Charging Problems

[Kiwi_Roy]

I have been studying Carls drawings, I used to assume all the regulator problems were caused by bad grounding.

I assumed the bikes were wired similar to my V11 Sport but I found a lot are worse with the reference voltage

dependent on a good ignition switch contact.

 

I welcome any critique you may have on attached

Charging Problems.pdf

 

 

Roy

[Night Rider]

I may be wrong but I don't think the ignition switch can influence the reference voltage of the regulator directly.

 

If I'm correcly power is provided to the regulator as following:

Battery > Fuse 5 > Starter Relay (R1) > Headlight Relay (R2) > Regulator

 

Or am I missing something here?

[Kiwi_Roy]

I may be wrong but I don't think the ignition switch can influence the reference voltage of the regulator directly.

 

If I'm correcly power is provided to the regulator as following:

Battery > Fuse 5 > Starter Relay (R1) > Headlight Relay (R2) > Regulator

 

Or am I missing something here?

Perhaps on your bike, my 2001 V11 Sport is that way also, however on many bikes the reference also passes through the Ignition switch.

 

If you look at Carls drawing for any of the ones below you will see what I mean

88 California,93 Sport 1100, 94 California, 96 Strada, 96 California, 2000 Bassa, 200 Jackal, 2002 Stone

The 88 Cali goes Battery - Starter Solenoid - connector - ign sw - connector - 2 fuses at top of (29) -headlight relay -

regulator

 

If you look at 2004 V11 Sport you will see the new regulator (with diode symbol). It's wired more directly to the battery, just through a fuse, doesn't have a reference but has no charge light. I haven't seen one of these but I think it must get it's working voltage from the alternator rather than the battery. It's also nice that it doesnt rely on a case to chassis connection but has seperate wires for the Negative.

[Cliff]

Roy is correct. The standard wiring is crap. I've recently completed the headlight relay mod on all mu bikes. The primary reason was to stop overcharging with the headlight on. Having headlights on would add 1 volt to the charging voltage and this was after I'd added a 25A earth wire.

The other thing is I was only getting 9 something volts on the headlight bulb from 12V on the battery.

[Kiwi_Roy]

The other thing is I was only getting 9 something volts on the headlight bulb from 12V on the battery.

Cliff, that's interesting, it can't have always been that way, I suspect you have a bike where the reference goes thru the Ignition switch, the headlight creates 3 wolts drop across the switch because it's contacts are bad, either that or you have a high resistance in one of the other points i.e. relay base contact, my bet would be the switch, time to clean that. It's also been confirmed a bad contact at the switch can make the bike run rough.

 

MyECU

[Cliff]

You're most probably right. This is my 97 Sport and I've not done anything to it apart from keep it garaged and out of the rain most of the time.

 

You got to wonder where the heat, an easy 10W, was being generated. No noticeable signs.

 

I haven't ridden the Sport since I made the changes. Its been sitting for a few weeks as I pinched its battery for my Breva 750.

The Breva's lithium battery has now arrived so the Sport should get a trip this weekend.