Engine cutting out while riding + no battery power
#1
08-21-2009, 05:42 AM
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Engine cutting out while riding + no battery power
Hi, I have a 1987 cbr 600 which I have owned for just over a month.
There seems to be a problem with the battery or charging system. Sometimes the bike wont start it will only turn over a few times then run out of puff with no power left to even run the lights. However more worryingly it sometimes cuts out when I'm riding, then has no power in the battery to restart? This only happens at relatively slow speeds when I am approaching a junction.
The previous owner claimed to have put in a new battery (it looks new but he had no receipt) so this led me to believe that he must have experience similar problems that were not resolved with a new battery. I have read a few threads on how to diagnose charging system failures and every component seems to work? Also when the battery is completely dead (light on bike wont come on) if I remove the battery and place it on a battery charger it reads 60% charge and after being left over night it only reads 'ok' and not 'charged'? After replacing the battery which had been on the charger overnight I left the lights on full beam with the engine off and it took a full hour for the battery to die. So the battery does store charge but appears to use more energy powering the lights when I am riding than it receives from the alternator.
The battery appears to be new and works to some extent so would simply replacing the battery resolve this issue?
If anyone has any suggestions I would really appreciate it, cheers.
There seems to be a problem with the battery or charging system. Sometimes the bike wont start it will only turn over a few times then run out of puff with no power left to even run the lights. However more worryingly it sometimes cuts out when I'm riding, then has no power in the battery to restart? This only happens at relatively slow speeds when I am approaching a junction.
The previous owner claimed to have put in a new battery (it looks new but he had no receipt) so this led me to believe that he must have experience similar problems that were not resolved with a new battery. I have read a few threads on how to diagnose charging system failures and every component seems to work? Also when the battery is completely dead (light on bike wont come on) if I remove the battery and place it on a battery charger it reads 60% charge and after being left over night it only reads 'ok' and not 'charged'? After replacing the battery which had been on the charger overnight I left the lights on full beam with the engine off and it took a full hour for the battery to die. So the battery does store charge but appears to use more energy powering the lights when I am riding than it receives from the alternator.
The battery appears to be new and works to some extent so would simply replacing the battery resolve this issue?
If anyone has any suggestions I would really appreciate it, cheers.
#2
08-21-2009, 05:56 AM
It sounds like your regulator is cactus, common problem. So operating your bike drains your battery, other symptoms can be the bike running like crap & the odd backfire.
This is the tricky part though, a buggered battery will also give you the same symptoms (won't hold a charge). Just about everyone that's had a crook reg, immediately thinks the battery is bad, buy a new one & find out that it ain't the problem. Only real solution is to have your reg checked for output (make sure the bike has been running for a bit, as a cold bike with a dodgy reg can give an ok reading. Also battery testers that are generic (ie for cars & trucks) will often give a poor rating on a bike battery, so have that checked out with the right gear.
This is the tricky part though, a buggered battery will also give you the same symptoms (won't hold a charge). Just about everyone that's had a crook reg, immediately thinks the battery is bad, buy a new one & find out that it ain't the problem. Only real solution is to have your reg checked for output (make sure the bike has been running for a bit, as a cold bike with a dodgy reg can give an ok reading. Also battery testers that are generic (ie for cars & trucks) will often give a poor rating on a bike battery, so have that checked out with the right gear.
Last edited by pacemaker; 08-21-2009 at 05:59 AM.
#3
08-21-2009, 06:57 AM
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Thanks for the quick reply, how do I check the regulator output? I have already checked the voltage across the battery terminals with the engine not running, started the bike and revved up to 5000rpm the voltage was up maybe half a volt. Does this indicate that the regulator/rectifier is working correctly?
#4
08-22-2009, 01:42 PM
#6
08-25-2009, 04:51 PM
Senior Member
Pffff what!? Oh, you Southern Hemipherites and your upside-down language. . .
+1000 on the R\R. Pull off your tail fairing and remove the R\R. The honda ones are so horrible I can't believe there hasn't been a class-action lawsuit yet. Inspect it for warped or melted spots. if it looks OK, test it like so:
http://www.offwidth.co.uk/bike/gener...lt_finding.pdf
+1000 on the R\R. Pull off your tail fairing and remove the R\R. The honda ones are so horrible I can't believe there hasn't been a class-action lawsuit yet. Inspect it for warped or melted spots. if it looks OK, test it like so:
http://www.offwidth.co.uk/bike/gener...lt_finding.pdf
Last edited by johnnyx; 08-25-2009 at 04:54 PM.
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