Easy way to check R/R
10-07-2008, 11:24 AM
#1
Senior Member
Superstock
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Brooklyn, CT
Posts: 287
Easy way to check R/R
This may seem logical to most who have a clue (which I don't) when it comes to electrical components, but I found a simple way to check the R/R.
My battery would go dead overnight and I sent it to the shop to diagnose the problem, since I did not want to spend money on and R/R just to find out that it was the stator the instrument cluster or something. They said that the problem was the R/R and I took the bike home to fix it myself. Then I noticed that they had not disconnected the battery so I figured the battery was dead, but I flipped the key and the lights came on. It held a charge for over a week. Reason: the R/R was unplugged.
So, if your bike is going dead overnight, or within a few days and you do not have, or know how to use a test light, simply unplug the R/R and let it sit to see if the battery now holds a charge. I'll be performing the R-1 R/R swap this weekend.
My battery would go dead overnight and I sent it to the shop to diagnose the problem, since I did not want to spend money on and R/R just to find out that it was the stator the instrument cluster or something. They said that the problem was the R/R and I took the bike home to fix it myself. Then I noticed that they had not disconnected the battery so I figured the battery was dead, but I flipped the key and the lights came on. It held a charge for over a week. Reason: the R/R was unplugged.
So, if your bike is going dead overnight, or within a few days and you do not have, or know how to use a test light, simply unplug the R/R and let it sit to see if the battery now holds a charge. I'll be performing the R-1 R/R swap this weekend.
10-07-2008, 11:43 AM
#2
Out of my mind, back in 5
MotoGP
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Skurup, Sweden
Posts: 6,109
That's very logical actually, altough it would probably not occur to me to suggest it... Hightech mind needs a hightech solution... 
If you aren't versed in electronics this is a very easy and good method to test the R/R...
The reason (If anyone is interested...) is since the R/R basicly is a bunch of diodes... It's supposed to conduct current in one direction, not the other, and only at a specified treshold current, and what happens when it's going bad is that it starts conducting in both directions and looses the treshold... And that both drains the battery when the bike is switched off, and gives a to low or too high charge during riding that either fails to charge the battery or damages it...
If you aren't versed in electronics this is a very easy and good method to test the R/R...The reason (If anyone is interested...) is since the R/R basicly is a bunch of diodes... It's supposed to conduct current in one direction, not the other, and only at a specified treshold current, and what happens when it's going bad is that it starts conducting in both directions and looses the treshold... And that both drains the battery when the bike is switched off, and gives a to low or too high charge during riding that either fails to charge the battery or damages it...
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