| Author | Message | ||
     Vagelis46 |
Ok, I have an 08 1125r...... Z I had no reall problem with the charging system of the bike, after 10000 miles of riding the bike in 1year of cowing it. Also I made a habit of using the "kill switch" firsr and then the key to stop the engine..... the bike started OK after not using it for 1 week...... I decided to make a small modification of installing a switch to keep the low beam lights off..... like the old days.... I thought that the battery will get a better charging during the short winter rides .... So I looked at the wiring diagrams and installed a switch after the lambs to cut the "ground" ...... it worked ok, and I could switch the low beam on/off at will... 1. The engine starts easier with the lights off...no more stalling the engine during the first attempt... although the lights should be off when the starter cranks the engine, and having the lights off using the switch should make no difference, in practise the engine starts easier, when using the switch and having the lights off during start up 2. Now here is the strange problem I have..... it seems that when I start the engine with the lights off, there is overcharging and I get the message on the IC "system voltage" shortly after I start the engine.....I have measured voltages of 15-16 volts across the battery poles when I get this message When I start the engine with the lights ON,as the bike was designed in the first place, there is no problem.... Is there a reasonable explanation for this ?? Something to do with the operation of the VR ? Or my charging system has a problem ? | ||
| Froggy |
Pretty much any time you are seeing a voltage spike like that, it is due to a failing VR, it is just not regulating as good as it should. It is likely that the additional load from the headlights is helping keeping the voltage in check, which reduces strain on the VR. On my Ulysses when the VR was failing it would sometimes spike while riding, turning on all the lights would help bring the voltage back down to safe levels. | ||
| Vagelis46 |
I do not know.... it seems that when the charging system starts with no load (lights off) something goes down the wrong path, and there is an overcharging, like the VR is off When I start with load (lights on), as the system was designed to do, everything works OK ...... I go for long trips, no problem... My theory is that the system is designed to work with a minimum constant load (lights on)as soon as it starts.... so, as soon as the bike is started with no electric load (lights off) the VR is "confused" and it overcharges. I wonder if other people have similar experiences with the charging system Anyway my method of starting the bike is start with lights off, and as soon as the engine starts , I switch on the lights..... this way the engine starts easy, and no overcharging..... | ||
| Froggy |
There is load on the system even with the headlights out. The fuel pump will be the largest draw, but you will still have the ECM, injectors, rest of the FI system, tail light, gauge cluster, marker lights, and other bits still pulling amps assuming it isn't hot enough for the fans. Without the lowbeams, you are saving about 6 Amps, but there is still load from everything else. The VRs are not confused by not having the low beams, they are designed to regulate the full capacity of the stator. If they couldn't handle the different load, we would have seen many posts by racers who have even less draw on their stripped down bikes electrical systems, they would have experienced the same more frequently. Also for what it is worth, I've been running without a working lowbeam bulb on my CR for about two years now, and I've never seen voltage spikes on it. I do similar to you but instead of turning on low, I just toggle the high beam on after starting. I recommend getting a replacement voltage regulator, it is one of those things that will be intermittent for a while before it starts seriously and frequently acting up. | ||
| Vagelis46 |
What you say makes 100% sense .... I just hope that I will not need a VR soon .... I ordererd a voltmeter to keep an eye on my charging system .... I used to have one on the XB12 , and it was a good idea .... But .....sometimes strange things happen, especially in electrical systems of motorcycles.... For example, who would have thought that for the 1125R , turning the engine off with the key, while leaving the kill switch on, leads to battery drain ? So far for all of my motorcycles I used just the key .... Also who would have thought that by removing the 15A LIGHTS fuse , the engine wound not start ? This is really strange... Anyway , I just hope that it is just one of those "funny" electrical issues of the 1125 ....... So far they are quite a few of them ! There are many stories for electrical issues of italian scooters and motorcycles.....It seems that the 1125 has an electrical system similar to these |
