Its done it again

[paultheold]

Went to start the bike last Sunday. Battery flat. jump started it then checked the charging rate, less than 12 volts. Every earth point and both battery terminals cleaned, slight inprovement when charging with no load, when lights switched on charging rate drops down to just over 12 volts.

Battery just over a year old, rectifier less than three months old.

Rectifier going to work tomorrow for a full check by the electronics department. If that is ok then the battery is off for a drop test ect. Iff that fails then the bike goes over Poole Quay.

[Dilbert]

Every earth point and both battery terminals cleaned.

Paul I had the same and it turned out that the starter solenoid coils were green, once cleaned it fired up first prod, no further problems.

[paultheold]

Just ordered a rectifier from www.electrexworld.co.uk, when its delivered and fitted. the honda one is going back to the shop for a full refund. To say I am fed up with the bike letting me down, three times this year. is ****************ks

[paultheold]

Well new rectifier fitted, still a low charge rate under full load. Battery been checked, seems ok, now I am suspecting the generator, as the wires from it are getting warm.
I now have the name of a Bike Electrician, will phone him tomorrow and have the whole electrical system checked out.
This site needs an electrical expert, most of us seem to be mechanical or into IT

[africatijn]

Sorry the bike lets you down again.

Just out of curiosity, why do you still stick to your AT?

Cheers,
T.

[paultheold]

Mmm good question.

I still like the look and style of the bike, plus the fact I spent a lot on extra tools when the engine was rebuilt, also I have had the bike from new. Been the wrong side of forty by ten years plus, I don't want to buy another new bike.

[africatijn]

Hmm, good answer.

The @ is the kind of bike that just gets you. You love it and hate it at some times. But you just do not sell it.

I think this goes for all the big traillies. I had a Suzuki DR800 Big once. Lots of regrets about having sold that bike. And yes, it was consuming too much oil, vibrations were ten times as much as on the @ due to the one cylinder concept, had big electrical problems... But I was, and still am in love with that bike.

T.

[BobA]

Paul

I know it's getting you down, but don't make any rash decisions, like dumping it in the sea!!!

One thing that was drummed into me when I was training (IT too, sorry!) was that NEW doesn't necessarily mean NOT FAULTY.

I recently got my RD03 back after a complete makeover on it for a TV show (I'll post details soon) and although it looks good, there were a few teething problems with running, the most annoying of which was the fact that it would run OK, but then if I stopped it would not re-start, or would start then die, or start and misfire. This turned out to be nothing more than a bad earth. I kept checking the wiring (using a multimeter) and I found that there was a high resistance to earth/frame/ground, which would make things work intermittently. What had happened (I think) was that when they re-installed the wiring loom, the battery grounded to the engine, and they also grounded the loom to the engine, but there was no decent ground to the frame. I did this (in less than a minute once I'd sussed it) and there have been no probs since.

Go over it in a logical order, bit by bit, using the Haynes wiring diagram and a multimeter. Remember two important things...you need a + and a - for anything electrical to work (including the charging circuit), and also any garage/electrical work is going to cost you probably £30 an hour!!

Intermittent faults are the worst to find, but with a bit of patience, you will find it and cure it, and feel a whole lot better you'd done it yourself.

Finally, you haven't mentioned it, but do you have any aftermarket (electrical) accesories fitted which could possibly be causing the fault?


Best of luck

Bob

[Dilbert]

I recently got my RD03 back after a complete makeover on it for a TV show (I'll post details soon)

ooh, ooh, when, what channel, tell me now

[robelst]

I recently got my RD03 back after a complete makeover on it for a TV show (I'll post details soon)

ooh, ooh, when, what channel, tell me now

BBC's "DIY Disasters" by any chance?