The absolute weirdest thing I've ever seen.

[Guest]

So today I started in on the new to me 83/550E. As the bike had sat for 3 years I decided to pull the carbs and replace them with the ones off the "parts bike" which I had cleaned and rebuilt last year.

Once in and with a fresh battery I cranked her over and she came to life once again. Initially, she wouldn't run off enricher (choke for the newbies) and she seemed to be only running on 3 cylinders. I checked spark on all cylinders using an external plug resting on the engine and confirmed I have good spark to all 4. Running again it seemed better and would rev up and drop back but to a "lumpy idle" so I'm thinking I need some fresh plugs.

Now to the "absolute weirdest thing I have ever seen". The PO had put in a new R/R prior to laying it up so I figured I should check for charging. with the engine off the battery rests at about 12.8 volts or so. I break out the trusty multimeter and as soon as I get within a foot of the battery with it turned on but the probes not touching the display starts going haywire with voltages bouncing from the minuses up to 18 or 19 volts. Touching the probes to the poles makes no difference. WTF I say. Defective meter or maybe needs a fresh battery. I change to a fresh 9 volt and try again. Same result. Its like a force field around the bike. Anywhere I stand within a foot of it, the meter goes berserk.

I disconnect the R/R and nothing changes, I can't get a normal steady reading at the battery. I'm starting to think a defective stator but I can't even get a reading off it. As soon as the bike is running the meter goes bonkers.

I don't have a back up meter at the moment but I have a call in to my bud so I'll check with his later.

Anyone ever seen anything like this? If the meter is to be believed, I'm thinking it has to be the stator. Idon't really want to run it anymore until I figure this out as I don't want to fry the precious igniter. Maybe this is the notorious thing that kills so many of them.

I'm stumped on this one. I had a look in the archives and the S-Papers but I don't see anything.

Ideas oh electrical gurus?????

Cheers,
spyug

[hikermikem]

Just to totally rule out the meter, try it on your car battery.

If all is good there, then I dunno, sure sounds wacky!!

Have you verifed all the connections & grounding spots on the new one?

Good luck, let us know when you figure it out.

[mike_of_bbg]

Yeah, that's pretty nutty for sure. Is there someone you can borrow another meter from?

What model R/R did the PO replace with?

[spyug]

Thanks Mike. Yup, I checked it on another battery and no issues. I haven't raised my buddy yet to borrow his meter but if it does the same thing I'm really going to be flumoxed.
It definitely is bizarre.

I don't think it has anything to do with the R/r, however, since I get the same observation with it disconnected from the stator.

I'll keep you informed.

cheers,
spyug

[hampshirehog]

She's not stood on a rubber mat and built up static I suppose?

[zeebob]

Bikes that are allowed to sit sometimes develop " a positive ground charge" around them. Run a heavy copper braided line from the battery ground on the bike to earth and allow it to dissipate. This will take about two weeks. If you have lightening rods on your house you can use that ground.

[spyug]

She's not stood on a rubber mat and built up static I suppose?

No, she's on cold concrete flooring in the garage. The thing is, its all perfectly normal with the engine off but once I turn it on its like she generates a force field. It doesn't seem to matter where I stand in relation to the battery. If I have the multimeter in hand and stand withing 1 ft. of the bike it does its weird dance. Its possessed

The more I puzzle on it, the more convinced I am that it has to be the stator as its the only thing generating a charge and since I'm getting the symptoms everywhere it must be shorting to the frame.

I've never run across anything like this in over 45 years of wrenching. Its a puzzler for sure.

I guess I won't be sleeping tonight.

Thanks guys,
spyug

[hampshirehog]

I think I agree with your diagnosis - it's got to be the stator shorting out. Have you tried doing the resistance tests? Maybe disconnect the battery beforehand if it makes any difference.

[bccap]

Maybe one of the missing Avro Arrows is buried under your garage ?

[Stahlgrau333]

This one's easy...


It's haunted.

[spyug]

Well, I remembered I had a pen type multimeter that I carry in my 750 toolkit so I tried that and no hebbie-jeebies I get a solid 13.5+v at 2500. So I guess I've got a wacko main multimeter.

I think I need to invest in another back-up meter for the man cave just in case I have to go through something like this again. Of course, I hope I never do.

Many thanks to all for your support.

cheers,
Spyug

[Good Times]

Same thing happened to me.....right before I went down in the Bermuda Triangle.

[sk843143]

Spark plug wires arching to the frame intermitly....maby

[spyug]

Spark plug wires arching to the frame intermitly....maby

Wow that's a good one. I would never have thought of that but it does sound possible. I did once hear of a coil that did something like that. I hope you're wrong mind you as I thought I sussed it.

I'll see if I can check that just for fun.

Cheers,
Spyug

[clancey g]

kind of what im thinking high voltage arking, past a medium of material or metal, sounds like a tesla coil http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_coil