Getting an 80' sg tomorrow...

[ERM83]

also...it only runs when the kill switch is on off?? i'm about to go to sleep, but wanted to ask if I can use the switch from the 79, or get any input on what the problem is there? it ran ONLY when I jumped it from my car battery, with the cables hooked up. i'm going to check my regulator tomorrow afternoon...FINALLY got a multimeter, haha. I need to tighten my skills...I know!

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Eric,

Congrats on getting it to fire and figuring the starter / battery problem! The bike won't run without it's own battery, and may still run poorly if it's not well charged. The charging system on these is weak to begin with, and the ALT doesn't put out enough power at idle to charge the battery, so you'll be discharging the battery when just idling! It needs to run at least 2500 rpm to be able to start charging properly, and that's with a good battery that can energize the ALT's field coil to make the ALT generate the AC current that's then converted to DC for the bike/battery. SO.....really fully charge the bike's battery, put it in the bike, you can still use the car/jumper cables to start the bike, and then once running, you should be able to remove the jumpers and the bike should keep running....at least for a little while. IF the Reg/Rect isn't working right, or the ALT is damaged, then it may NOT be making ANY charging current....you will use that voltmeter to verify if you're seeing ~14.5 Volts at the battery when running at 2500 rpm or above. IF still 12 or less, First quickly take a thin steel metal feeler gauge and see if it will stick to the side of the ALT case, if so...then the field coil is creating a magnetic field, but either the ALT isn't creating power, or the R/R isn't processing it correctly. Then shut the bike off and start testing the components further. Before all of this, access the large white plugs from the ALT behind the fusepanel, inspect for corrosion, burning, and clean/repair as needed.

As to the carbs, if they were empty, you may have one float partially stuck/hung and a simple rap to the body/bowl with a rubber screwdriver hammer or lightweight mallet to help dislodge the float so that it can "FLOAT" and help seal the fuel valve to not allow the flooding. And with the plumbing, make sure you only have fuel lines going to the LOWER "T" fittings, the upper ones are VENT tubes, and NEED to be open to air to allow the bowls to equalize pressure properly, otherwise the carbs WILL FLOOD!

The Emergency switch must be messed up somehow, you can take it apart and leave it disconnected or the wires not connected, it's when they complete the circuit that it grounds the TCI and prevents it from working.

T.C.