HELP! At last I feel like a real Multistrada owner!

[Flyer]

Though buying last November, I only picked up my brand new bike yesterday afternoon.
Day One:
I have a "STEERING LOCK ERROR" on my display.

The lock was engaged, for the first time, and refused to unlock.

I tried as per the manual (key on/key off with bars to the stop), but failed to remove the lock many, many, many times (bars locked to the LEFT).

Disengaged the battery, and let it sit for .5 hour. Tried again, no luck.

Eventually, I tried to move the bars to the right, and they turned, full opposite lock, back and forth!!!

Unfortunately, the "STEERING LOCK ERROR" still appears on the display, and the bike will not start.

I am NOT a happy guy, but at least this happened at home.

We'll see what the Dealer can add when they open on TUESDAY!
I should have known not to try to use the bike after closing on a Saturday...

[Ack535]

I too have been lusting after the new Multistrada, but stories like yours make my super reliable FJR look like a Million $.

It is really hard to beat the Japanese when it comes to electronic stuff, or really reliable bikes/cars (think Honda & Sony). European stuff is cool, but often quirky.

Best of luck on Tuesday.

[Mr.Awesome]

Sorry to hear that Dave. I'm sure it is something simple and stupid. Try aking it pretty please to start in italian. Good luck with the dealer and enjoy once you get the bugs out. Looking forward to a good review.

[Flyer]

I have now officially disconnected/reconnected the battery on the Multi more times in one day, than in 9 years of Kawasaki ownership.  
Not the kind of personal record I ever envisaged.

[Flyer]

UPDATE:

Just got the following e-mail from my dealer on his Sunday off;

I believe it's a simple fix and we can turn it around same day. Let me know if pick up tomorrow morning is possible.

Or I am actually in your city here right now with my truck. If you give me your address I will get it today so we can work on it first thing monday morning.

Sounds promising.
I knew I picked a good dealership.

[birdrunner]

UPDATE:

Just got the following e-mail from my dealer on his Sunday off;

Sounds promising.
I knew I picked a good dealership.

GREAT service.

Give us a name, they deserve the cudos.

[Flyer]

APEX Cycles
25 Northfield Dr. W.
Waterloo, Ontario
888.702.4150
http://www.apexcycle.ca/

[Orson]

sorry to hear about yer woes.

when the bike first came out, I thought the electronic gas cap thingie wuz a problem waiting to happen (away from home most likely)

[SalsaShark]

Sounds like you definitely picked a great dealer...

Happened to me back in February on a Saturday night, 80 miles from my house (where all of my paperwork and manuals are).

When you disconnected the battery, did you jumper the leads and drain the residual power on the bike? This is what did it for me. Pull the + and -, take a small piece of wire and connect them for a couple of minutes. When I did this, it reset all of the computers and allowed the bike to start. I lost DTC, but the bike got me home. Then I rode it down to the dealer the following Saturday and they did all of the recalls, which included the steering lock error.

After getting all of the recalls done, the bike rides so much better. Although I will admit, I'm a bit gun shy about using the steering lock and I keep a 12" piece of copper wire under the seat now.

Good luck.

[Flyer]

...did you jumper the leads and drain the residual power on the bike?

No, but I did jump up and down and call it a very bad name in Italian.
I'm leery of trying the (other) "jumper method" as the bike has a DP alarm system installed which has a battery back-up. I'm not sure if that'd fry things crispy brown or no.  
If I was stranded in deepest, darkest W. Virginny or somesuch, I'd give 'er a go.

Thanks all for your suggestions and encouragement.
You're never really stuck when you have friends with opinions.  

[SalsaShark]

I understand... I puckered a bit when I did it, but I wasn't going to leave my bike on the side of the road all weekend.

If it had happened at home, I'm almost sure I would not have attempted that move.

[falconati]

Great dealer service!  Too bad about the electronic glitch though

[Flyer]

Dealer picked it up as promised.  
He immediately noticed a broken piece of flimsy black plastic, apparently a sensor arm, that looks like an integral part of the hands-free (black button) switch. It may be a steering position sensor that indicates a "lockabe position". It's being broken must have been responsible for throwing the "STEERING LOCK ERROR" code, and disabling the starter.
I assure all and sundry I never forced anything, or poked around in that area; no idea how it broke with only 96 miles on the bike...
I expected a "Windows Vista beta" motorcycle but I never figgured on being stranded by a cheap piece of plastic.  

[atadaskew]

Never 'ad an electronic steering lock problem wid moi Vespa PX.

Fuel tap on, turn key, one kick.  There ya go.

[atadaskew]

Never 'ad an electronic steering lock problem wid moi Vespa PX.

Fuel tap on, turn key, one kick.  There ya go.

Man, did I kill this site with that post?

Nothing added to any Ducati thread since.. (April 18 and now it is 21st)

 

[Fourstring]

Here's my sensor idea... "do the bars turn, yes or no? No? Unlock them, idiot. Yes? Ride away happy."

To be fair, there's some precedent for an electronic override.  Not saying the execution was good in the Multi's case, but...