Inhibitors to battery charging with light on?

[k1w1boy]

... Bike starts fine between starts with relatively short rides with the lights off. I don't like riding with the lights off, even in daylight. Bike is considerably less reliable while commuting - dark to dark. Obvious part to investigate/replace?

[Dalemac]

... Bike starts fine between starts with relatively short rides with the lights off. I don't like riding with the lights off, even in daylight. Bike is considerably less reliable while commuting - dark to dark. Obvious part to investigate/replace?

So you have problems when the lights are on? what happens exactly? Do you mean starting it with the lights on is a struggle, or just generally with the lights on it doesnt seem to hold charge?

I would start by inspecting the headlight circuits. Get a miltimeter and test the headlights acording to the manual. Probably a good idea to check and clean up all the earthing points on the headlight circuits. While you are at it, check the battery connections too.

If that fails, look into the charging system.

Dale

[k1w1boy]

... Bike starts fine between starts with relatively short rides with the lights off. I don't like riding with the lights off, even in daylight. Bike is considerably less reliable while commuting - dark to dark. Obvious part to investigate/replace?

So you have problems when the lights are on? what happens exactly? Do you mean starting it with the lights on is a struggle, or just generally with the lights on it doesnt seem to hold charge?

I would start by inspecting the headlight circuits. Get a miltimeter and test the headlights acording to the manual. Probably a good idea to check and clean up all the earthing points on the headlight circuits. While you are at it, check the battery connections too.

If that fails, look into the charging system.

Dale

... The latter Dale. My mechanic (I'm a mechanical wimp) discovered the discrepancy between charge rate lights on vs lights off. Subsequent daylight riding supports this hypothesis - teacher on holiday lol. Guessing it's a 'charging system' thing but will get him to investigate your earlier suggestions. Ka-CHINGG bugger it.

[Dalemac]

OK, then it should be easy enough to test the lighting circuits. Sounds to me as if they may be shorting out, essentially dumping power into something else instead of keeping it back in the circuit.

Does it definately only happen when the headlight is on? Does it happen when the rest of the lights are on, but the headlight is off?

Dale

[anzacinexile]

Easy first

Stick your meter across the battery terminals. Check voltage engine running but lights off and then engine running lights on. If the voltage sinks below 13 volts, you ain't charging the battery.

Ideally you should be 13.4v or over and if it is, your short runs ain't long enough to put back what the start took out of the battery.

If its below 13 volts, investigate whats pulling the amps in the lighting circuit

[Kwackerz]

https://www.ridersite.com/viewtopic.ph ... highlight=

As well as problems with the indicators??


Possible theyre one in the same problem?

[wayofthedarkhand]

Easy first

Stick your meter across the battery terminals. Check voltage engine running but lights off and then engine running lights on. If the voltage sinks below 13 volts, you ain't charging the battery.

Ideally you should be 13.4v or over and if it is, your short runs ain't long enough to put back what the start took out of the battery.

If its below 13 volts, investigate whats pulling the amps in the lighting circuit

But isn't it well known that the charging circuit is sub-par?

At 4K my voltage without lights on is 12.8 - At idle its a more healthy 13.5

To put that in context. The ZX9R was at 14.5 at idle.

[Aladinsaneuk]

Carl that was iirc from the dash read out, not from a multimeter on the battery

With regard to charging.... The futfuts did have a known problem.... And the emergence of the mod to fix it

At least here in Europe / uk the falco's do NOT have a problem as a general rule - but some have done the mod anyway

Over in Uncle Sam land they swear by it - I think it's because the battery fluid never gets tilted over to cover the plates enough - all those piss boring freeways and general lack of corners ;)

[wayofthedarkhand]

That read out is from the dash.

there are reports that the dash under-reads. Yet mine records a voltage of 12.7v with the engine and all lights off, which would appear to be correct for a 12v battery.

[anzacinexile]

That read out is from the dash.

there are reports that the dash under-reads. Yet mine records a voltage of 12.7v with the engine and all lights off, which would appear to be correct for a 12v battery.

Every dash I've seen reads 0.5v low that's why I said put a meter directly across the battery

Your voltages appear fine but I would like to see accurate readings by a meter on the battery

[flatlander]

... Bike starts fine between starts with relatively short rides with the lights off. I don't like riding with the lights off, even in daylight. Bike is considerably less reliable while commuting - dark to dark. Obvious part to investigate/replace?

as usual starting from numpty mode thats me Kerry not you
but could it be that you are not going above 4k sufficiently long enough and not trickle charging the bike in between so it is not carging sufficiently and over a period of time draining the charge ? the lights being off may meaning it starts because there is not a higher load at starting
I prefer to look for a non tecnical answer as that way I can ignore it longer ... kind of like turning the radio up in the car

ps I sent you a PM

[D-Rider]

You don't need to go above 4k to charge the battery

[k1w1boy]

....thanks for the feedback everyone. Taking bike (and these suggestions) to the shop on Weds. Dale - got your PM - bear with me ... bloody job kills me during the week (particularly taking public transport) - don't seem to do anything except sleep, and eventually binge on cider and cigarettes on Friday night.