Valid FI failure code?

I know that it's a valid code, just not sure about the way I obtained it. While on my A-Z ride this afternoon, the FI light came on about 40-50 mi from my destination. When I got there, I was hesitant to shut off the bike for fear it might not restart, and I was 100+ mi from home. I parked the bike, left it running & put down the side stand. Noticed after I did that the FI light started flashing, giving a failure code 26. Didn't know until I got home what that indicated (right knock sensor), but since I didn't obtain the code following the SM procedure of shorting the PGM-FI service connector terminals, I'm not sure if it's valid or not. I repeated the "check" 2 or 3 times during my afternoon ride and got the same sequence of "long" & "short" flashes each time. What puzzles me is that I had a brain fart a few minutes after first observation of "26" and absentmindedly put the side stand down while it was in gear, killing the engine - it restarted no problem, the FI light did not come on after starting the bike. It came on again after riding a few miles, stayed on until I stopped to refuel, 20 miles from home. After refueling, the FI light hasn't lit up again, other than when the key is first turned on & fuel pump is pressurizing the fuel rail. I assume I need to follow the SM troubleshooting procedure to confirm the problem? Any ideas or other suggestions?
Don

Start the bike and run it up over 4000 rpms for several seconds. If it happens again, you probably have a short in the wiring, or a bad ECM.

Don B said:

I know that it's a valid code, just not sure about the way I obtained it. ...After refueling, the FI light hasn't lit up again, other than when the key is first turned on & fuel pump is pressurizing the fuel rail.

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There are only a few fault codes that will cause the engine not to start. All of them involve things critical to the operation of the engine (crank position sensor, etc.) and will kill the engine if they crop up while it's running. Anything else and the ECM can fake it. The thing with the sidestand is another way to get the ECM to blink out the codes, so the number you got is valid.

The problem with the knock sensors has historically (mostly) been with heat from the exhaust system damaging the wiring or connector at the sensor. You'll probably find it intermittent at first and eventually it will become a full-time fault as the damage continues. If you want to replace it, that section of the wiring is a subharness that isn't very expensive.

--Mark

Don B said:

I know that it's a valid code, <SNIP> FI light started flashing, giving a failure code 26.

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Don, I haven't had this problem but Redfish recently went through this and wrote a good summary of what he went through:

https://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?132408-FI-Code-26

His problem turned out to be a bad ECU rather than the knock sensor but others have had trouble with the sensor itself having been damaged by the engine heat if my poor memory serves me correctly.

Lots of threads on this subject here on ST-O. Just grab a cup o' coffee and search away for the term "knock sensor".

Thanks Mick for posting the link. You, as always are a wonderful guy.

DonB I strongly urge you to read all of my thread on what I went through, the incorrect entries in the Service Manual, and the end result. I suffered far too much and wanted to spare anyone else the misery I went through. If it had not been for the kindness and generosity of one of the members of this forum, I would probably be riding (and Paying For) a 2014 FJR. If I can help you at all, please PM me or we can post here. Good luck.

Update!
Hadn't ridden my ST much since the original post, just a few short rides locally. I went on a slightly longer ride today, maybe 50-60 miles, and the FI indicator never lit up (except when starting the engine). I never did anything to it since refueling with fresh gas, so it appears that "bad gas" may have been the only thing that caused the FI indication to start with. Most of today's ride was on toll roads and freeways, but only above 4k RPMs a few seconds at a time. However, the bike ran great and got the normal average MPG it usually gets, so I'm going to assume it healed itself. Either that or the planets were not properly aligned that day.

You'd get a different code with bad gas. If it didn't come on over 4000 rpm's, you probably have a loose wire connection, either at the sensor, the harness plug, or the ECM.