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Electrical strikes another

  • Thread starter Thread starter MAJikMARCer
  • Start date Start date
M

MAJikMARCer

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I had not had any problem since I bought this bike in the Spring so I though, "Maybe the PO took care of it!" I should have known better. My bike too has charging issues.

Started her up to run and grab a burrito for lunch. No problem starting up. I'm off riding, no issues to be noticed. I get my burrito, go back out to the bike. Try to start her up. RrrRrrR... Uhoh. Since I'm parked in the sun, I push the bike to a shady spot and take the side cover off to make sure the battery leads aren't loose. Everything is fine there. Plenty of gas. Try again. Rrrr... Oh crap. I'm stranded at Taco Bell. Ugh.

I should note at this point that this is my first year riding and my first bike. I start thinking, "Maybe someone with jumper cables will come by." Then I realize, Hell I don't even own jumper cables and the part of town I'm in most people probably don't. Crap.

I then texted a buddy who's been riding a lot longer. He writes back. "Just push start it." The first thing that pops into my mind is the bike starting, the throttle revving and the bike going on without me...or worse, dragging me along.

After a little coaching from my buddy, I give it a shot. I make sure there are no cars in my line of side and I have lots of room, just in case.

Man that was easy! Took less than 20 feet, if that and was a piece of cake. The bike started right up and got me home.

I now will have to add the charging system to my ever growing list of things to do now. Could I have gotten by starting the bike all this summer on battery alone? Or maybe it's just charging a lot. I've not been doing many long rides in the last few weeks. Also the heat of the summer could have had a toll on the battery. Still...I dont want to repeat this episode if I dont have to, even if it is easy to push start. :D
 
Yup. The charging system goes out, and then you get a "free" period living on the battery until you run it flat. I did that for years, getting more and more sour on the bike, before I stumbled on this site.

With a new R&R and a home-rewound stator, I've been running smoothly for years. (Knock wood).

Read the "How to check" and the "How to fix" material on this site.
 
Yup, the voltmeter is going to work tomorrow. I'm hoping for the best but have already informed the wife of possible costs. The bike may begin it's 'off season' work sooner than I intended, like it or not.

She'll probably make me ride her Honda Shadow...oh noes!
 
old_skool said:
The RR on these bikes should be at the top of the list of repairs to do, no matter how well it runs before it goes bad, at the very least, the RR/stator re-wire. The oem RR's were marginal at best new, poor heat dissipation and of course, excessive resistance due to age and extra wiring. If you can get this one for less than $60, well worth it, 35amp, and good heatsink, no real bidding activity yet, and only 2 days left.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Shindengen-...Parts_Accessories&hash=item1c2afa2511&vxp=mtr
Click to expand...

I was probably going to go with the one mentioned in the Stator Papers. It's more expensive, but I'm guessing it's also much more 'plug-n-play'. I don't have the electrical chops to do any hacking.
 
I have the older 12 pole stator in my 79 850 still original.. I did put a Honda Reg on it years ago. I don't think the later 16 pole is as robust ? who knows ???
 
MAJikMARCer said:
....
....
.... Could I have gotten by starting the bike all this summer on battery alone? .....
Click to expand...

No,

You can run the bike a long long time without a charging system working (especailly if pull headlight fuse). But you are only going to start it with the starter motor a few times. THe starter motor is by far the biggest power use of the battery, followed by the lighting. Running the ignition is a somewhat minor load.

Yah, without the charging system working, you can charge the battery with your battery charger (1 or 1 1/2 amp), start it, go for ride, stop somewhere, maybe a couple times, come back and put back on charger again. Can do that a lot for a long time.
But what ever is wrong with the charging system can also be melting connectors and wiring all that time.

Check fluid level in battery (if its the type that has fluid level.)

Put battery on battery charger.
THen get volt meter to check charging system.

Tell us more what you find (maybe in electrical section).

And you could tell us more about having to ride the Shadow (I have a 86 VT500C).

.
 
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I always have a set of jumpers on my bike, I made them myself. As for the RR, Compufire all the way, then again on your 650, may not have enough room for it, I dunno.
 
My 650 just crapped out too...Final straw...I'm done with it.
Too much time and money into it, going up for sale in NJ, if anyone cares.

I need the room, I already got another bike coming in. and I have other projects that are more important.
 
1_v8_merc said:
My 650 just crapped out too...Final straw...I'm done with it.
Too much time and money into it, going up for sale in NJ, if anyone cares.

I need the room, I already got another bike coming in. and I have other projects that are more important.
Click to expand...

while it's frustrating seeing how much money I'm going to have to put into this bike to make it safe and reliable, what can I expect from a 30 year old bike that has been neglected. If I had more knowledge when I bought I might not have gone with this bike, but then again even if I dump $2000 into the bike it'll still be a lot less than had I bought new and I'm going to gain a lot learning how to fix it in the mean time.
 
MAJikMARCer said:
while it's frustrating seeing how much money I'm going to have to put into this bike to make it safe and reliable, what can I expect from a 30 year old bike that has been neglected. If I had more knowledge when I bought I might not have gone with this bike, but then again even if I dump $2000 into the bike it'll still be a lot less than had I bought new and I'm going to gain a lot learning how to fix it in the mean time.
Click to expand...

I bought my 550 for $125.00 at a yard sale last year. I hate to even think about the money much more I have put into it now (but I do and its about $600) and its still not perfect and cosmetically will never be perfect but its the luck of the draw. My 850 was $500 and after I sold off all the extra's it came with the bike was $0. Not running in 2 years it had one speck of dirt in one jet, cleaned it with spray, and one hour later its been running perfect for the last 5-6 months or so ( of course did the fluids, ect). Point is you just never know with these machines so you need need to try and buy in low so you don't hurt the wallet!
 
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