Charging Sytem

[orgis]

while reading up on the honda R\R replacement i noticed some people ignore the wiring to the lighting switch, can some one please tell me is this because the charging system will charge the battery even with the lights off? or should i say does the battery only get charged when the lights are switched on?

i also have another question to do with my battery

why does the neg terminal look like this?


i think the pic makes it look worse than it is, its all like a white powdery type deposit

any help apreciated

[argonsagas]

The Honda R/R likes to have one wire/ lighting as you called it, connected to a live circuit.

he powder on your terminal is quite common. You can clean it off easily.

Remove the wire/cable from the terminal then use water and a toothbrush to brush away the accumulaion on the terminal o, if you want to do it quicker, and cleaner use a bit of vinegar on a toothbrush.

After that, put a smear of vaseline or a similar jellied petroleum on the wires and terminal with your finger, then bolt it all together. No, it will not cause any problems with electrical flow.

Use two wires for ground....the one that is there already, and add a second one at the R/R mount point.

[flyingace]

To answer your question, the system will charge whether the light is off or on. Your concern should actually be that the bike doesn't ovecharge with the light off.

Before 1982/3 or so, Suzuki ran one stator wire to the headlight. This was basically a way to prevent over-charging if the headlight was not switched on. When Suzuki took away the option of a headlight switch and the light was always on, they simply routed the third wire back into R/R.

What's important to remember is that if all three stator wires are routed to the R/R, always have your headlight on.

[orgis]

What's important to remember is that if all three stator wires are routed to the R/R, always have your headlight on.

if i put my headlight on constantly i drain the battery im looking for a honda r\r just now, the one thing i havent done is directly eart the rectifier to the battery which i will do in a while when i take my battery out to charge it once again.

thanks for info guys

EDIT
I forgot to say my bike is a 78 GS750 oops!

[flyingace]

If the battery drains with the light on while the bike is running, you have either a stator problem or an R/R problem. Go to the Stator Papers on this web site to diagnose. You will need a multitester.

[orgis]

i am on my 2nd r\r as i had nothing from the one i had on the bike when i got it and i bought a used one that gave me a better charging system but not perfect, i have just properly earthed the r\r so its directly connected to the battery, i am also trying another tip i got form a mate which is to swap round the w\r and the w\bl which seemingly gives out a slightly better output, worth a try i think.

i forgot to say when bike is running and battery is low so are the lights but at higher revs the light grows brighter does this indicte an ok stator?

i tested my stator a few months back and got ok results my original r\r was totally dead, i think maybe my new 2nd hand one has now maybe just died, i can't go out and test it right now but will tomorrow and post results.

i leave for work at 0530 the last thing i need is a dead battery and late for work again lol

[flyingace]

Your stator sounds like it's OK. If it has at least 50 V AC on all the leads its working. The manual sez 75, but it doesn't really need to be that high.

What is the voltage of your battery with the engine off, at idle, at 4000K RPM? If the readings show progressively higher voltage, the R/R would seem OK. Maybe the battery is always draining - like a hot wire short?

[orgis]

Your stator sounds like it's OK. If it has at least 50 V AC on all the leads its working. The manual sez 75, but it doesn't really need to be that high.

What is the voltage of your battery with the engine off, at idle, at 4000K RPM? If the readings show progressively higher voltage, the R/R would seem OK. Maybe the battery is always draining - like a hot wire short?

ill check tomorrow and post results

cheers mate