i need help to get my bike going or im going to scrap it!

[GTXS1100]

thanks that is what i was looking for. ill do some test and let you guys know what i find.

[bikerphil]

Don't know if it was mentioned, check the alt connector in back of the fuse panel for corrosion/melting.

[SFSPECBIKER79]

gharge

i think if you crank it up and unhook battery, it would keep running if the thing is chargeing.

[bikerphil]

i think if you crank it up and unhook battery, it would keep running if the thing is chargeing.

Don't try that, you'll risk frying the voltage regulator. BTDT long time ago.

[DGXSER]

The way it has always been explained to me is that these bikes run off the battery all the time, they just constantly recharge it.

[Shacknasty]

The first test I would make with a multimeter is at the battery with the motor running. Rev it up a bit and see if the voltage goes up. Yer battery could be bad and there might be nothing wrong with the charging system. Bad cables and bad connections can do it too. I've had cables that looked good but were actually broken.

Start with the easy stuff first.

[skids]

trouble shooting the charging system

Here is my process, although others will no doubt have better ideas...

1. Test to see if iron is mangetically attracted to the right side cover with the key on. Yes? Field coil is good. No? Volt regulator is bad sending no current to the field coil or bad connectors to the field coil or no voltage to VR, or bad ground at VR mounting to frame.

2. You might need to jump start the bike (with the car not running). Put volt meter across the battery with the bike running and crank the rpms to 4000. Do you see 14+ volts? Yes? Bad battery and good charging system. No? Volt regulator is bad sending no current to the field coil, or bad connectors between stator and VR, or no voltage to VR, or bad ground at VR mounting to frame or bad stator.

3. A fully charged battery should show like 9 volts across the battery when you push the starter switch. No? Bad battery - capacity is no longer good.

4. One thing that I found on one of my bikes was a bad contact in the key switch. There is a disk in there that you can sand clean if the surfaces are not clean. The key switch takes the hot wire from the battery and bridges the brown wire to the fuse panel and the blue wire to the dash lights and the running lights (on the standard at least). Obviously the VR does not work with the key off, so I think if the contacts in the key switch are not good, the VR will not get the volts that it needs to send current to the field coil. Dont be intimidated by this, the switch had two bolts holding it to the tripletree. They are 10mm and a socket with a couple of extensions helps. I used an extension with a swivel end.

[DGXSER]

IIRC I think I did a write up of how to disassemble and clean the key switch, but I'll be danged if I can find it. Hardest part of getting it out is getting the connector out of the hornets nest in the headlight bucket. As to the disassembly, pay attention as you remove parts and it is not that tough to get back together.

[SFSPECBIKER79]

chargeing

well, i knew that they was gonig to be some conflict when i posted my response. but, i don't have to have a manual to test whatever i need to test, just, to let the guy know that i did the test i recomended on my own bike, just for the heck of it, and the regulator is still fine, when i did it, i unhooked the ground wire, and had to rev the engine a little to around 1500 rpm's to keep it running. i would'nt run it no more than a few seconds when doing it tho. if you want to try it i have a regulator you can have. if you fry yours just send me a pm and i'll ship it to you. for free, might save you from takeing your bike apart. and buying a shop full of special tools. just for record rowdyboy has never fryed a regulator,altenator,generator, on anything from a lawn mower to a big mack, by unhooking a battery,while the engine was running. i'm not saying that it can'nt happen, i'm sure it can, if you touch the battery cables to a ground or live wire. from the opposite source.

[bikerphil]

well, i knew that they was gonig to be some conflict when i posted my response. but, i don't have to have a manual to test whatever i need to test, just, to let the guy know that i did the test i recomended on my own bike, just for the heck of it, and the regulator is still fine, when i did it, i unhooked the ground wire, and had to rev the engine a little to around 1500 rpm's to keep it running. i would'nt run it no more than a few seconds when doing it tho. if you want to try it i have a regulator you can have. if you fry yours just send me a pm and i'll ship it to you. for free, might save you from takeing your bike apart. and buying a shop full of special tools. just for record rowdyboy has never fryed a regulator,altenator,generator, on anything from a lawn mower to a big mack, by unhooking a battery,while the engine was running. i'm not saying that it can'nt happen, i'm sure it can, if you touch the battery cables to a ground or live wire. from the opposite source.

Yep, with all the knowledge available here, still not a good way to test it, JMHO.

[CatatonicBug]

As Bikerphil mentioned, check the large white plastic connector behind the fuse block holder. Mine melted due to corrosion, and I have seen several others do the same. That is where the alternator plugs into the bike, so if that plug is not connected properly, you won't get a charge.

[cywelchjr]

well, i knew that they was gonig to be some conflict when i posted my response. but, i don't have to have a manual to test whatever i need to test, just, to let the guy know that i did the test i recomended on my own bike, just for the heck of it, and the regulator is still fine, when i did it, i unhooked the ground wire, and had to rev the engine a little to around 1500 rpm's to keep it running. i would'nt run it no more than a few seconds when doing it tho. if you want to try it i have a regulator you can have. if you fry yours just send me a pm and i'll ship it to you. for free, might save you from takeing your bike apart. and buying a shop full of special tools. just for record rowdyboy has never fryed a regulator,altenator,generator, on anything from a lawn mower to a big mack, by unhooking a battery,while the engine was running. i'm not saying that it can'nt happen, i'm sure it can, if you touch the battery cables to a ground or live wire. from the opposite source.

While you may have gotten away with it. I have indeed fried one on an XS400 which uses in identical system doing exactly what you describe. I didn't have a schematic of the circuit at the time, and having had long time experience with automotive charging systems had also always been taught that simple test (which it valid on automotive systems). Having since gotten schematics of the charging system and regulator, and being an electronics tech by trade, I can tell you this system is NOT designed to handle this being done to it, and while it may survive it, there is a good chance it won't, as it will overstress the components in the stock regulator system. There are simple tests that will just as easily tell if the system is actually working that have no danger of damage to the system, and can be done in just a few minutes, and require only a single piece to test equipment which can be had for a few dollars, a digital volt ohm meter, which if your going to work on these bikes is needed anyways, will with a few quick tests tell you if the charging system is working or not. Then a few more will tell you why it's not if it's not. I would certainly not recommend a procedure that has what I would estimate at a 10 to 15% chance of causing damage to the charging system as a test when there are tests that can be easily done that have a 0% chance of causing damage.

[GTXS1100]

cant figgure it out

Ive decided to sell my bikes i have one together and 2 parts bikes im done working on this thing all the freaking time i haven't even got to ride it for fun yet all i do is test drive it an fix something else. everything i got for 1500 or best offer.

[GTXS1100]

Well here it is another year same problem!

So i never got around to selling my bikes. Have moved them around a thousand times in the shop. Now its getting in to riding season again. Said F*%k it im fixing this bike. Plan on getting a regulator tomorrow i found on ebay. I guess i cant part with it I have been working on it for 2 years seems a shame to just give up. If i replace the regulator and it doesnt fix it what else becides the conectors could be a problem that is commen?

[Jfries]

my guess would be the generator/Stator.