I put a new battery in my F3 like a month and a half ago. When I put it in everything worked fine. Recently it has seemed like when I start the bike it sounds like it is cranking weak but has not had a problem starting, all the lights are bright and I have not had a problem until today. When I rode home yesterday I was very close to an empty tank but had not run out or switched to reserve yet. When I got on to ride it to work this morning it would crank but not start, so thinking I was out of gas I switched it to reserve and tried to start it by then it seemed too weak to turn over anyways, so I rolled down the driveway and popped the clutch it started no problem. I drove to work with no worries or problems, but I don’t work very far from my house maybe 4-5 miles is all. When I am done with my shift I go to start the bike and it wont turn over by this point I am convinced that I either need to go for a good ride to get a charge back into the battery or stick it on the charger over night or something. I fill up my tank, needless to say I had to pop the clutch again. None of this had affected any drivability of the bike other than it not turning over, until I was on my way home. As I am stopped at the stop light ready to turn the bike started to stutter as if it was going to stall so I pulled the clutch back in and it did not stall so I got on the throttle hard as I watched my tach move it seemed to bounce while accelerating. Then as I was pulling up the next stop light it killed as I was rolling up to it and I popped the clutch again as I was still rolling to the light. I kept revving it so it would not die again, now as I am getting into my neighborhood the bike keeps wanting to die, and my neutral light and blinkers seem very dim. I pull into my driveway and it dies again. I try and pop the clutch and I had to do it a few times to even get it started back up, finally I get it going and pull it into my garage. I try and start it under its own power one more time before I go into the house and I can hardly even get one sorry crank out of it.....Is this an ignition problem or is my battery just so dead it's messing with my ignition system? sorry its a long post but I wanted to get a lot of information in there so someone can help me out. thanks in advance.

-Loomis

 

rectifier should be bad , which works like an alternator...............if thats not the problem check your stator on the left side lower ...more likely the rectifier.....

 

clutch could be slipping also, maybe need ot adjust ur clutch too

 

charge it, start it, then test the volts on the batt.

it should be any were around 13v-14v at or above idle, if not then check the inline fuse from the rectifier to the batt.

if good then test for voltage at the rectifier with the bike ruining and with the fuse removed, test before it and after it. simple way is to remove the seat and then follow the wires from the left engine cover to the fuse block under the seat, unplug it and test the plug connectors

if you get voltage before, (this will be random voltage, i suggest using a fully auto tester, i am not sure if the stator makes A/C or D/C ) if you get something, then the rectifier is bad

if not then the stator behind the engine cover is bad.

 

Sounds like the rectifer. If you don't have the proper tools to check it, Get it to the mech and let them look at it. Mine went bad and I just had it replaced. It seems like I've heard alot of stories of this part burnin out in the F3s. Almost 10 yrs old, parts to start to go.