Battery / RR issue?

Hello everyone,

After searching and doing a bunch of reading regarding batteries and the R/R issue I was hoping some of you could help me out as I still have a few questions about my 98 issue...

Here's a little background on what my bikes doing. The second owner which I bought it from said he didn't ride it much and let it sit in the garage a lot. He had to put the battery on the trickle charger overnight if it sat longer then 2-3 days without being started.

Since I’ve bought it I've been riding it everyday for the last 2 weeks without having to put it on the charger. Saying that, it is a pain to start most days (because the battery isn't fully charged?) and I have to hit the starter a few times before it actually cranks over a few revolutions to fire up.

After I get done riding, or stop for a break it usually will do the same thing (not crank very much) but usually start. Once it wouldn’t crank at all so I ended up having to bump start it. Some other times it starts right up, though those are pretty rare.

So here are my questions...

1. How do I determine if it is just a bad battery or if it’s the R/R or if it's a combination of both?
2. Should I replace the battery first and see if that solves the issue, or is will that fry a new battery if it is a bad R/R?
3. I don’t have a voltmeter and not really sure how to use them, is that the only way to test batteries and the R/R? If so, any good links to how to do that?

Any help or advice you could give me would be awesome! Thank you for taking the time to read.

 

My 2 cents, load test the batt first and see if it is shot, you may still end up replacing the R/R after but at least you can test the voltage first and see if that is part of the issue.

Voltmeters come in all sorts, some are $20 some are $200, directions are usually pretty easy to understand as well.

 

To see if the R/R is faulty perform the following steps. Keep in mind that a R/R can work intermittently. Be sure to use a digital voltmeter.

1) Fully charge battery off the bike - voltage should be 12.85 +/-
2) Install battery, connect cables
3) Test battery voltage - should still be 12.85 +/-
4) Start bike, idle voltage should be around 13.5
5) Increase RPM's to 5000, watching voltage increase. Voltage should be 14.5 + at 5K RPM.

If voltage does not reach 14.5, or drops off before 5K RPM, R/R should be considered faulty.

Point of note: Be sure to check all wiring from the R/R to the stator (3 yellow wires) and the battery cbale for signs of melting/burning. Any damaged wire should be replaced.

Hope this helps.

 

If the bike had been sitting and not used, one of the problems could be with corrosion / dirty contacts.

I've had low voltage problems with my 99FiX for some time (about 12.5 to 12.9v). I fitted a new RR, and then a new stator, but still about the same voltage. I got fed up with the whole thing and did 3 jobs. First of all I cut all the earth wires off the conection block with the 'forks'(next to the subframe forward of the RR), and joined them all with crimps and a nut and bolt. I also ran an extra earth wire from them to the chassis. No difference with the voltage. Then I cut off the spade fittings between the RR and the stator and battery wires. I joined them using screw in terminals (as in joining house wires) and the voltage was straight up to 13.5V. Cleaning the main fuse gave me 13.7v. Then I ran a wire from the RR + conection, straight to the battery (using a 15amp inline fuse) and now my voltage is 13.9 or 14v.

These voltages are with the lights on, a Zumo 550 and an Autocom using power. With the lights off it goes up to 14.1v and then regulates at a steady 14v.

The main things to check are battery conections, earth conections, fuses, and even the start switch. Give everything a good clean / spray with contact cleaner and then WD40. Find someone with a volt meter, or get one yourself, set it to over 20v DC, and put it across the battery terminals. Check the voltage with no load, and them with the engine running. No load should be about 13v, ignition and lights on about 12.5, and about 14v at 5000rpm. If you get 14.5 as Vinny said I think you will be doing pretty well.