Running like a dream one minute...won't tick over the next!!!

Just bought a lovely 2003 registered RSVR Factory which was running like a dream for the first two days. It has the Akrapovic end cans fitted but I cannot say for sure if the map is correct for those but I had no problems until yesterday.....
On a trip down to Brighton on a fine, warm sunny day. I stopped about 5 miles out to fill up with fuel. The station was a small little independent place and did not have super unleaded so I used regular unleaded.
Anyway, got to Brighton with no issues and parked up. About an hour later I returned to the bike and started her up as usual but this time it died again a few seconds later. I tried again but the same thing, it will start but won't tick over and quickly cuts out. I had to start her and keep her revving to pull away.
She rode fine, accelerating hard as before with no flat spots or misfires (apart from the glorious 'pop' 'pop' from the end cans when you back off the throttle but they have done this since I've had it) but when I slow for a roundabout or junction, it will die and won't tick-over.

Now I'm confused! It was fine right up to the moment I parked it in Brighton (on a slight incline if that makes a difference).
Could it be bad quality fuel from the small petrol station?

I've also noticed since getting her home that when you turn the ignition on, the fuel pump doesn't prime as before. It used to whirr for several seconds but now it whirs for a second, pauses and then whirs for a few seconds more.
On a few occasions since Brighton, it has managed to start and stay running although the revs seemed a little high at just under 2000 rpm. But that has been a rare occurrence. Most times it starts and then dies.

I think I've included all relevant info. If anyone has any idea what this could be, I'd be very grateful to hear it.

Oh and I've checked the fuel pipes on both sides of the airbox and they seem fine and I've had a look in the airbox for any foreign matter and it appears clear.

Thanks,
Danny

Not having the Factory for long, I'm not sure if this is normal or not and if it's not, if it could be the cause of the problem. I noticed that when I turn on the ignition, the fuel pump primes for a second...stops...and primes for a further 2-3 seconds. I am used to previous bikes having the fuel pump priming continually for a few seconds without any pause in between...

Can anyone with an 04 Factory comment on if theirs primes the same or not?

Skullface said:

it is possible that its the likely issue, and a combination of being heated fully through has brought the onset.

gen2 use an IACV to hold the idle speed.. an auto choke if you wish, hence there is no idle speed adjuster screw. these can get gummed up and be slow to operate often causing stalling. try lowering down your revs very slowly from 2000 and see if it can hold..

either way, tank up, airbox off.. then either,,, take off the bypass valve (iacv) clean it with carb cleaner spray and refit.. or my cheat.. just get it running at 2k rpm and spray the cleaner in there and burn the **** off.

otherwise could be faulty air or coolant temp sensor.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice, that sounds very plausible as the cause. I am a bit of a mechanic noob and although I can get the tank up and remove the airbox, I wouldn't know what the bypass valve (iacv) looked like if it was illuminated in neon lights with an "I'm the bypass valve" sign attached to it!!!:dunno
Can you describe the exact location and description of this part and then I'll have a go at finding and cleaning it.

Thanks again for your sound advice!

Danny

Well, here is the latest on my ongoing 2003 RSVR Factory saga....
I eventually decided to take it to Southern Cross in Kilburn, London (sorry Griff, couldn't wait with all this sun we're having!!) to take a look at it ( well actually they came and collected it as it wouldn't even start). They spent ages looking it over and running the diagnostics on it and discovered a few things...The wiring was in a mess with corroded connectors, burnt and spliced wires so they repaired these as best they could, they also found the battery was not holding the correct voltage and whenever it dropped below 12.4v, the bike would cut out so they put a new battery on. Finally they updated the software to the ECU..... This little lot set me back £450 and when I collected the bike yesterday, it did indeed start and tick over at around 1200rpm.
I road home and the bike cut out twice both times whilst slowing for a junction. Damn, it was still doing it but certainly not as much as before so I thought I'd give it a proper blast today and see if that was a one off.
Well, a group of us went down to Brighton today in glorious hot sunny weather. The bike cut out 5 or so times going down there and on the way home it did it a few more times until one time it died and would not start again. I had to push it to a petrol station and tried several more times to start it but to no avail. In fact, it would try to start and would turn over but would not catch. Sometimes, the letters 'EFI' would come up on the dash and twice it backfired really loudly ( I didn't think fuel injected bikes backfired??). Also once on the way down to Brighton, it started but the red triangle symbol at the bottom of the tacho stayed on and it coughed and spluttered down the road so I stopped, turned it on and off and it started ok......weird!

Now what could this be causing this problem?? Faulty fuel pump? timing out? starter solenoid? spark plugs?? .....I haven't got endless cash to keep paying them to 'try and cure' this problem without results so I need to know, or rather suggest to them, what could be the cause of this fault.
They also checked the tip sensor and set up the TPS correctly and no pipes to the airbox were split...

HELP!!!!!!

turbopresh said:

sounds like a bad earth to the ecu or something... had the same issue with my mk1 r1 a few years back.. very similar symptoms.. with the wiring being a bit rough it wouldn't surprise me.. transpired that a datatool cat 1 alarm had been removed from mine and the wiring returned to standard in a not very professional fashion which then started to break up at the join.. worth mentioning.. it's the tracing of wires and checking continuity and resistance and voltage values that takes time when troubleshooting electrical problems... which is why they're big bucks when it's something wanky like that, that lets go..

Click to expand...

I think that's exactly what happened to mine before I bought it. There was a Spyball alarm fitted which was disconnected, Southern Cross said whoever did it left the wiring in a right state but they thought they had isolated and fixed all the bad wiring...Maybe they missed a bit?

The latest from Southern Cross is that the bike needs a new Crank Sensor but there's more!......My bike is a 2003 Factory and as such is a very rare beast! This bike is kind of a pre-production model and is slightly different in certain areas to the 2004 Factory. One area is the crank sensor which has different connectors to the 2004 onwards model and they have had to order one direct from the Aprilia factory....God I hope this cures the problem!!