Due to work commitments, I haven't ridden my bike for a couple of months or so.

Today was the day, so I got ready and hit the button. The engine fired and ran straight away, but rough as guts. It cut out with a slight bang after about 10 seconds. There was no power to the instrument assembly and ignition, and the tacho stuck on 1k revs.

Muttering something bad about Italian bike build quality, I switched it on and off a few times, but dead as a post. I took the seat off to disconnect the battery and start again, but tried it one more time before taking any action. Everything worked, except the tacho stopped at 500rpm.

I hit the button, the engine started straight away and ran ok. I turned it off, noticing that the indicated startup idle was 500rpm too high. The tach was still not zeroed - stuck on 500rpm. Then I went for a 200km ride and gradually everything has returned to normal.

Anyone else suffered this weirdness?

is it possible the bike has got a little damp ?

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Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

Yeh maybe damp!
Or could be rectifier problem might of got wet before you
Put if away. Then left for couple of months.
Unplug rectifier spray or coat with non conductive grease
Plug back and try sometimes this does the trick.
Good luck.
(I've had problem myself in past)

Thanks for your replies, but no, the bike has been garaged in predominantly warm weather, and wasn't washed prior to parking it. There is no corrosion evident on any of the main electrical contacts, and as I said, after riding it for a while everything has returned to normal.

The tacho needle 'hanging up' 500rpm is a strange phenomenon too. It's currently behaving normally. Odd.

Interesting? Of no relevance whatsoever but 90's Yamaha's bikes like the YZF600/1000 used the tacho sweep to show error codes for the fuel pump and crank position sensor, they were of course carb fed though.

Your bike hasn't been subjected to an EMP? Any nuclear testing in your neck of the woods?!

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Erm - only if you people from the old dart have decided to bomb us again!! Re the EMP - anything can happen in good old Adelaide, especially weird poo.

Weird like no electrics, then gradually normal ops. I've been mucking about with bikes for a long time, but the more I find out the less I know. I am a confused peon, a slave to the two-wheeled god.