SeaCat
Hey, my Halo is smoking
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2003
- Posts
- 15,378
So I drove down to the local Honda Dealership with the Rectifier from my bike. I walked into the Service Department with the part in hand and asked if they could test it for me.
The guy behind the counter asked me what kind of bike it was from and started laughing. He informed me they wouldn't even know where to start testing it. He then went on to tell me that they might order me a new one just for good P.R.
I left there, I was a bit irritated. I drove to a dealership in the next county. This place was a bit more helpful but not too much. So I drove back home in an absolute mood. I was ready to rip someone.
I sat down by the bike and just looked at it. Then I had an idea, one that was going to require some work but that was just fine.
I removed the battery from the bike. Setting it to the side I went inside and grabbed a bunch of sandpaper as well as a screwdriver and my trusty Multi-Tool.
I started at the front of the bike and one at a time I opened each connector. Using the sandpaper I cleaned each contact and inspected the wiring. When each connector was clean and shiny I lightly coated them in conductive grease and put them back together. Oh so slowly I worked my way to the back of the bike. (I replaced any connector with exposed or worn wiring.) I have no idea how many connectors there were but I do know I went through three cigars and several 8x10 inch sheets of sandpaper.
I started this project at 0900 this morning. I finally finished at 1630. I hooked the battery back up and hit the starter. The bike started, which was not a surprise. (The battery was fully charged.) Then I hooked up the Volt Meter. To my surprise I was looking at the correct voltages. Hot damn but this was looking good.
I revved the engine up to the required 5K RPM and checked the Voltmeter. Yes! I was reading the correct voltages. But was it fixed? I still didn't know that.
Okay the bike doesn't have a Voltmeter built into it. I went inside and grabbed some wire. I connected a couple of medium sized ring connectors to the ends of the wires and carried them back out along with some speed straps, my voltmeter and a chunk of Inner Tube. I cennected the ring connectors to the poles of the battery. I mounted the voltmeter to the handlebars with the Inner Tube and Speed Straps. I then hooked up the wires to the Voltmeter.
I grabbed my gear and fired up the bike once more. Off I went even though the sky was starting to cloud up. We have a front coming through tonight.) I putted through traffic as I sweat into my gear. (Stop and go with me wearing jeans, helmet, gloves and a black leather jacket. Oh it was 85 degrees in the shade.) The voltmeter was showing 11 volts most of the time, but this didn't surprise me. Then I hit some open road. I was able to crank up the bike and let it run. I was able to crank it up to and above the 5K RPM charging limit. I glanced at the Voltmeter and saw a wonderful sight. The Voltmeter was reading 14.5 Volts. Right where it was supposed to be. I pulled into a parking lot and gave my wife a call. I told her the bike was running correctly and I was going to get some gas before coming home. She sighed and told me to have fun and be careful.
I motored down to the next gas station and filled the tank. From the gas station I took off heading west. I put over 100 miles on the bike and the bike ran flawlessly. The entire time the voltmeter was reading the required and wanted 14.5 volts into the battery. Oh what a glorious thing this is.
Too bad tomorrow is going to lousy weather. Cold, windy and rainy. I'll have to wait for good weather then I'll put a couple more miles on the bike. My intention is to start doing some longer rides as well as get the wife on the back of the bike. Then we can start having fun with it.
Cat
The guy behind the counter asked me what kind of bike it was from and started laughing. He informed me they wouldn't even know where to start testing it. He then went on to tell me that they might order me a new one just for good P.R.
I left there, I was a bit irritated. I drove to a dealership in the next county. This place was a bit more helpful but not too much. So I drove back home in an absolute mood. I was ready to rip someone.
I sat down by the bike and just looked at it. Then I had an idea, one that was going to require some work but that was just fine.
I removed the battery from the bike. Setting it to the side I went inside and grabbed a bunch of sandpaper as well as a screwdriver and my trusty Multi-Tool.
I started at the front of the bike and one at a time I opened each connector. Using the sandpaper I cleaned each contact and inspected the wiring. When each connector was clean and shiny I lightly coated them in conductive grease and put them back together. Oh so slowly I worked my way to the back of the bike. (I replaced any connector with exposed or worn wiring.) I have no idea how many connectors there were but I do know I went through three cigars and several 8x10 inch sheets of sandpaper.
I started this project at 0900 this morning. I finally finished at 1630. I hooked the battery back up and hit the starter. The bike started, which was not a surprise. (The battery was fully charged.) Then I hooked up the Volt Meter. To my surprise I was looking at the correct voltages. Hot damn but this was looking good.
I revved the engine up to the required 5K RPM and checked the Voltmeter. Yes! I was reading the correct voltages. But was it fixed? I still didn't know that.
Okay the bike doesn't have a Voltmeter built into it. I went inside and grabbed some wire. I connected a couple of medium sized ring connectors to the ends of the wires and carried them back out along with some speed straps, my voltmeter and a chunk of Inner Tube. I cennected the ring connectors to the poles of the battery. I mounted the voltmeter to the handlebars with the Inner Tube and Speed Straps. I then hooked up the wires to the Voltmeter.
I grabbed my gear and fired up the bike once more. Off I went even though the sky was starting to cloud up. We have a front coming through tonight.) I putted through traffic as I sweat into my gear. (Stop and go with me wearing jeans, helmet, gloves and a black leather jacket. Oh it was 85 degrees in the shade.) The voltmeter was showing 11 volts most of the time, but this didn't surprise me. Then I hit some open road. I was able to crank up the bike and let it run. I was able to crank it up to and above the 5K RPM charging limit. I glanced at the Voltmeter and saw a wonderful sight. The Voltmeter was reading 14.5 Volts. Right where it was supposed to be. I pulled into a parking lot and gave my wife a call. I told her the bike was running correctly and I was going to get some gas before coming home. She sighed and told me to have fun and be careful.
I motored down to the next gas station and filled the tank. From the gas station I took off heading west. I put over 100 miles on the bike and the bike ran flawlessly. The entire time the voltmeter was reading the required and wanted 14.5 volts into the battery. Oh what a glorious thing this is.
Too bad tomorrow is going to lousy weather. Cold, windy and rainy. I'll have to wait for good weather then I'll put a couple more miles on the bike. My intention is to start doing some longer rides as well as get the wife on the back of the bike. Then we can start having fun with it.
Cat
