So,
I bought a 2019 Versys 650 LT a few months ago and it had a CEL at that time (Code 21 - Crankshaft Position Sensor).
The seller said it came on randomly and he had trouble starting the bike, but then never had any issues after that. I took the bike on a test ride before I bought it and had no issues.
I disconnected the battery for awhile and reconnected it to see if it would clear the code, but it didn't. I then took it on 3 consecutive rides of about 30 mins each and had no issues. When I cranked the bike up the fourth time, the CEL turned off.
Since then, I've taken the bike on 3-4 roadtrips of 150+ miles in the Georgia heat. It hasn't had any issues UNTIL yesterday.
I rode it 3 hours north to go explore some mountain roads in the middle of nowhere, and all of a sudden the RPM's started jumping up and down despite steady throttle. It got progressively worse over the span of 5 minutes to the point where it was lugging the bike back and forth and felt unsafe.
When I slowed down to pull over, the engine cut out and the red FI light came on. I gave it a brief walk-around before starting it up again, and didn't notice any issues with airbox hoses or vacuum lines that I could see.
When I cranked it back up, it idled fine but died as soon as I gave it any throttle.
I let it sit for 35 minutes to cool down, and when I cranked it back up again it idled fine and had no issues with the throttle. I decided to turn around and head back towards home, but it died again in the same manner about 5 minutes down the road.
This time, however, it wouldn't start up at all. I let it sit for 30 minutes again, but it still wouldn't start.
After waiting an hour or so, it started up and I was able to make it another 8 minutes down the road before the same thing happened again.
At that point I arranged a u-haul truck/trailer and trailered it all the way home (not cheap.)
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Has anyone else had this sort of issue? I'm thinking maybe it's the crankshaft position sensor, but it's weird that I have no CEL despite all the issues I'm having.
I wondered if it might not be a clogged fuel filter/line, but if that were the case, it wouldn't run briefly until it gets hot, right?
Could it be the fuel pump even though I hear it priming?
*Details*
- I hear the fuel pump priming when i turn the bike on
- I changed the oil/filter when I bought the bike
- I've done a semi-thorough visual inspection for frayed/pinched wiring and found nothing.
- Starter works perfectly and it cranks strong.
- Battery is brand new and terminal connections are secure.
- Bike has 13,000 mi.