Battery dead after a ride, help!

[parkyeah]

Hey guys, did a search but couldn't find anything. Hope someone can give me some insight here so I can enjoy the weather this weekend! (It's been raining and cold for weeks, tomorrow is the first nice day we've seen around here in a while!)

Started the bike yesterday and ran it for about 20 minutes. Warmed up and idled fine. I turned it off and went to start it right away again and the battery was dead. Starter barely spun... I just bought this bike a few months ago and thought maybe it was a bad battery so I picked up a new one and charged it on a trickle all day.

Got home from work this afternoon, threw the new battery in and the bike fired up again no problems. Went for about a half hour ride. Pulling in to the driveway I noticed the turn signal was on but wasn't blinking.... Shut the engine off, went to start it up again immediately and the battery was totally drained again...

Any ideas? If the stator was gone would I be able to ride the bike for half an hour? What could be draining the battery so quickly??

Thanks guys

[tkent02]

http://www.posplayr.100megsfree3.com/FH012AA_Charging/Stator_Papers_Phase%20A.pdf

[Nessism]

This is one of the most common GS problems of all. Tons of different threads in the archives on this exact topic.

Check this link to get yourself started diagnosing the problem...http://www.thegsresources.com/gs_garage.htm

[cowboyup3371]

Yep what they said...stator papers are in your future. Enjoy.

[BassCliff]

Hi,

Doesn't anybody ever read their "mega-welcome"?

The Stator Papers

More On The Stator Papers

GS Charging System Health+Quick Test

Stator Test

Stator Replacement

Regulator/Rectifier Replacement

Fusebox Cleanup

Cleaning Your Wiring Harness



Thank you for your indulgence,


BassCliff

[parkyeah]

Yes, but to those of us who are playing around with their first bikes the mega welcome doesn't necessarily make much sense.

Sometimes something has to go wrong and we need to ask a question to be pointed in the right direction. If that's not what the forum is for I apologize...

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction with the link to the stator papers.

[BassCliff]

Yes, but to those of us who are playing around with their first bikes the mega welcome doesn't necessarily make much sense.

Sometimes something has to go wrong and we need to ask a question to be pointed in the right direction. If that's not what the forum is for I apologize...

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction with the link to the stator papers.

Hi,

There's no need to apologize. And I ask that you forgive my frustration.

This is the second paragraph of the "mega-welcome":

Perhaps you've already seen these, but I like to remind all the new members. In addition to the CV carb rebuild series (CLICK HERE for the VM rebuild guide), I recommend visiting the In The Garage section via the GSR Homepage and check out the Stator Papers. There's also a lot of great information in the Old Q&A section. I have some documentation on my little BikeCliff website to help get you familiar with doing routine maintenance tasks (note that it is 850G-specific but many tasks are common to all GS bikes). Other "user contributed" informational sites include those of Mr. bwringer, Mr. tfb and Mr. robertbarr. And if your bike uses shims for valve adjustments, send an email to Mr. Steve requesting a copy of his Excel spreadsheet that helps you keep track of clearances, shim sizes and other service work.

Had you clicked on the Stator Papers link and read a little bit you would have known exactly what was going on with your bike. It would have saved you time and frustration. I'm just trying to make things easier for new owners.

Again, I apologize and I will try my best to show a little more compassion.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[Gssheller]

Hi,

Doesn't anybody ever read their "mega-welcome"?

The Stator Papers

More On The Stator Papers

GS Charging System Health+Quick Test

Stator Test

Stator Replacement

Regulator/Rectifier Replacement

Fusebox Cleanup

Cleaning Your Wiring Harness



Thank you for your indulgence,


BassCliff

Went through my mega-welcome with a fine tooth comb. Frankly, I'm still going through it. This is my first bike and I wanted to be sure to prevent problems before they happened. It took 20 years of marriage to get permission to get a bike, and I won't mess it up by calling when the bike breaks down.

In fact, decided on the GS because of the mega welcome I'd seen others receive and following the trail to bass cliffs site.

I'm sure you will get your problem figured out. Every bike has had the same problem at one time or another, and these guys have taken the time to share decades of knowledge with us newbies!!

Good Luck!!
Brian

[tom203]

Went through my mega-welcome with a fine tooth comb.

In fact, decided on the GS because of the mega welcome I'd seen others receive and following the trail to bass cliffs site.

I'm sure you will get your problem figured out. Every bike has had the same problem at one time or another, and these guys have taken the time to share decades of knowledge with us newbies!!

Good Luck!!
Brian

Yes, even a brief read of Basscliff's megawelcome will get you pointed in right direction - certainly better than buying stuff without a clue as to what might be wrong and then getting annoyed.

[tkent02]

Hi,

Doesn't anybody ever read their "mega-welcome"?

The Stator Papers

More On The Stator Papers

GS Charging System Health+Quick Test

Stator Test

Stator Replacement

Regulator/Rectifier Replacement

Fusebox Cleanup

Cleaning Your Wiring Harness



Thank you for your indulgence,


BassCliff

Cliff, you are scaring the bejesus out of these new guys.
Maybe it makes them do the maintenance. Maybe not.
I ain't scared.

[Nessism]

Cliff, you are scaring the bejesus out of these new guys.
Maybe it makes them do the maintenance. Maybe not.

Yea, that Cliff is a real pushy bastard isn't he? Guys got some audacity providing all that intimidating information.

[Redman]

....
....
....
Any ideas? If the stator was gone would I be able to ride the bike for half an hour? What could be draining the battery so quickly??

Thanks guys

Yes, I have an idea.
Yes, if the stator (or other parts of charging system) were bad and had a good charged battery, yes, you should be able to ride for half hour. In fact there have been stories of a guy here riding acrost multiple states with failed a charging system, he pulled headligh fuse and would would swap batterys with anotehr bike every hour or two. SO I would think that you do have a failed charging sytem somehow, but is failed in such a manner that is also causing a a drain on your battery. Maybe could unplugg the R/R, maybe that is the culpret, and/or disconnect the stator and then you can go some distance/time before having to recharge the battery.

Aother idea that I have is that you have not mentioned any voltmeter readings. You can either
1) do some troubleshooting with wil reguire a volt meter (and can use the Stator Papers) to determine what has failed.
2) just quess and get an expensive R/R and repalce it, and maybe that might fix your problem, but if stator is also bad that could possibly fry your new R/R immeadatly,
3) just quess and get an expensive stator and that may fix your problem, But if R/R is also bad that could possibly fry your new stator in short order (pun intnended).
4) just quess and get an expensive stator and an R/R and replace both, and that may fix your problem, but there also might be other problems also.
5) reevaluate the 4 options above and relaise that you should trouble shoot the problem, which requires a volt meter.

[parkyeah]

Thanks for the insight. I'll be hooking up a volt meter this afternoon and taking a look.

Appreciate it.

[parkyeah]

Checked the Stator and it's pumping out current no problem. Holding 90 volts across all three wires at 5000rpm. I guess it's the regulator. That's a lot easier to replace!

[parkyeah]

Just did a check to see how many DC volts are coming out of the regulator to the battery and it's hovering around 10.5V no matter what RPM. If the regulator was working correctly it would be pumping out around 14V right? Again, the stator tested ok. I just want to confirm with you guys that I'm diagnosing this correctly.