Dag-nabbit

[Plasterdog]

Ok so a couple of hundred miles ago I swapped out Stator+RR+Battery all for new.
But now I'm getting the same symptoms just as I did before the RR failed me earlier this year and last year.
Symptoms are: After a couple of days sitting idle bike starts up but with a quick protest as though battery is low. Once running, lights are (again as though little to no battery power) dim below 1500rpm, all are bright over 1500rpm. After a run of about 50 miles all seems to be good, except around 50/60 mph in 5th the motor feels like she's not going to make it/loss of power, crank up to 80+ mph (acceleration is smooth) and she's running real smooth/strong/stable, same thing below 50mph.
One more thing that's the same as last time the RR went out, when nicely warmed up the motor will just cut out when stopped at a light (idle is around 1100rpm). The motor does not run down it just cuts, and restarts right away.
Any ideas?
Anyone want to come over and take her out and see for yourself?
(83 1100ED)

[bwringer]

It really sounds like some connections or wires are bad.

Do you have more details about the connectors and wires you cleaned, upgraded, and replaced along with the new parts?

What happens when you test the stator?

[bonanzadave]

Im with Brian. Start looking at the wires again. Add an on board voltmeter. Check the static voltage (key on, not running) at the coils. Disconnect the + wire at each coil and check the voltage to ground. I think you might want to do the coil relay mod.

[alke46]

I would definately suggest getting a multi-meter and do the test procedure outlined in the stator papers. Follow it to the letter and at least you will find out what is working properly in your charging system. Just be sure to follow the flow chart outlined in the stator papers IV, the fault finding chart. Good luck.

[Plasterdog]

Thanks guys.
The results, right after replacing Stator etc, were right on the money according to the papers. Grounds were all cleaned, reseated, I replaced all connectors to/from the Stator/RR, battery terminals/wires all cleaned before putting the whole back together. I have not had an opprtunity to re-test since Sunday's aborted ride.
I'm wondering though, if it is the coils because of the flat spot in the power, it does feel like the plugs are not getting quite enough juice (years of driving British Leyland cars with cra.py Lucas 'lectroincs). It feels similar to driving an original Mini in a rainstorm -the plugs/points etc were on the front side of the engine and always got wet, the spark would weaken and the motor would bog down/stall. Oh what joyous memories!
Would the coils failing cause the stator/rr to fail too?
Recommends on replacement coils? They look like the originals so probably not a bad idea to replace them.

[Plasterdog]

Im with Brian. Start looking at the wires again. Add an on board voltmeter. Check the static voltage (key on, not running) at the coils. Disconnect the + wire at each coil and check the voltage to ground. I think you might want to do the coil relay mod.

Where'd you get the nifty (are "bikers" allowed to say nifty??) voltmeter?

[bwringer]

Fun With Volt Meters

Thanks guys.
The results, right after replacing Stator etc, were right on the money according to the papers. Grounds were all cleaned, reseated, I replaced all connectors to/from the Stator/RR, battery terminals/wires all cleaned before putting the whole back together. I have not had an opprtunity to re-test since Sunday's aborted ride.
I'm wondering though, if it is the coils because of the flat spot in the power, it does feel like the plugs are not getting quite enough juice (years of driving British Leyland cars with cra.py Lucas 'lectroincs). It feels similar to driving an original Mini in a rainstorm -the plugs/points etc were on the front side of the engine and always got wet, the spark would weaken and the motor would bog down/stall. Oh what joyous memories!
Would the coils failing cause the stator/rr to fail too?
Recommends on replacement coils? They look like the originals so probably not a bad idea to replace them.

Honestly, I'd back up, start over and re-test the stator -- unplug it and test AC voltage between all three pairs.

No need to dig for more exotic causes until you know for sure you're charging.

If the stator is, um, stator-ing, then move to the voltage regulator. With a FULLY CHARGED and GOOD battery in place, what battery voltage do you get running at 5,000 rpm?

If that's good, THEN you can look for a big power drain, like a bad coil. Hook up an amp meter and see if there's more than a couple of amps draw when you turn on the key.

Or, to get a very rough idea of current draw (and/or battery condition), hook up a volt meter, turn the key on without starting the bike, and see how fast the voltage drops. It should start at around 12.8 with the key off, drop a bit when you flip on the key (maybe to 12.5 or so) then start to tick down from there slowly -- 12.49, 12.48, 12.47, etc., no more than a couple of ticks a second. If it immediately plummets to below 12, then you have a large drain sucking up too much current OR you have a weak battery.

Another handy rule of thumb is that a good battery should stay above about 11.5 volts when cranking. Anything below 11, and starting becomes doubtful.

[Plasterdog]

I'm 99% sure I'm charging as the battery had enough power to restart the bike several times. But I will try all of your suggestions, but as I'm looking at a weekend of shooting starting at 5am each day... Sunday will result in me having about 5000 photos to edit. It's going to be a couple of days before I get to even look at the bike let alone do any testing.

[Steve]

Where'd you get the nifty (are "bikers" allowed to say nifty??) voltmeter?

I don't know if "bikers" are allowed to say 'nifty' or not.

But we're not bikers, we're MOTORCYCLISTS.
We can say anything we want.

You can get that nifty doo-dad here. $25 and a bit for shipping.

.

[sachsaca]

I'd say listen to bwringer, follow the k i s s princaple.

[bwringer]

... I'm looking at a weekend of shooting starting at 5am each day... Sunday will result in me having about 5000 photos to edit. It's going to be a couple of days before I get to even look at the bike let alone do any testing.

Good to hear you're staying busy, anyway!

It's a big bikini shoot, right? The spring thong catalog...

[bwringer]

In the above scenario, I *assume* your stator, r/r, and battery are all good, since you just repaired them.

Excellent info!

However, even with a new battery, R/R, and stator, I don't think you can assume that they are working correctly without actually testing them. Many people have encountered bad parts, and wiring and connections are always variable on older vehicles. The tests are simple, quick, and clear, so there's no reason to skip them.

If the basics of the charging system test good, THEN it's time to delve into the rest.

[Plasterdog]

Good to hear you're staying busy, anyway!

It's a big bikini shoot, right? The spring thong catalog...

I wish.
No we're shooting the Northshore Grand Prix (www.northshoregrandprix.com) part of a 17 day tour with Olympic class cyclists from around the world (we're the official photographers for this leg, so we get to start at 5:30 am through to the end of the day -last year the pro's race ended about 9:30 pm).
If you're in the area come vist, it can be an exciting day.

[Plasterdog]

6. At idle, r/r does not output enough volts to charge battery to high enough voltage (dimming lights), but at higher rpms, the higher voltage is good (brighter lights) and can charge the battery some, but not enough to overcome the constant drain of low rpm running.
JC

Both the RR and the Stator are Electrosport units. It seems -to me- that if at the higher rpm I'm getting enough voltage to bring all the lights up nice and bright that the Stator is working as it should (I'll still do the tests). I do have an OEM RR from an 1150 (new) that I'll try too, along with re-grounding -once again- but I'll do that in stages. Change one thing at a time.
I could not find the link for the Coil mod can someone direct me?
I looked at replacement coils etc. not enthused about spending another couple of hundred, oh well.
Steve, thanks for the link, for $30.00 inc. shipping Nifty device on it's way.

[Plasterdog]

Here's a pic a buddy of mine sent me, maybe you've seen it...

I thought that you, as a photographer, would appreciate the impact and memories a single photo can evoke.

- JC

Ah those were the days, when... wait... those helmets look familiar...

Or
Yes I remember that Tour de France well, I think it was the only one that Lance didn't win.

Or
Was it sick of me to LOL?