Electrical experience? PLEASE HEEEEELP!!

[Gallinazorey]

Hi Guys

I decided to start a new topic from the last one I had which got alot of reactios on the gas tank being taken out, thanks for the tips and great stories!

I am about to throw the towel here. My problem persists! I have bought so far NEW, ignition switch, battery (GEL! dont we love giving the best to our Airheads?) and regulator. When I measure the amps of the battery it gives me 12.6 REGARDLESS if the engine is running or not (I know it should be around 14 with engine running).

As a consequence the whole light system goes crazy and it ALL decides to work or not at the same time, rpms, lights, directionals, horn etc etc etc, go on and off constantly.

Any ideas?

Also, I got so depressed yesterday because I broke one of the legs that hold the PLASTIC SIDE COVERS (BATTERY). I dont think there is a way to fix this any ideas here? I cannot believe they lasted 30 years and then I come along..anyway any tips as always greatly appreciated.

[Bob_Roller]

The charging system will not produce 14 volts , until the engine rpm's get to 3-4,000 rpm, at idle the charging system is pretty much not working.

You didn't mention if the engine is quitting when all of the lighting problems are happening.

It sounds like a loose or less likely a corroded electrical connection.

Best suggestion that I can give, is to pull apart all of the electrical connectors, and check for condition of the metal contacts, and see if they are secure in the plastic connector body.

This would include the ground or earth connections, the ground or earth wires are a solid brown color on our R65's.

There's a major ground connection under the tank, in the vicinity of the voltage regulator.

There's a good chance, that you may not find anything obviously wrong with the connectors, and when you put them back together again, it may well work, and you will never really know what corrected the problem.

[Gallinazorey]

Bike runs perfect its just the electrical. It also starts with no problems. Comming to think of it, the electricals work perfect when the bike is still, they start misbehaving when the bike starts moving, this throws me off...

[Bob_Roller]

Sounds like a loose electrical connection somewhere, with the bike stationary, start wiggling the wiring harness to see if you can duplicate the problem, and maybe isolate it down to a smaller area.

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

What year?

[Bob_Roller]

Rob,

Your thinking the coil mounting bracket on the points equipped bike ?

[Gallinazorey]

Bike is from 1979 (r65 ofcourse!)

[Bob_Roller]

The points type ignition system bikes, '79 and '80, have a reputation for the forward ignition coil mounting bracket cracking or breaking, this same bracket is the, or one of the major grounding, or earthing points for the bikes electrical system.

I've got an '81, and so I'm not familiar at all with this set-up.

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

The points type ignition system bikes, '79 and '80, have a reputation for he forward ignition coil mounting bracket cracking or breaking, this same bracket is the, or one of the major grounding, or earthing points for the bikes electrical system.

Exactly why I asked.

Please read this link: http://suraklyn.com/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1198915890/0#0

[Gallinazorey]

So by drilling a hole in the socket frame you were done?   I will give it a try...how do you use the dielectric grease?

[nhmaf]

Dielectric grease is  for putting on exposed electrical metal contacts to keep the air/water/etc. out and prevent corrosion.
Rob and Bob are right in that the grounding system used that front coil bracket as a frame ground point, and if the bracket's
cracked, you've got an intermittent ground/circuit.       IF it is cracked you'll need to rig up something with large hose clamps or something
to secure the coils, but also need to reconnect the grounds to the bike frame somehow (drill new hole/relocate ground wires)

[Gallinazorey]

Rob and Bob

YOU GUYS ROCK! Hit the nail on the head. The piece was totally broken off and hanging there..The only difference is when I went to my local garage to have a hole drilled (I know I know I dont own a drill....) he said we might as well weld it, and the results?...perfect

I am back on the road!

thanks guys!

[Ed Miller]

I'm glad that worked.  Like Bob, I'm not familiar with that coil bracket problem.

Your side cover, if indeed you only broke off one ear, can still be held on by the others and by a tiny bungee running over the top of the battery and holding both side covers together.  Or some people zip tie them to the frame, and carry spare zip ties in case they have to remove it on the road for some reason.

[Bob_Roller]

Great to hear that it was a quick find, and an easy fix !!

Rob Valdez has to get the credit for pinpointing this problem.

I wouldn't have thought about it, as my '81 uses a different grounding method, and is not prone to failure like the '79 and'80 year bikes.

It would still be a good idea, at some time in the future, to look over all of the electrical connections on the bike, I don't know how much corrosion could develop due to your normally damp conditions in the UK, I reside in a desert, and the bike rarely gets rained on, and gets washed twice a year whether it needs it or not, so corrosion is not an issue for me.

The side covers are known to break the 'spring' tab that goes over a rubber grommet, not much you can do to fix it, like Ed mentioned, small bungee cords, ty-wraps, or just leave them off, that's my current method.