Complete loss of electrical while driving

[Guest]

Hello all, I'm new here and desperately looking for some help. I've got a 1983 GS1100e, was out driving it to class today for the second time and lost all power. After a grueling push home I checked the fuses and the main fuse was popped. Put a new fuse in, still nothing. No sound, no lights, no starting. I don't know a whole lot on mechanical or electrical but with help/information I can figure it out. I don't have access to a garage and I'm not from where I live so I don't know many people here to get help or trailer it somewhere (and I'm a broke college student).

I've had the bike since 2016/2017, all gauges and lights worked prior to this aside from 2nd sometimes showing as 0 on the cluster. There's no aftermarket electrical components, wiring looks old so doubtful there's any changes there either. I don't have a meter/tester but I can probably borrow one from my school job or buy one soon. Any help would be really appreciated, this bike is my baby and, aside from my wife, probably my only other friend I've got here.

 

[Cipher]

Yes get a meter.
you didn't pop a fresh fuse? So no "dead short"

you could use a set of jumper cables from a non running car and see what happens.

 

[Big T]

You popped the main fuse? What about the other ones? Good, or blown?

 

[rphillips]

They're a pain to get to on your bike, but with the ign. turned on, pull and wiggle on the batt. cables, watching to see if the headlight flickers or comes on, one of them may not be making good connection.

 

[Cipher]

Rectifier blown.

 

[LAB3]

Rectifier blown.

Could be but there's plenty of basics along the way that could be the problem or should at least be checked before making that assumption. It's always a good idea to keep Occam's Razor in mind when approaching a problem, especially with someone that's not very experienced: Given an equal set of outcomes, the simplest answer is best.

 

[Suzukian]

Usually a complete loss of electricity is a bad cable, or header pin loosening somewhere. Being a 1983, you must disconnect everywhere the battery grounds too and sand those spots clean, Suzuki did a real bad job grounding those bikes. Charge the battery, make sure it is filled with distilled water, and not bone dry. If should read 13.8 volts ideally, see if the bike's lights come on, if they do, start the bike, check the voltage across the battery again, The voltage should definitely be at 13.8 volts, run it for a short while, if the voltage stats to go down, then you have entered the dreaded real of the Suzuki Regulating only one leg of the Stator, and letting the other two go up and down, killing the Stator and taking the Voltage Regulator/Rectifier with it.

 

[salty_monk]

Check the cables from the battery at both ends.. maybe it's loose at the starter relay.

 

[letchworth rider]

I actually had a ground cable break off at the frame. Replaced with a better cable. Like it is being said"connections, connections, connections" and charging system.

 

[rphillips]

No ground would certainly explain it... Glad it wasn't something worse.

 

[pdqford]

One and done"............?