Charging problem. Curvy.

Hi all,

I have been having electrical issue on and off now for months, I have finally installed a volt meter to keep an eye on things.

What I have learned is that (it looks like) my restrictor is restricting charging current to useless levels.

I have suspected this for a while as I have to charge the bike every 4-5 days.

Voltages. (Fully Charged last night)
Ignition on with Lights - 12.8
Idle with Lights - 13.2
I then drove off, voltage does not go above 12.4 between 3 and 11k revs regardless of speed or electrical load. Below 3k it rises the lower I get (to a point)

My thought is the R/R has packed up, im after somebody to confirm if possible, the threads I have read seem to point to this.

Thanks in advance
Ryan

EDIT: Bike is a 1999 Curvatious model, 3 month old battery and second hand R/R replaced at the same time.

[Sid Squid]

Are you sure of all connections and wiring? Have you made tests of alternator insulation and continuity, and a test of unloaded alternator output?

If yes to all of those and you have found all is well then I agree with your diagnosis - the regulator errr... doesn't.

Perhaps I should say it's doing it too well - either way it has ceased to be, it has shuffled off this mortal coil, is not merely sleeping etc etc .

Yeah did all them fun (read:annoying) tests last time I had major issues and paid £200 odd to sort a lot of it out. Iv Got a spare R/R so I'll throw that in and conduct more tests.

Thanks for replying mate

You've obviously got a multimeter.
checks as follows.

Resistance from battery earth to frame.
Resistance from engine to frame.
Restistance from R/R to frame.

check ac volts from generator to R/R. should be 80v ish AC across all 3 windings.
Check DC volts out from R/R. Earth from the unit can be a bit weedy. Check this for sure. Check the fuse as well, dirty contacts here won't help.

[timwilky]

Long time since I looked at a curvy, but I cannot remember a fuse in the charging circuit?

There isnt one that I remember seeing

Odd...i have a 30amp fuse in line with my reg/rec...but that could be previous owner.

The wiring in that area looks "lightly toasted" due to a shorted reg/rec, which i had to replace (after i found out the previous owner had unplugged it to sell it on)

Fuming, my R/R already had the direct to battery mod. The idiot I paid £200 to sort it last time has re wired it back into the loom, looks like a weekend job

I'll post results sometime this weekend

Managed to get the time to do it today after work.

Brilliant news. It worked, just swapped the R/R and wired it straight to the battery. 13.2v at idle with lights on, 14.5v at revs beyond 3000.

I'm a very happy man, after trying all sorts for months I thought it was really on its way out, don't have to find money for a new bike now thanks guys!