Electrical help
Discussion
Mitzy's bike conked out yesterday
I rode the bike for an hour with no problems, but noticed I didn't have the lights on. When Mitzy went out, I noticed this and turned them on for her. Anyway, 20 mins later it conks out.
It started strongly at the petrol station, but when it conked out, didn't have enough power to turn the engine over.
After almost giving myself a heart attack bump starting it, I got it going, only for it to last a couple of minutes.
I trailered it back home, took the seat unit off, and discovered the battery and the regulator look very new. This was checked out against the history we were provided with, and they are only a week old.
Now, electrics aren't my strong point, so what and how do I do preliminary checks before going out and buying a new alternator.
I rode the bike for an hour with no problems, but noticed I didn't have the lights on. When Mitzy went out, I noticed this and turned them on for her. Anyway, 20 mins later it conks out.
It started strongly at the petrol station, but when it conked out, didn't have enough power to turn the engine over.
After almost giving myself a heart attack bump starting it, I got it going, only for it to last a couple of minutes.
I trailered it back home, took the seat unit off, and discovered the battery and the regulator look very new. This was checked out against the history we were provided with, and they are only a week old.
Now, electrics aren't my strong point, so what and how do I do preliminary checks before going out and buying a new alternator.
Check the alternator is working with a multi-meter. The voltage accross the battery terminals should rise to around 13.5v with the engine running.
If you aren't seeing any output, it's likely the brushes in the alternator or the regulator are shot.
If you aren't seeing any output, it's likely the brushes in the alternator or the regulator are shot.
Edited by Hyperion on Sunday 24th August 10:18
With any electrical problem my suggestion would be to first check, double check, even triple check all the wiring and connections. If a simple connection is bad or wire broken somewhere along its length then the big expensive items like alternator, regulator, battery etc can't communicate to do their thing.
Check all the connectors for cleanliness and tightness, check the wire is making good contact with the connector and check the continuity of the wires as it is easy for a pinched / broken wire to look OK on the outside. It's a simple but time consuming procedure but can save you buying major bits you don't need and greatly reduce the hassle of getting stranded by the side of the road.
(guess who has lived with 'older' bikes for a long time and learned the above the hard way.....more than once!)
Check all the connectors for cleanliness and tightness, check the wire is making good contact with the connector and check the continuity of the wires as it is easy for a pinched / broken wire to look OK on the outside. It's a simple but time consuming procedure but can save you buying major bits you don't need and greatly reduce the hassle of getting stranded by the side of the road.
(guess who has lived with 'older' bikes for a long time and learned the above the hard way.....more than once!)
It's unlikely you'll need an alternator. Bikes are not like cars - they have a generator on the end of the crank and a separate regulator/rectifier unit (unless it's a BMW or Guzzi). More often than not, it's the reg/rec which is goosed.
Test the running voltage at the battery terminals - you need about 14.2 volts at a fast tickover for the battery to charge properly. Anything less and you will need to either get the reg/rec tested, or bung another one on.
Test the running voltage at the battery terminals - you need about 14.2 volts at a fast tickover for the battery to charge properly. Anything less and you will need to either get the reg/rec tested, or bung another one on.
Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff