't mean to be sarcastic, but I think you are taking the issue too lightly.

#Commuta Busa: in the interest of brevity, I left out one stall in my description - one where I was in stop-and-go traffic going perhaps 20 MPH in the second lane and my motor cut. The guy in the outside lane next to me almost didn't stop as I crossed over to the shoulder - his van would have crushed my s**t. So yeah, not a rear-wheel lockup but dangerous. And, see below, this happened to you and you didn't mention that in your reply to me, sup with that?

POSTS on this topic (only going back two pages on this forum):

---- BEGIN POSTS ----

From: mnrf900r
engine stalling out, think I may have found my problem though
I was riding yesterday and my bike instantly killed 6-7 times, which made no sense. I could get it started again on a few of the occasions right away, but others I had to sit for a few minutes and I shook the bike back and forth a few times and it would start. I pulled it apart and found the fuel cut off module had broke off the mounts and was dangling by the wires.

Anyone else have this issue?

coop65sr
Re: engine stalling out, think I may have found my problem though
AKA tip over sensor located just aft of the battery compartment--- yeah, I had the same thing happen to me-- bracket can weaken and break over time, just as any other part--- shut me down on the highway also on the way home from work one day. I just repaired my bracket, re-mounted it and been good-to-go ever since..

Commuta_Busa
Re: engine stalling out, think I may have found my problem though
+1 had the same thing happen to me on a highway at speed. That tip over switch has been my biggest PITA on my bike. I fianlly tossed the freakin thing.

Make sure when you mount it back up that it's facing the right way and not upside down.

majed
thanks everyone. I found the tipover sensor. Turns out the bracket broke somehow and it was just hanging there. I have JB Weld on it now. Hopefully that fixes the problem. It definately should.

BusaDudeBrazil
I have just had the same **** happen to my Busa... was riding at 160 mph when she dies... while slowing down i realized the FI light blinking, i shut off the power and turn the bike on again to see it start normally, then after 20 secs it dies again - luckily i was a few meters way from my destination.

After getting the code using the paper clip bypass, i researched for the C23 code at this board and this thread was just what i needed.

It turns out my bracket broke as well, too many bumps and bad paviment down here in Brazil so this may have caused the bracket to slowly break, until it broke today - the tip-over sensor box was hanging by its connector, i can only imagine what a pain would be to just loose it on the road.

I had to disconnect it, get it positioned like original again but this time over the battery, under the seat, until i find a way to fix the bracket / get a new one if i find it easily.

Just goes to show how good and supportive this board can be - i would have spent some serious money to get the bike taken to Suzuki and god knows what these guys would come up with...

It also serves as an example of an engineering flaw on the Busa, as much as the other 99.8% if the bike is amazing, this is some nasty **** design and ****** up thing to happen - have such a weak bracket holding a sensor that is supposed to kill the bike engine depending on its position.

Cheers!

E.R.P.I
Check it out
My bracket broke as well and it too was just hanging there. My bike shut down while I upstairs. Days later, after I paid to have it towed home, and the trip to the deal was unsuccessful, I saw the TPS hanging on the right side the of rear shock. My broken bracket is identical to yours in everyway. If I didnt know any better, I would think that you came to N.Y, jacked me for mine, took the picture, then went back home.
I proped the TPS up besides the battery, wrapped the pendulum with electical tape, and kept it pushin! This is the reason I joined this site. After being pissed off at how simple the prob was I called the dealer. I asked them if there were any recalls on this defect. After receiving an unofficial no, I came back to this site where I read about some dude in brazil with the same exact problem. Although mine broke on a straight, can you imagine if I were in a turn at 140 and the bike shut off? This is our lives these people are messing with and I'm sure that suzuki knows of these faulty brackets. My life, then my dough. I feel that they tried to take both!

---- END POSTS ------


Plan: I'm gonna file this today with the NTSHA. I'll keep the forum posted as to what happens.

Love the forum BTW. I know we're all at least a little mental because we ride this bike, and I appreciate the different viewpoints people have (along with the technical expertise).

-Eric
 
Ok, my appologies. I haven't worked on a Gen1 in a few years, and from your post I thought you saw the wires loose, bracket broke, at the sensor at the kickstand, not under the tank. And I have to agree that the engine cutting in the wrong place could get you run over. But still, good luck getting anything done about it.
 
you're right, I failed to mention that it happened to me and what I went through. Since you already discovered the problem there wasn't much need for any reminiscing on my part. To elaborate on why I say PITA is because after I discovered the broken bracket I had zip tied it back in place and for a while had no problems. Then during a dyno session the sensor decided to dislodge itself (probably from all the vibes) from the zip tie and caused the engine to cut. We spent about half an hour diagnosing things before we realized the tip over was dangling. After we taped it to the mount still had problems. Another hour or so of diagnosing everything before we realized we had inadvertently mounted the sensor upside down. Then many months later after a top speed run I was having problems. The darn electrical tape had gotten so hot that the glue allowed the sensor to slip.
After this incident I opened the sensor filled with sealant so the ring couldn't move from it's position and sealed the unit to prevent the sensor from giving me any troubles in the future.
Since that time Greg has come up with a simple plug-n-play connector to delete the sensor.
I'm glad you got it figured out. Now you can take whatever action you deem necessary to prevent future occurrences.
:beerchug:
 
Thanks all. I did file with NHTSA and will update if/when I hear anything further. will weld stupid sensor back in meantime I think the gaffers tape will fail sooner rather than later... Stay fast!
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