The absolute weirdest thing I've ever seen.

[Redneck]

So that is what happened to my Flux Capacitor. Could you please return it the Delorian just does not run the same with out it.

Paul

[rustybronco]

kind of what im thinking high voltage arking,

Arcing is the only thing that makes sense. Did you disconnect the stator from the R/R and try it.

[john82q]

As suggested theres sparking somewhere, arcs are the simplest of radio transmitters, Radio Frequency energy is being transfered into your meter and interfering with the gubbins inside.

I bet you a beer your meters a cheapie.

However I do warn against attempting to pacify the small gubbin inside with beer, hes more your wine wanker.

[spyug]

bet you a beer your meters a cheapie

You owe me one. Its actually a fairly expensive one, perhaps its more sensitive. The pen type one I carry in the 750 is a cheapy and it didn't flicker at all. Go figure. I was thinking of picking up another today as a back-up anyway.

Did you disconnect the stator from the R/R and try it.

I did indeed and it didn't make a whit of difference. More evidence that it could be arcing.

I have an alternative set of coils and wires from the spare bike so tonight I will shift them over and see if that fixes things. I really would like to know for sure.

Thanks all. I appreciate all the input, even the sarcastic jibber-jabber

I'll let you know what I find out.

Cheers,
spyug

[bakalorz]

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

I wouldn't be too panicked if its right with a different meter.
The meters are supposed to be shielded, but sometimes stuff happens and they pick up stuff they shouldn't ...

as far as arcing to the frame or in the stator ... there is arcing going on ALL the time when your bike is running ... sparkplugs anyone ... they tend to throw off SOME RFI no matter what ... the plug resistors suppress it, but don't totally stop it ...

If things read right with a different meter I wouldn't be too worried ...

[spyug]

Well after scratching my bald head for a few days I determined that the silly meter is kaput. I tried it one last time on the battery in the bike with the engine off and this time as soon as I touched the positive probe to the battery post, sparks started to fly

I tried it on three other batteries with the same results so in the trash it goes and I guess I need to hunt down a new one.

Mystery solved and no arcing wires or shorts to the frame or any weird stuff.

Thanks for all the input folks.

Cheers,
Spyug

[john82q]

I tried to warn you not to mess around with the gubbin! :-)


Have a virtual beer on me...


John

[UncleMike]

It's obvious. Your bike is producing its own magnetism. If you looked at it through infrared, it'd look like this.

[Zero260]

My thoughts on this, is that you have non-resistor spark plugs, and while the engine is running the RFI is messing up the meter. maybe?