Carbon fouling problem

[Jethro]

Looks like I lose 3-4 volts between the battery and the headlight. Am I in electrical hell? It seems so... What should I do?

I should add that the repairing of the harness wires helped tons. The bike even idles no problem at 900 rpm. It hasn't done that smoothly ever since I had it. I didn't wire the r/r directly to the battery, I'm gonna start with that while I wait for you to respond! (see, I knew you could re-pay me for driving you all over Asheville that day!:-D

[earlfor]

yeah, I remember Asheville all to well. I owe you big time for that favor! :-)
At least we seem to have the idling and ignition sorted out now. Wire direct to battery with your RR red and black leads and I dont think you'll have anymore problems in that department. ehehe

OK then, dropping 3-4 volts between battery and headlight. Lemme see if I understand the situation. You have the headlight removed from the bike and all you are measuring is voltage at the empty light socket. correct?
Do this for me, Unplug the orange/white 12v + supply wire from each coil.
unplug or remove the tailight bulb. Now measure the voltage at the headlight socket (ign on of course) LOL With the coils unpowered and the tail light disconnected or removed, there should be no draw on the battery. The difference you will see between voltage at the battery terminals and the voltage at the headlight socket will be a result of wiring harness, connector and switch resistance. Tell me what you get doing this. I want to be sure the problem is indeed the lighting circuit and not something else. (this is still going to leave your dash lights burning, but they are so small, consumption is negligable)

Earl

Looks like I lose 3-4 volts between the battery and the headlight. Am I in electrical hell? It seems so... What should I do?

I should add that the repairing of the harness wires helped tons. The bike even idles no problem at 900 rpm. It hasn't done that smoothly ever since I had it. I didn't wire the r/r directly to the battery, I'm gonna start with that while I wait for you to respond! (see, I knew you could re-pay me for driving you all over Asheville that day!:-D

[Jethro]

Well I went downstairs, got the wiring chart out and totally got sidetracked, or just remembering what I did last year when my starter switch went south. I disconnected the clutch saftey and wired the starter switch directly to the positive terminal of the starter relay. This all came back to me as I went through the fuses and notcied the main fuse was blown- it's been bypassed! Probably not the way to fix that problem. My turn signals are wired all messed up too, but they work.

So I sat and dazed at the wiring chart for about an hour. I'll try your test tomorrow Earl, but this all must be a linked problem.

The bike now idles fine but still misses on take off well after it's fully warmed up. To test the coils, can't I just check voltage to the neg and pos of the coils while the ignition is on? The left coil gets about 8 volts that way, I couldn't get a reading off the right one!

[earlfor]

yeah, electrical stuff is usually linked. I try to isolate circuits as much as possible and check one thing at a time. Once one thing works, I add something to it and see if it still works. :-)

Your miss now may be nothing more than already fouled plugs. I wouldnt do anything more than maybe change the plugs at this point. That alone may cure the miss. If not changing the plugs, I would remove them and soak them in vinegar overnight to clean them.

You can check voltage available to the coils by removing the orange/white wire and checking voltage on that wire.

Earl

So I sat and dazed at the wiring chart for about an hour. I'll try your test tomorrow Earl, but this all must be a linked problem.

The bike now idles fine but still misses on take off well after it's fully warmed up. To test the coils, can't I just check voltage to the neg and pos of the coils while the ignition is on? The left coil gets about 8 volts that way, I couldn't get a reading off the right one!

[Jethro]

Earl, let me make sure I am checking voltage at the coils correctly. Bike is not running, ignition switch is on, one lead from the meter is on the orange/white wire, the other contact is on the battery negative terminal or the frame. Doing this is have 12.30 vdc at the battery, and 4.5 vdc at the left coil, less than 3 vdc at the right coil (actually it eventually goes to about 1).

I'm assuming I have a big problem here? Or am I not testing correctly?

[earlfor]

Do you have the orange white wire disconnected from the coils and are only checking voltage on the wire? also, 12.3 v is almost a dead battery. You couldnt power a flashlight with that thing. :-)

Earl

Earl, let me make sure I am checking voltage at the coils correctly. Bike is not running, ignition switch is on, one lead from the meter is on the orange/white wire, the other contact is on the battery negative terminal or the frame. Doing this is have 12.30 vdc at the battery, and 4.5 vdc at the left coil, less than 3 vdc at the right coil (actually it eventually goes to about 1).

I'm assuming I have a big problem here? Or am I not testing correctly?

[Jethro]

Hold on a moment, I thought a fully charged battery was between 12 and 13 volts?!?

[Jethro]

It starts the bike no problem, and powers the headlight no problem. I've even left the headlight on for as long as a half hour and been able to start the bike!

[Jethro]

I have both the orange and white wire off and am checking the current between the orange/white wire to the negative battery terminal. I lose 8-11 volts! On an already dead battery?!?!

[BadBillyB]

Whenever I get a problem where multiple systems are affected, I go after the easiest circuit. The rest usually falls into place...Jethro, try this simple test. Put your red or pos meter lead on the B+ terminal of the battery. Now take the black meter lead (NEG), with the ignition ON, and read the voltage at all the tabs that the fuses touch at the fuse panel. This will eliminate a lot of stuff. You should not get over a volt at any one of the fuse terminals......BadBillyB

[Jethro]

You messin' with me Earl? My battery is well charged at 12.30 volts! Even the manual says so!

Anyway, I went downstairs and checked out the fuse panel as BBB suggested and I replaced the fuse labled "main" that I thought I bypassed last year when my starter switch failed, but it obviously does something for the coils. My hack wireing job in the headlight must have been powering the coils and robbing voltage. I now only lose less than a volt from battery to both coils. Time to put the tank back on and see how it runs.

[earlfor]

A fully charged battery will read about almost 13 volts. 12.5 is about half charged and 12.3 is aprox 25% charged.

Earl

Hold on a moment, I thought a fully charged battery was between 12 and 13 volts?!?

[BadBillyB]

You messin' with me Earl? My battery is well charged at 12.30 volts! Even the manual says so!

Anyway, I went downstairs and checked out the fuse panel as BBB suggested and I replaced the fuse labled "main" that I thought I bypassed last year when my starter switch failed, but it obviously does something for the coils. My hack wireing job in the headlight must have been powering the coils and robbing voltage. I now only lose less than a volt from battery to both coils. Time to put the tank back on and see how it runs.

Did you actually measure the voltage (drop), (my suggested method) at each fuse terminal or did you stuble onto the fix??? If you measure voltage drop down one side of the fuse connectors it measures drop through the ignition switch/battery cable and all connectors. If you measure down the other side it measures the drop (if any) from a bad fuse connection. Clean your connectors good at the fuse panel. I just did mine the other day after I found other poor connections. Good maintenance.........BadBillyB

[Jethro]

A fully charged battery will read about almost 13 volts. 12.5 is about half charged and 12.3 is aprox 25% charged.

Well if that's true I guess I'll buy myself a new battery. The road test went as before. Runs like a swiss watch until about 10 minutes after I start riding, then I get a bad stumble at take off. But voltage at idle seems to be about 13.25 volts, and it idles nicely.

[Jethro]

Why does the manual say it's a 12v system if the batter needs to be 13 volts!? I'm getting even more confused, if that is possible. I'm guessing this could be a huge reason why it's stumbling.