Varadero leccy problem broken down any answers?

[richie]

Well I was out on my third 240KM ride this year and broke down 15km from home.
Can start the bike with jump leads but bike stops as soon as jump leads are removed
Multi meter reads 14.6 when bike is running with battery pack attached = regulator OK
Multi reader was reading 12 when bike turned off with no battery pack.= battery OK

When it is running with battery pack connected no issues whatsoever, did manage to ride it 500meters with no battery pack connected but no instruments. Battery was new 1 year ago.

Bike left on site, battery on optimate, so either the battery is not properly holding its charge or what????

 

[DrFarkoff]

No Battery not likely to be okay at that value (also they can have volts but no storage capacity!)

Either burned out by dodgy rectifier rectifier or Optimate boosting it too often!

How many wires on your Rectifier Regulator unit and Do you have a "decent" multimeter?

 

[DrFarkoff]

Can start the bike with jump leads but bike stops as soon as jump leads are removed

Needs 10.8 volts or so for leccytronic things to work properly or they quit

Multi meter reads 14.6 when bike is running with battery pack attached = regulator OK

Nope actually a tad high to be truthful Richie "but" how accurate is your multimeter? you would be looking for around 12.5 on idle to 14.5v at mid rpm from a bike system

Multi reader was reading 12 when bike turned off with no battery pack.= battery OK

as I said can have volts but no capacity (available amps)

When it is running with battery pack connected no issues whatsoever, did manage to ride it 500meters with no battery pack connected but no instruments. Battery was new 1 year ago.

strange I'd expect it to cut the ignition if the electronic dash has stopped due to volts

Bike left on site, battery on optimate, so either the battery is not properly holding its charge or what????

Yes quite likely the battery has suffered something bad and has not been able to recover


A new battery will probably cure the immediate problem "BUT" you need to find the root cause or it will happen again

Personally if you are not using the bike for extended periods? Take the optimate off and disconnect the negative cable (stops ANY current drain)

If its Bloody freezing remove the battery and bring it indoors and keep it off concrete floors

You need to test between the phases of the alternator with the multimeter on AC range and you are looking 26 ~30 v AC

You need to then test the output of the rect reg unit and you are looking 12.0 ~ 14.5 revved up

Then you need to remove the negative lead put the multimeter onto amps and fit it between the battery neg cable and the battery neg terminal. This will show you if there is a diode gone in the rectifier circuit allowing current to backfeed to earth

I'll do ya a couple of sketches and mail them to you if you want ? pm me

 

[richie]

Cheers, don't use optimate normally leave it idle over the winter but have had three 240KM rides in last three weeks with no issues. Charging battery now I bet I will be able to ride it home tomorrow and do some more multimeter checks.
don't subscribe here any more... so no PM, should be able to sort it

 

[richie]

Last year when I needed the new battery, I bump started the bike and rode 140KM to get a new one.
Now I cannot run the bike at all.

Strange

 

[Packer]

Last year when I needed the new battery, I bump started the bike and rode 140KM to get a new one.
Now I cannot run the bike at all.

Strange

Your charging system was OK at that point, now it looks as though it isn't. Depending on what was wrong with the kack'd battery it could have been the cause of your current problem.

 

[richie]

so using that method of thinking, if I go back to my bike tomorrow and insert the recharged battery and ride home it could be imagined that the rectifier is the problem...

 

[DrFarkoff]

Ah "but" if the capacity of the battery is damaged (which can only really be tested with a load tester .... basically a big Eff off heater coil when you press the switch and the coil heats up due to it sucking energy from the battery You watch the volts drop rapidly at first and stabilise over a period (relevant to battery size) and then when you release the switch you will see how fast the battery recovers If it doesn't jump back up and continues to drop the battery is fubarred

Anyway the reason for all that guff is that You may not get the distance home as the bike requires the fuel pump and engine ECU to be getting enough energy or it will stop again


To be honest I think you have a battery with an internal short and your thoughts on the rect reg may well be correct ! "But" if you ride iwth it you could shag the stator or the rect reg unit!

Replacing the battery and doing a series of tests would confirm that your system is healthy otherwise Is it not a YTX 14BS in your bike?

 

[richie]

Ah "but" if the capacity of the battery is damaged (which can only really be tested with a load tester .... basically a big Eff off heater coil when you press the switch and the coil heats up due to it sucking energy from the battery You watch the volts drop rapidly at first and stabilise over a period (relevant to battery size) and then when you release the switch you will see how fast the battery recovers If it doesn't jump back up and continues to drop the battery is fubarred

Anyway the reason for all that guff is that You may not get the distance home as the bike requires the fuel pump and engine ECU to be getting enough energy or it will stop again


To be honest I think you have a battery with an internal short and your thoughts on the rect reg may well be correct ! "But" if you ride iwth it you could shag the stator or the rect reg unit!

Replacing the battery and doing a series of tests would confirm that your system is healthy otherwise Is it not a YTX 14BS in your bike?

OK after 15 hours the battery is getting a fecked led on the optimate. So I need a new battery and then test the rec properly.

 

[DrFarkoff]

You have a text (on yer phone)

 

[richie]

New battery ordered should have it this evening or tomorrow morning depending on how I get to where the bike is. 85€ Yuasa

That ll get it going and then I can check the rec/reg

DR thanks for the text, will keep you informed. Tomorrow I will do a 100 mile round trip on bike if all goes to plan and then I can check if it is charging correctly.

 

[DrFarkoff]

Richie, better to do the checks BEFORE You go anywhere!

If the rect reg unit is pumping 15V or more it more than likely will fry the internals of the new battery and lead to more strife

Worst I had to fix was a Tiger 955i that took out the stator the Reg rect and the battery !

Or a K100 that fried every electronic thing on the bike Engine ECU Radio and even the indicator relay. I am 90% sure it was due to a very high resistance or short of some kind in the battery strangely enough all the non electronic things survived

A simple volts check across the battery, Before and then after starting and also running at a fast idle should tell you what you need to know! and maybe at a stop 10 ~15 miles down the road just to check again in case the heat has changed anything?

New battery ordered should have it this evening or tomorrow morning depending on how I get to where the bike is. 85€ Yuasa

That ll get it going and then I can check the rec/reg

DR thanks for the text, will keep you informed. Tomorrow I will do a 100 mile round trip on bike if all goes to plan and then I can check if it is charging correctly.

 

[richie]

OK So at the risk of repetition...
Install new battery = 12V
Switch on ignition but don't fire her up = 12V
Fast idle = 14V

That is a question BTW don't have battery yet...
Thanks very much for your help.

 

[Packer]

A new fully charged battery will probably be around 13.5 volts without load. Expect that to go just over 14 volts with the engine running at around 2,000rpm. As Dr F said no more than 14.5 volts.

 

[DrFarkoff]

Yeah as Packer says Richie

A brand new fully charged battery probably 13 ~ 13.5 (provided your mutltimeter is not goosed and showing 17V like mine was (now replaced)

Yup connect it up and volts should rise but not over 14.5v if they do? Run Headlamp and Heated grips to use up some of the energy and check again

A wee check of the volts again will do

Also do a search for Gammotronix on E bay

 

[richie]

OK New battery installed tested twice at installation and after 20KM Both times never got over 14.5 which in fact I only saw once at tick over with lights off. So seems that the battery was crap and hopefully now all O.K., cheers to all and + to Dr