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650 Interceptor relays

fatal

Well travelled
Location
Lancashire UK
I've posted this on other forums but any information is welcome. I checked the relays today on my euro 5 Interceptor (bought new November last year) I found only 3 relays, I understood that there should be 4. It's not red paint overspray in the picture, just poor light in my workshop.
 

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fatal

Well travelled
Location
Lancashire UK
I've got the Hitchcocks fork leg USB plug accessory connected to that plug inside the headlight, it works without the relay. I must admit to knowing next to nothing about electrics and how they work.
 

Maxwell M.

Well travelled
Location
USA
fatal, my experience in electrical failures is elevated, as I do this type of work for a living. The water-proofing grease that RE used is not nearly as conductive as di-electric grease. The resulting lack of continuity results in heat being generated at the relay. Heat can cause these relays to trip. Your engine quits, or all electrical components quit. Use compressed air to remove all excess waterproofing grease, then spray with electrical contact cleaner. Use proper di-electric grease sparingly on NEW relays (the old ones may have been damaged by repeated tripping) and install. I have had zero failure since I have done this. Best of luck, as when this happens, it gets f__king scary...
 

fatal

Well travelled
Location
Lancashire UK
I haven't had too much of an issue with the engine cutting out, it happened a few times prior to the first service at 300 miles. Iv'e now covered a further thousand miles and it seems OK. I have changed to using 97 and 99 octane low ethanol fuel since that service. I don't know if that has helped.
Anyhow, to be on the safe side I have just ordered some contact cleaner and di-electric grease. Thanks for the heads up (y)
 

JBacklund

Well travelled
I still haven't gotten around to fixing my engine stoppage problem, but I did take a look at the four relays beneath the left side cover, and as most seem to be, they were seriously 'gobbed up' with grease from the factory. I didn't have any proper de-greasers handy, so just dug as much of it out as I could with whatever I could get in there with, and as soon as I can get a can of point & contact cleaner, I'll finish the job.

Riding my 650 yesterday, it suddenly died two times while at speed in 6th gear, same as it 'usually' does. I quickly turned the ignition key off for about two seconds, then turned it back on while still rolling at about 50-55 mph, still in gear and not touching the clutch lever, and the bike immediately restarted as if it had somehow 'reset' and all was good again...until next time.

It makes me think that my problem may be the ignition switch rather than the over-greased relays. Why would it seem to reset by just turning the key off and on like that?

Anyway!

I had talked to the service guy at the Spearfish RE dealer two days ago (they've been selling RE's since 2016, and 650's since 2018) and he claimed that he had
never heard of this engine quitting business, but then again, I have zero confidence in this dealership knowing much of anything, so it's no surprise to me.

Our other new RE dealership in Rapid City, who I suspect will be a very good dealership for the brand, is just too new to be of much help concerning my situation. As of the moment, I know more about these bikes than they do.

I bought my '22 650 from Baxter Cycle in Iowa, and will give them a call later today to see if they know anything about this 'thing' with some 650's.
 

Maxwell M.

Well travelled
Location
USA
Gentlemen, when you have excess grease or lubricant in an electrical connection, this causes resistance. Resistance causes heat. This heat causes the relay to trip as the tolerance is very low. The relay resets almost immediately...allowing you to restart the entire fuel delivery/ignition system. The problem is that even after you remove the water-proofing grease, AND use an electrical contact cleaner to remove as much previous grease as possible, the relays have been compromised. This means they will continue to fail. You need to install new relays at the same time. I now have over 1000 successful miles on "Betty" since I performed this simple task. Zero failures to date.
 

JBacklund

Well travelled
Gentlemen, when you have excess grease or lubricant in an electrical connection, this causes resistance. Resistance causes heat. This heat causes the relay to trip as the tolerance is very low. The relay resets almost immediately...allowing you to restart the entire fuel delivery/ignition system. The problem is that even after you remove the water-proofing grease, AND use an electrical contact cleaner to remove as much previous grease as possible, the relays have been compromised. This means they will continue to fail. You need to install new relays at the same time. I now have over 1000 successful miles on "Betty" since I performed this simple task. Zero failures to date.
I found one new relay at our new RE dealership today, and ordered two more from Baxter Cycle's Omaha store. Because it is a warranty issue, Baxter Cycle will refund the cost of the two new relays they are sending after I mail the two I'm replacing back to them. Fair enough!

Tomorrow morning, I'll get a can of brake and contact cleaner and get that damn grease completely out of those relay connections beneath the left side cover.
 

Alan F.

Well travelled
My only issue so far was a hot bike on a hot day not restarting after a fuel stop. Turned the key to on, and nothing - dead.
(After 5 minutes in the shade it worked normally again)

Step #1 of any roadside repair, find shade & let your bike cool off.

I cleaned that ground wire that runs in front of the relays, and the relays & sockets. I dabbled everything with dielectric grease including both legs of each fuse.

Yummo!
 

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fog rider

Well travelled
Location
Alberta
Alan, I had the same thing happen to me last year on my GT. Stopped for gas, and bike wouldn't start. Eventually it started and ran fine.
I pulled my relays last week and they were packed like in your photo.

After seeing the condition of the grease, the heat from the parasitic resistance across the connectors was obvious to me. I didn't measure the voltage drop across the connectors, but I'm confident that it was excessive. I cleaned the connectors with WD40 and compressed air.

The bike starts better, and idles smoother now. I didn't check the ground wire connector, but I will shortly.

RE needs to address this issue with a safety bulletin or factory recall. AS others have already said, a motorcycle that stops running is extremely dangerous. I've seen Transport Canada recalls on motorcycles with lesser issues in the past.
 
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JBacklund

Well travelled
I don't see how thousands of late model RE 650's worldwide aren't experiencing similar grease/relay related engine shutdown problems as my 650 has.

Was this also an issue with earlier Interceptor 650's, going back to 2018?...or is it a more recent problem?

It's such an easy, inexpensive 'fix' once the source of the problem is known, as it is, that you'd think that the dealers would just go through their inventory of these machines and address it before the bike heads out the door with
It's new owner.
 

Maxwell M.

Well travelled
Location
USA
The issue on my 2020 RE 650 Int. has again reoccurred AFTER cleaning out the contactors, installing all new relays, and then again after another ignition relay. Twice the shut off has occurred just a couple of minutes after refueling, and once right after refueling. It has been extremely hot here in S. Fla, so that may be a contributing factor. I am scheduled to have my local dealer keep the bike for a week near the end of this month, to address this serious warranty issue. I am skittish about going for a ride now and try to keep my left hand on the clutch lever.
 

Maxwell M.

Well travelled
Location
USA
OK, I give up. Exactly where do I find the "clean ground" connector that you speak of? I follow the ground wire from the battery to the engine ground connection and didn't find it. I am willing to try anything at this point.
 

Laserman

Well travelled
Staff member
Location
Yuba City, CA
Just got off the phone with one of my brothers that owns a '22 INT650 and he just had a stalling issue as well a few days ago, causing him to have to do the "walk of shame" back home. He replaced all his relays with new Bosch units and applied a properly thin layer of marine-grade dielectric grease to the contacts. His bike started right up and he says he's back in business :D
 

Alan F.

Well travelled
Yes, that's the one. There has been some talk of counterfeit Bosch relays being sold, same as the fake NGK spark plug scares of the recent past. I wouldn't worry but I would keep the receipt.
 
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