Volts at 4000 rpm???

[oldryder]

got a 1980 gs850 I'm bringing back to life.

got it running and did a quick charging system check. On various Honda's I've worked on previously you can check charging system my looking at volts at the battery at 4000 rpm.

Is the suzook the same? I only had about 12.6 at 4000 rpm but battery was new and freshly charged so I'm not sure if it should have been any higher. suggestions anyone?

does the charging system tend to be a problem on these bikes? (it sure is on honda's of the same vintage.)

[spyug]

does the charging system tend to be a problem on these bikes? (it sure is on honda's of the same vintage.)

Youbetcha by golly!

Have a read through the stator papers. The first thing to do is run a ground line from the rectifier to the negative battery pole. Next go around the bike and clean all connectors and grounds. You may need to dig deeper if she's not charging ( re the stator papers).

I may be wrong but I believe you should read charging (i.e. around 14 volts across the battery poles) at around 2500 rpm, at least that is what I see on my 750 .

Since I'm paranoid about a non charging bike, I routinely add a voltage meter to help monitor. Cheap analog ones are usually available in most auto stores and I think you can get something digital from Radio Shack or the like. Great for peace of mind.

Lots of good info here on all kinds of electrical issues so grab a coffee and do some reading.

Good luck with the projects.

Cheers,
Spyug.

[Redman]

does the charging system tend to be a problem on these bikes?

Ah.. YAH.

Welcome to GSR.

That is barely charging.

As suggested above. You will want to get check out the "Stator Papers" that are back on the main webpage (not the forumn). The trouble shooting proceedure there is very through and very detailed, checks for many little problems. But then again, a couple little problems could be the cause of your low voltage.
.

[BassCliff]

How to cook with electrons!

Mr. oldryder,

What is the output of your stator? Disconnect all three yellow wires and measure between them, one pair at a time (a-b, a-c, b-c). They should all be around 70v-80v AC. Be sure to set your volt-ohmmeter properly.

If your stator has the proper output then I would suspect your regulator/rectifier. But before you spend any money, run that dedicated ground wire between the r/r and negative battery terminal. Then see how it charges.

I ended up replacing the r/r (see Mr. duaneage), stator (from RMStator), and battery (Yuasa AGM) within about two months of each other. Now I won't have to worry about the charging system for another 20 years or so (knock on wood). Check my website for my stator replacement pictorial. It'll show you what that stuff looks like.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff