Loud POP, rectifier blowout?

[KitKat]

So i was driving my bike the other day, i knew it needs a new r/r, but just managing with the one i have until duanage comes along with one.

Anyway, before 5 minutes of riding, my bike will bog under gas and the turn signals will generate more power and so will the highbeam. So i was messing around with this in the neighborhood and a loud POP almost like a single shot firework sounded. I think i have read on here somewhere that it might mean the r/r is out. so i stopped riding it. and will not until i get a new r/r or you guys say that the pop was just a loud backfire.

Any1 know for sure what it was? ( oh and the bike backfires very subtly while it bogs but problem goes away compltely after 5 - 10 minutes of driving the bike)

Thanks

[reddirtrider]

Run some tests. The Stator Papers define them pretty well.

[KitKat]

ill do that first thing tomorrow.

Thanks

[BassCliff]

Hi,

Did you still have electricity after the pop? I would think that your r/r would have to suffer a major meltdown in order to "pop". Not likely. What other troubleshooting have you done?



Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[Steve]

... my bike will bog under gas and the turn signals will generate more power and so will the highbeam.

I'm still trying to figure out how the turn signals and highbeam generate any power, let alone more power.

.

[KitKat]

its a problem with the r/r.

kittenTooth had the EXACT same problem, he got an aftermarket r/r and the problem went away.

What confuses me is that why does this problem go away once the bike is hot? like 5 - 10 minutes after riding

[KitKat]

in reply to basecliff, i have just looked at the r/r and wires and everything seemed fine. Full electricity after pop. drove nicely, so it might have just been a huge backfire?

[BassCliff]

Hi,

Have you worked your way through the fault finding chart in the Stator Papers? What is the AC output of your stator? What is the DC output of your r/r at idle? At 5000 rpm? What is the voltage drop between the r/r output and the battery?

Yes, it was probably just a backfire.

The last time I noticed my headlight getting brighter and dimmer (no matter the rpm) it was because my stator was cooked. After cooking two stators in two years I really cleaned every electrical connection and ground on the entire wiring harness plus the fusebox and ignition.

Have you cleaned every electrical connection and ground on the entire wiring harness? A layer of oxidation is hard to see but can increase resistance and cause heat, melted wires, burned stators, etc. Other things to do are clean the carbs and check the valve clearances. See the lists in the mega-welcome. All the basic maintenance must be performed or it's likely that you'll be chasing problems for a long time. Keep us informed.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[Dreef1999]

A backfire would be more than a pop if you were right next to the bike.

I did have the negative terminal on my battery 'pop' on me once. My electricals still haven't been gone over (everything works now) so once when reinstalling my battery I wanted to start the bike but it wasn't turning over.

I held the button and leaned down to see if I could hear anything and the thin layer of corrosion/deposit on the negative terminal exploded off making a small 'pop'.

I re-tightened everything, terrified that my entire electrical system was dead, but fortunately everything started and charged ok. I might be below spec but I have a kick-starter so I can overlook a poor but adequate charge for a long time.

So I guess I am in agreement that you might have had a portion of your electrical system burnout or, if lucky like me, just burn off some corrosion from the excessive resistance at a connection. Tighten everything down and buy a $15 multimeter to check your system.

[reddirtrider]

Arcs don't burn off corrosion, in the end they just make it worse. If you have loose connections, any vibration can close the gap and give you continuity, especially in high current paths. I'd suggest you clean the connection, then tighten it back down.

If your R/R 'pops', then it's gone for good. There isn't any rehab period where it will rejuvinate itself. I've witnessed transistors explode as well as capacitors catch fire and resistors open or short with dramatic results. They are all finished at that point.

[duaneage]

There is enough energy there for a small pop or fire, it wouldn't surprise me. I saw a Suzuki RR short out and pop the 15 amp fuse as soon as the engine started and the stator provided some voltage.

[KitKat]

the po actually took out the fuse supposed to be in my wiring harness so i added it back in, instead i put a 20 amp ( i know, not on spec, but better than nothinng). After the loud pop, i check the fuse and it was still fine, looked new.

Im scared to drive my bike right now, because i don't want anything to give out on me on the road. (im ordering a new r/r from duanage). but i got a spare zuki one in the meantime.