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battery is dead...already

  • Thread starter Thread starter MikesChevelle
  • Start date Start date
M

MikesChevelle

Guest
Just put a new battery in last thursday and tonight the bike wouldnt start. I am a novice bike mechanic, where do I start

the bike is a 81 GS850G

thanks
 
? no?

I got the gist of it, there was a lot of tangents and odd analogies in there.

Is that ok??
 
Charge up your battery, break out your VOM and get to it

It's a common issue with the GS charging system
 
what i didnt gather, do i need to check/replace the alternator or rectifyer or is the issue tend to be in the wiring?
 
Wow thanks for pointing out something I said I already had trouble understanding??

I stated in my first post I am a novice, and then stated that I had trouble understanding that article. Thanks for your valuable input.
 
MikesChevelle said:
Wow thanks for pointing out something I said I already had trouble understanding??

I stated in my first post I am a novice, and then stated that I had trouble understanding that article. Thanks for your valuable input.
Click to expand...

Sorry for being so harsh. To answer your question, yes it could be your stator, rectifier,it could also be in the wiring.If you can work a computer,you can fix your problem.Please read again you will find the answers and there is plenty of folk who have more knowledge then I that might chime in. Good Luck,I think you can do it.
 
If you don't have a meter, Harbor Freight usually has them for under ten dollars. It is easy to mess up with the probes in the stator wires and to not make a good electrical connection. Bad connection makes a bad reading.

The wires in question are under the left side cover. The ones from the stator ae the three comming up from the top of the motor by the "Y" in the frame. More than likely you have a bad stator and or regulator. Bad connections and bad grounds tend to bring this about.
 
Last edited:
Sheesh....

You'll have to excuse some of these guys. They seem to forget that not everyone is an expert like they are, or that at one point they didn't know jack either.

Lemme preface this by saying I'm NOT an expert, niether in GSes, nor electrical design. And the Stator Papers can be a bit like reading stereo instructions if you're not familiar with either.

The main components in a GS charging system are the Stator, the charging rotor, which is basically a set of magnets that reside on the left end of the crank and spin around the stator. Also the regulator and rectifier (refered to as the R/R most times) and your battery.
The job of the RR is two fold. The regulator basically is in charge of how much of the voltage generated by the generator (the stator and rotor are sometimes refered to as a generator as a unit) is allowed to pass to the battery. Typically the stator puts out way more voltage than the battery needs to charge. If the battery were to receive all that voltage it would over-charge and ruin the battery (usually boils off all te water) and then take out other components in the electrical system. The regulator is basically a switch that shuts on and off many times per second. When the battery needs charging it allows it to pass through, when it doesn't it shunts the power to ground. This action tends to create heat, which can damage the RR. The GSes had a rather weak RR from the factory. Also years of corrosion on the wiring connectors from the stator to the RR and grounds etc generates resistance, which also causes more heat.

If you take more time in following the stator papers it will show you how to test the different components in the system for failure.

You may have one or more problems. Either your RR has failed and has boiled off the battery (which usually takes a little longer than what you've stated) or your RR has failed and simply isn't "opening" to allow current to pass to the battery. ORrrr your stator has failed and one or more "legs" aren't putting out any or enough current to charge the battery.

Give it another read, see if it makes more sense now, and if so you can use a volt meter to test the bits. If it doesn't, feel free to ask more questions.
Volt meters can be picked up cheap at harbor freight or autozone or where ever. Doesn't have to be fancy.

All of us started somewhere and only learned by reading and asking questions.
Some people simply don't want to try to learn, and expect people to tell them what to do. It gets frustrating to some of us who've been here a while.
But even those who wish to learn and DO read sometimes need a little more than a link. Sometimes some of us tend to forget not everyone has experience with every aspect on a bike.
So don't take it personally. And maybe some of us will remember back when we first started learning and pull the stick out of our butts...
 
TheCafeKid said:
Sheesh....

You'll have to excuse some of these guys. They seem to forget that not everyone is an expert like they are, or that at one point they didn't know jack either.

Lemme preface this by saying I'm NOT an expert, niether in GSes, nor electrical design. And the Stator Papers can be a bit like reading stereo instructions if you're not familiar with either.

The main components in a GS charging system are the Stator, the charging rotor, which is basically a set of magnets that reside on the left end of the crank and spin around the stator. Also the regulator and rectifier (refered to as the R/R most times) and your battery.
The job of the RR is two fold. The regulator basically is in charge of how much of the voltage generated by the generator (the stator and rotor are sometimes refered to as a generator as a unit) is allowed to pass to the battery. Typically the stator puts out way more voltage than the battery needs to charge. If the battery were to receive all that voltage it would over-charge and ruin the battery (usually boils off all te water) and then take out other components in the electrical system. The regulator is basically a switch that shuts on and off many times per second. When the battery needs charging it allows it to pass through, when it doesn't it shunts the power to ground. This action tends to create heat, which can damage the RR. The GSes had a rather weak RR from the factory. Also years of corrosion on the wiring connectors from the stator to the RR and grounds etc generates resistance, which also causes more heat.

If you take more time in following the stator papers it will show you how to test the different components in the system for failure.

You may have one or more problems. Either your RR has failed and has boiled off the battery (which usually takes a little longer than what you've stated) or your RR has failed and simply isn't "opening" to allow current to pass to the battery. ORrrr your stator has failed and one or more "legs" aren't putting out any or enough current to charge the battery.

Give it another read, see if it makes more sense now, and if so you can use a volt meter to test the bits. If it doesn't, feel free to ask more questions.
Volt meters can be picked up cheap at harbor freight or autozone or where ever. Doesn't have to be fancy.

All of us started somewhere and only learned by reading and asking questions.
Some people simply don't want to try to learn, and expect people to tell them what to do. It gets frustrating to some of us who've been here a while.
But even those who wish to learn and DO read sometimes need a little more than a link. Sometimes some of us tend to forget not everyone has experience with every aspect on a bike.
So don't take it personally. And maybe some of us will remember back when we first started learning and pull the stick out of our butts...
Click to expand...

That's what I said. not in so many words. Could have said use the search function.
 
Hi,

You'll find a lot of electrical information on my little website:


And on the *Electrical Odds and Ends* page:​


I've collected quite a bit of stuff there from the generous gurus here. You can gain a lot of background and theoretical knowledge by going through all of the information on my little website. Please help yourself. :)


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff
 
BassCliff said:
Hi,

You'll find a lot of electrical information on my little website:


And on the *Electrical Odds and Ends* page:​


I've collected quite a bit of stuff there from the generous gurus here. You can gain a lot of background and theoretical knowledge by going through all of the information on my little website. Please help yourself. :)


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff
Click to expand...



Key phrase here..."Please help yourself".

With literally hundreds of different threads in the archives on this topic, all waiting for someone to find using the search feature, there is no reason to be befuddled about the charging system, even if you are a newbie. Putting in some work to educate yourself is a good thing. Many of us here will bend over backwards to help people that have demonstrated they are trying, but have gotten stuck on some details they don't understand.
 
Thanks guys, for now I have the battery on a tender until I can get myself to understand the ins and outs. Should have some time tomorrow to dive into this. dang preggo wife is keeping me busy
 
MikesChevelle said:
Thanks guys, for now I have the battery on a tender until I can get myself to understand the ins and outs. Should have some time tomorrow to dive into this. dang preggo wife is keeping me busy
Click to expand...
If your battery is a "wet" battery, did you verify that fluid levels are proper?


And, ... if you think your "preggo" wife is keeping you busy now, ... :-\\\

.
 
he he, its our second so I already know what is to come......... as far as fluid levels, just make sure they are topped off correct? with water like people do with car batteries?

thanks
 
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