battery no-no?! new to site

[superzero]

Greetings! I'm new to the site and the vision. I had one 20 years ago and always new I'd have another!

I just got my bike a month ago and have yet to do anything but clean and round-up parts. The bike looks sharp and only has 7000 miles on it. Turns over well with good spark.

I'm now ready to try and start. The last owner said he had it running in the fall. The problem is he said he used a charger with no battery connected! Is there anything I should look for electrical wise before I begin? The bike has great spark (new pugs/wires) & a new battery. It will fire and start for a moment with a spray of gas, but I am waiting on a petcock. Any advice? Thanks, Bobby

[QBS]

Start the bike and test the battery voltage at idle with a volt meter.  Good is anything above 13.2 volts at idle.  Less problably means charging issues.  At high idle 2 to 3 k rpm you should see at least 13.2 and maybe even up to the 13.8-14.2 range.  In stator output tenths of a volt count a lot.  FYI : a well charged good condition 12 volt battery should show 12.6 volts under static non operational conditions.

My personal general rule of thumb: If it aint broke don't fix it.  Welcome aboard and Good Luck.   Cheers.

[Kiwi_XZ]

Don't run the engine without a battery connected, this would be a sure way to cook either (or both) the stator or the R/R.? If the previous owner has done this then you would be wise to check out both with a couple of simple multimeter tests.

The checks you should do are:

1.? Measure the resistance of the three white wires from the stator, they should all be around .32 ohms +/- 10% at 20 deg C between each wire (1-2, 1-3 & 2-3), if it?s fairly close to this you should be OK.

2.? Check that each wire is not shorted to ground this will indicate if the winding in the stator are OK.

3.? Check that you have 50 volts AC between each wire (1-2, 1-3 & 2-3) from the stator with the motor running at a moderate RPM.? Remember only do this with a battery fitted and the R/R connected.? This is easier if you still have the infamous connector between the stator and the R/R otherwise you may need to attach a pin to the multimeter leads and pierce the insulation of each wire.

4.? With the motor running after start check the voltage at the batter you should expect to see somewhere between 13.5 volts and 14.8 volts.? Mine is normally 14.6 volts, checked at idle and and around 5000 rpm.

5.? Checkout the diodes in the R/R, the best procedure for this with a modern multimeter is and used to be on the Electrosport site but I can't seem to find it anymore so I have detailed it below:

Top Diode Tests

To begin the test, switch the knob on the multimeter to the ?DIODE? setting.

Forward Bias: Top 3 Diodes - Test 1.

From the multimeter connect the BLACK test connector to the RED wire coming from the regulator rectifier.? Then from the multimeter connect the RED test connector to ONE of the WHITE wires coming from the regulator rectifier.? The readout should show between 0.400-0.600 along with a single audible beep. Continue by testing the remaining WHITE wires following the same test procedure.? When a diode is bad: You?ll hear a continuous tone with a readout of 0.000 or the readout will indicate any number value other than 0.400-0.600 or the readout with indicate ?OL?.

Reverse Bias: Top 3 Diodes - Test 2.

From the multimeter connect the RED test connector to the RED wire coming from the regulator rectifier. Then from the multimeter connect the BLACK test connector to ONE of the WHITE wires coming from the regulator rectifier. The display should show ?OL?.? Continue by testing the remaining WHITE wires following the same test procedure.? When a diode is bad: You?ll hear a continuous tone with a readout value of 0.000 or the readout will indicate ANY number value.

Bottom Diode Tests

Forward Bias: Bottom 3 Diodes - Test 1.

From the multimeter connect the RED test connector to the BLACK wire coming from the regulator rectifier.? Then from the multimeter connect the BLACK test connector to ONE of the WHITE wires coming from the regulator rectifier.? The readout should show between 0.400-0.600 along with a single audible beep. Continue by testing the other WHITE wires following the same testing procedure.
When a diode is bad: You?ll hear a continuous tone with a readout of 0.000 as shown in or the readout will indicate any number value other than 0.400-0.600 or the readout with indicate ?OL?.

Reverse Bias: Bottom 3 Diodes - Test 2.

From the multimeter connect the BLACK test connector to the BLACK wire coming from the regulator rectifier. Then from the multimeter connect the RED test connector to ONE of the WHITE wires coming from the regulator rectifier. The display should show ?OL?. Continue by testing the other WHITE wires following the same testing procedure.? When a diode is bad: You?ll hear a continuous tone with a readout value of 0.000 or the readout will indicate ANY number value.

Remember this procedure is for a modern digital multimeter set to the DIODE position, the procedure in the Haynes manual and Yamaha factory Workshop manual are for an analog multimeter using the continuity setting.

[superzero]

Thanks guys! This is why I joined the board! I'll have plenty of time this weekend to really check out these ideas. As soon as I get my petcock I'll try and have it up and running.

Thanks again- this is much better then the hunt and peck method!!  Bobby