Zero Knievel Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 On my way to a meet in Arkansas, my voltmeter started reading low. FWIW, replaced the R/R this winter (did wire loom fix, checked all connectors) and the stator tested fine. Soldered the wires together...no connection with loose gaps. Bike ran fine at two events in the last month. Today, I notice it's under 13v. My "self assuring" thought is that the R/R is "clamping down" on voltage because the battery is at max charge (by this point, I had been on the road at highways speeds of 75+ with tach in 4.5 range for 5-6 hours with only stops for gas). I've seen it happen before....and after a while it goes back up again after the battery has discharged enough to need more charging. For a bit, I even see it momentarily dip to 11.9/12.0v. The rest of my ride, the reading is hanging around 12.5...rarely over 13.0, but I'm but tooling down the highway. No need for 14.5-14.8v if the battery is staying fully charged, right? Could it again be the voltmeter wires coming loose? Unlikely. It's wired to the Fuzeblock and reads right off the battery. The wires do have a quick disconnect plug, but it's highly unlikely to come loose from anything (holds a lot tighter than what I set up the first time). I have no access to a multimeter to see if the battery is reading true to the meter. I'm in Tunica, MS (just south of Memphis) at the Fitz Casino/Hotel. My cell number is 423-217-2617. I'm paying for Wi-Fi (grr), but the cell phone will be more reliable to reach me at any time. I don't want to head home tomorrow. My plan is to go to the rally and if need be just camp out in town for 2 days and go straight home...salvage what I can from this trip. Any advice? *** Hotel maintenance guy let me use his multimeter. Voltmeter reads true. 11.7v and not budging when I rev the motor up to and over 5K. HID lamps make it hard to tell if the system is charging or not. Noteworthy Point: Even at 11.7v, HID headlight came on w/no problem, cranked and started w/no problem or the HID blinking (often result of voltage drop the capacitor hasn't yet built up enough reserve to compensate for)> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IcePrick Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 Radio Shack used to have a small DVM for like $30 - I still have mine in my bike toolkit. I'm sure you have all the troubleshooting guidance. A flukey battery means all bets are off. Really. You're chasing your tail if the battery even MIGHT be a little weak. For the price of a battery, it's worth it to try unless you are POSITIVE the battery is GREAT. Absent finding a a brand-new part to replace the offending one (unless you get lucky and find a bad/corroded connection), I'd consider buying a Wal-Mart battery charger and taking the battery into the hotel room to charge at night, and pull the wires/fuses on all the lights when you're riding. It will be interesting stopping to plug in every few hours... How does low voltage effect the EFI? If a '97 stator will work, my bird is down anyways... I can pull it tonight and FedEx it in the morning. I have a new R/R and the stocker (working) as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero Knievel Posted June 17, 2012 Author Share Posted June 17, 2012 Radio Shack used to have a small DVM for like $30 - I still have mine in my bike toolkit. I'm sure you have all the troubleshooting guidance. Absent finding a a brand-new part to replace the offending one (unless you get lucky and find a bad/corroded connection), I'd consider buying a Wal-Mart battery charger and taking the battery into the hotel room to charge at night, and pull the wires/fuses on all the lights when you're riding. It will be interesting stopping to plug in every few hours... How does low voltage effect the EFI? If a '97 stator will work, my bird is down anyways... I can pull it tonight and FedEx it in the morning. I have a new R/R and the stocker (working) as well. I'm in no real position to work on the bike. Changing a battery is about it. If I have to do that much work, my vacation can't be salvaged and I might as well head home and hope for the best as I limp home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IcePrick Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 A new battery almost can't hurt, except in the wallet. I've limped a dead one along by jumping/charging every hour or so, it takes about a 15-minute charge to get it to go for a while. I'm guessing a charger would do the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero Knievel Posted June 17, 2012 Author Share Posted June 17, 2012 A new battery almost can't hurt, except in the wallet. I've limped a dead one along by jumping/charging every hour or so, it takes about a 15-minute charge to get it to go for a while. I'm guessing a charger would do the same. If I don't have to meet up with someone tomorrow, the first stop will be at a Wal Mart for a battery charger. At least that will get me where I'm going even if I have to stop for an hour to charge up. *** At least my luck seems to have taken a turn for the better. Decided to get something to eat rather than brood in my room with a protein shake. Basically all there is as options is the casino's pricy restaurant and the buffet (still pricey, but more options). As I went to pay, the woman behind me overheard that it was just me. She had a coupon for 2 free buffets, and she was "alone" (her two female friends had their own coupon). So, she used me as her +1 and the four of us had a decent dinner together. $15+ saved right there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IcePrick Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 ...and you can probably check out of your room now, too. Maybe she'll win big and pay to have the dealer fix the XX while you're on the honeymoon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JB4XX Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 is your bike injected or carb? I'm sure you can find a yamaha or honda dealer around somewhere. Stopping and charging a battery would be ok for limping home, but no way I would head on a trip without fixing the charging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero Knievel Posted June 18, 2012 Author Share Posted June 18, 2012 is your bike injected or carb? I'm sure you can find a yamaha or honda dealer around somewhere. Stopping and charging a battery would be ok for limping home, but no way I would head on a trip without fixing the charging. True, but I'm literally 1/2 a day from my main destination. Get there and I have 2 days to see if I can tinker with it...or at least arrange a U-Haul bike trailer and car rental to get it home. Thing is that I'm sure a replacement stator IS NOT going to be an off-the-shelf part. R/Rs aren't that way, so I could wind up tossing my trip trying to get a shop to fix it. Might as well just go home. So far, I see nothing obvious wrong....not that I can remove my rear cowl (don't have the right size wrench to get at the lock nuts I used for the Givi rack. It's odd that it starts up fine and the HID lights work with no issue. That's what boggles me. I'd expect them to have problems if the starting voltage is under 12v. Fortunately, someone in the group is about 1.5 hours away and will wait for me so I go the rest of the way with their group. I at least won't be on the road long on my own. Pick up a battery charger and see how well things go from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptxyz Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 if you can get a multi meter, good idea to check the stator. there should be between .1 & 1.0 ohms resistance between any of the 3 yellow wires coming from the stator and ground. if out of range, you probably need a new stator. mine went bad, the poor things are bathed in hot oil. mechanic showed me where a couple of the coils overheated and fused. it was replaced with a rick's electics and been good for about a year now. i now have an extra r/r. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XXMAN Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 On my way to a meet in Arkansas, my voltmeter started reading low. FWIW, replaced the R/R this winter (did wire loom fix, checked all connectors) and the stator tested fine. Soldered the wires together...no connection with loose gaps. Bike ran fine at two events in the last month. Today, I notice it's under 13v. My "self assuring" thought is that the R/R is "clamping down" on voltage because the battery is at max charge (by this point, I had been on the road at highways speeds of 75+ with tach in 4.5 range for 5-6 hours with only stops for gas). I've seen it happen before....and after a while it goes back up again after the battery has discharged enough to need more charging. For a bit, I even see it momentarily dip to 11.9/12.0v. The rest of my ride, the reading is hanging around 12.5...rarely over 13.0, but I'm but tooling down the highway. No need for 14.5-14.8v if the battery is staying fully charged, right? Could it again be the voltmeter wires coming loose? Unlikely. It's wired to the Fuzeblock and reads right off the battery. The wires do have a quick disconnect plug, but it's highly unlikely to come loose from anything (holds a lot tighter than what I set up the first time). I have no access to a multimeter to see if the battery is reading true to the meter. I'm in Tunica, MS (just south of Memphis) at the Fitz Casino/Hotel. My cell number is 423-217-2617. I'm paying for Wi-Fi (grr), but the cell phone will be more reliable to reach me at any time. I don't want to head home tomorrow. My plan is to go to the rally and if need be just camp out in town for 2 days and go straight home...salvage what I can from this trip. Any advice? *** Hotel maintenance guy let me use his multimeter. Voltmeter reads true. 11.7v and not budging when I rev the motor up to and over 5K. HID lamps make it hard to tell if the system is charging or not. Noteworthy Point: Even at 11.7v, HID headlight came on w/no problem, cranked and started w/no problem or the HID blinking (often result of voltage drop the capacitor hasn't yet built up enough reserve to compensate for)> http://www.cbr1100xx.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=53455 Thank Hobie all you need to know about your stator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobicus Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 http://www.cbr1100xx.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=53455 As long as you can start the bike, you can test the stator. Walmart sells multi-meters for $10. While you're there, you can buy a cheap ratchet set and some black RTV. That's all you need to replace the stator. http://www.ricksmotorsportelectrics.com/ They can overnight parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RXX Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 As long as you have a voltmeter, you can ride I think. Mine did the same at WVXXT a few years back. Stator was going bad, but at highway speeds it stayed somewhat above +12VDC. Not a lot, rarely +13V DC. I drove it the 400 miles home, then a 400+ 3 day round trip down to Huntsville. Had to charge the thing everytime before it would crank, but it kept running. I realize YMMV, but with a voltmeter you have the confidence to know that at least it is/is not getting some charge. BTW, while you are in Tunica, drive down to Clarksville (next town south) and go to Ground Zero, the birthplace of the blues. And get a six pack of red hots (tamales) the best in the world. And on your way back stop at Interstate BBQ (3rd street and I-55) mmmmmmmm...... BBQ cooked by the pride of Memphis. You may want to leave your bike running maybe. It is right at the interchange in a transitional neighborhood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slowrideCX Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 I say test the stator for AC voltage output should be between 35-50 vac across any of the 3 legs at 5k . Don't waste ur money on a charger unless u really wanna buy one. Do as Rich said. Worst case pull the light fuses and anything not needed to run and ride that Bitch home!!!! I road almost 400 miles home from wv in 08 with the stator producing only about 12v for the entire ride. Grant it my bike is carbed but if you can get it home do it. Or buy the tools and overnight the part and change it at the meet. Your looking at maybe an hour of work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat830 Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 So, she used me as her +1 and the four of us had a decent dinner together. Did she use you anymore later on??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero Knievel Posted June 22, 2012 Author Share Posted June 22, 2012 So, she used me as her +1 and the four of us had a decent dinner together. Did she use you anymore later on??? Admittedly, the thought did cross my mind that perhaps she was paying for my dinner out of more than generosity, but I didn't pick up on any "signals" from her or her friends. Of course, unless a woman rips open her shirt and shouts "TAKE ME," I can be pretty clueless (as some of you who have met me know by now). I remember talking with a teacher back in community college, and a woman I knew from class (and we shared a exercise class) came up and asked some questions. After we were done and she left, my teacher looked at me and asked, "Didn't you realize she was flirting with you?" I didn't pick up on any of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero Knievel Posted June 22, 2012 Author Share Posted June 22, 2012 I'll ask here rather than start a new thread. Got the stator off, realized I should test it to be sure. Put it back on, ran the bike, started the check. Only got 1.4-1.5v at best. When I pulled it off (only put it back on with 2 bolts to keep it in place), a puff of smoke came out, but I don't know where it came from. While the stator is all brown, I don't see the appearance of melted or charred wiring. Smelled like cooked oil. Not much oil was there when I took it off the first time, but I cleaned it off with Windex so I could set it on the table without leaving oil stains. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slowrideCX Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 I'll ask here rather than start a new thread. Got the stator off, realized I should test it to be sure. Put it back on, ran the bike, started the check. Only got 1.4-1.5v at best. When I pulled it off (only put it back on with 2 bolts to keep it in place), a puff of smoke came out, but I don't know where it came from. While the stator is all brown, I don't see the appearance of melted or charred wiring. Smelled like cooked oil. Not much oil was there when I took it off the first time, but I cleaned it off with Windex so I could set it on the table without leaving oil stains. If it smells burnt then it probably is cooked. 1.4-1.5v is not even close to good!!! Should be as stated 35-50 VAC that is AC voltage NOT DC!!!! the R/R converts it to 12VDC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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