Battery Charging Problem

[Methane Bloke]

Help Guys.

I've got a problem with the battery on my NC30 going flat. On start up she charges fine 14.5 volts and 13+ with dipped beam on. Over a few hours riding though the battery volts drop to around 10-11 and of course she won't start. Any ideas?

[Urban_Ninja]

altanator/rectifyer's are a weak point if im right on nc30/35's i think. try hooking up to an optimate an see if that helps before getting any new bits

[Methane Bloke]

The bike lives on an Optimate when in the garage, so always starts no problem from cold.

[Urban_Ninja]

Im sure craig will be along to help out, but I think Im right in what I said.

phone up your local garage an see if they have heard about this problem

[untruth]

Either a rectifier or a dead battery, or a dead battery caused by a rectifier. There's not many other places for the 'lectrics to go wrong on an NC30, it's all very sealed and foolproof (aside from the rectifiers, which fail more often than not).

Edited by untruth on Tuesday 20th January 11:42

[mitzy]

Mine did the same and ended up being the Altenator.

The guy at MAC sent it a way to be re coiled or something like that , as a new one are expensive.

Fine now.

[Methane Bloke]

Bike had a new alternator before Christmas. I have new reg/rec and one of three years old, both work fine. I have new battery and one of three years old which charges fine and holds it on the bench for weeks. If anybody tests the bike, all appears OK, no apparent problems. It's only after a few hours riding that the battery is flat and there's no charge. It seems to be related to heat as it's fine when cold.

[mitzy]

Before the alt changed mine used to get very hot , the temp gauge used to go sky high, does your move alot?

Just sounds like its not keeping the charge or a loose connection.

[Methane Bloke]

Temp gauge is fine, hardly above 80C all Sunday.

[mojitomax]

I had a similar problem. After a short trip the bike would start immediately. After long trips though, the bike would not start immediately, but after resting for an hour or so, she would start up again. It turns out it was a dead battery. Seems to be ok after changing battery

[Methane Bloke]

mojitomax said:

I had a similar problem. After a short trip the bike would start immediately. After long trips though, the bike would not start immediately, but after resting for an hour or so, she would start up again. It turns out it was a dead battery. Seems to be ok after changing battery

New battery just before Christmas, although as it happens there was nothing wrong with the old one which is now being used on another bike. Using CBR6 battery which has larger capacity than the NC30 one (thank goodness).

[mitzy]

I would take it to your local friendly bike garage, let them give it a good check out.

[Methane Bloke]

mitzy said:

I would take it to your local friendly bike garage, let them give it a good check out.

Now here's the rub, I used to be a Honda Motorcycle Mechanic and have a 3300 Diagnostic Unit in the garage and it all checks out fine. Take it for a decent ride and it fades away.

[dern]

Methane Bloke said:

I've got a problem with the battery on my NC30 going flat. On start up she charges fine 14.5 volts and 13+ with dipped beam on. Over a few hours riding though the battery volts drop to around 10-11 and of course she won't start.

When you measure it at 10-11v is the engine running? That is do you get off, stop the engine and measure it? If so then if you ride it, leave the engine running and then measure it what do you get? If you get 13/14v then I'd say it's the battery regardless of how new it is and if you still only get 10/11v then it would have to be the charging system. That's my guess anyway.

[Methane Bloke]

10-11V is with the engine running, so it is a battery charging problem. However new alternator, choice of two reg / recs and two batteries all produce the same results, so where is the fault?

[dern]

Methane Bloke said:

10-11V is with the engine running, so it is a battery charging problem. However new alternator, choice of two reg / recs and two batteries all produce the same results, so where is the fault?

I reckon the next thing I'd be doing was when it failed measuring the resistance across the various coils in the stator - maybe it's something like the insulation breaking down in the stator.

Did you put an OE stator in before christmas or something like an electrex one?

Edited by dern on Tuesday 20th January 15:36