Bike chugged along and died. (Electrical Issue)

[BugJuice]

So I was riding my DRZ home from work, just filled up gas and on my way. Then all of a sudden it started to chug. (Almost similar to running out of fuel). I chopped the throttle and it returned to normal. I noticed my speedometer went dim. I gave it some gas and it started to chug again. I feathered the throttle and noticed if I gave it approximately more that 45% throttle it would chug. So I shifted up a gear and continued in a higher gear at low RPMs. I continued as far as I could until it would chug then I would downshift and continue until i got into first gear and it died and wouldn't go anymore. The only thing on at this point was a very dim headlight. Everything else was dead. No tail light, no speedo, and no turn signals. I tried to bump start it. It worked for a bit and then died again. Had my bike trucked home, unloaded the bike and it fired right up. Put it on a trickle charger over night. Road it for a few days fine and then boom. The same thing happened.

 

I'm pretty sure that it has to be an issue with my charging system and I'm running my bike 100% off of battery power. I went and read charging system diagnosis in the FAQs and ordered up a multimeter. I attempted last night to find out where my issue is coming from. I'm pretty sure its my stator but before I jump to conclusions and order up expensive parts I wanted to see If my procedure was done right because to be honest that guide was pretty hard for me to follow as I've never tinkered with electronics at all before.

 

So the first thing I went to test was my battery. I set my multimeter to DC function under the 20 setting.

• Battery by its self with the bike off = 13V
• Battery with lights on = 12.63V and the longer the lights were on it would go down. I let it go down to 12.58V and I started my bike up.
• Battery with bike on = 12.58V
• Battery with bike revving. (I guessed where 3k RPM is) = 12.58V and it wouldn't go up at all.

 

Things to note is that battery is only a couple of months old. My bike does not sit. I ride it everyday. (This morning it read 13.38V since i left it on the trickle over night)

 

Now I went to test the stator. This is the part I'm not really sure I'f I did it correctly or not. So what I did was unplug the yellow 3 wire plug from the Regulator/Rectifier and then set my multimeter to continuity mode. I put the positive probe on each of the yellow wires and touched the negative probe on the frame. There was no beeping on all 3 test. Then I went and touched Y1 to Y2, Y2, to Y3, and then Y3 to Y1. I had a beep with all 3 of those test. After that I set my multimeter to ohms to measure resistance. I put the dial on 200 ohms and touched the probes at Y1 to Y2, Y2, to Y3, and then Y3 to Y1. My multimeter showed about 1.2 ohms on all three readings. One displayed 1.4 after I left it there longer. *Picture attachment is displaying this* (Could have had a better connection with the probe). This is the main part I was not sure about. I was not sure if I have the meter set to the correct setting. My meter for some reason always displays 1 unless it touches wires in this ohms setting. If i moved my meter to something like 20k it would show "0"s. I'm pretty sure that means 20,000 ohms though. After resistance I set my meter to 200 under AC to check my stators Voltage. I checked the Y1 to Y2, Y2 to Y3, Y3 to Y1 with the bike on. All of those 3 test displayed about 30v AC at idle and would quickly jump to 65-70v with some revving.

 

The last thing I tested was the R/R, Rectifier and Regulator. I removed the R/R from the bike. Turned my meter to the diode function. I stuck the positive probe into the positive output and then proceeded to touch all 3 stator inputs with the other probe. I got no readings on all 3. Then I reversed the bias and got a reading on all 3 of them of about .622 I believe. Then I checked the negative diode board. Stuck the negative probe into the negative output and proceeded to test all 3 stator inputs. Got nothing. Reversed the bias and checked and got all 3 readings of about .622

 

Looked something like this.

Test 1: 0 , 0 , 0

Test 2: 622, 622, 622
Test 3: 0 , 0 , 0
Test 4: 622, 622, 622

 

Sorry for the novel I just typed..

[Noble]

1) your battery is not getting any charge.  You and I agree on that.

2) your stator tests good.  Seems odd but certainly possible.  I would re-test for short to ground, the usual failure mode.  Un-plug the stator (3 yellow wires) and check each to ground.  The stator wires not the RR wires.

 

Assuming the stator really is good. the problem is in the wiring.  Someplace between the RR and the battery.  Look at the plug out of the RR, look at the fuse and fuse holder,  Look at he connection between the fuse holder and the battery.  Clean and tighten the battery terminals.  Check the battery cable ground wire to the motor.  Check continuity of the black wire at the RR connector to the battery.  Check continuity of the red wire at the RR connector to the battery.  Use a low ohms scale for continuity checks and read the ohm value.  Continuity is the same as placing the probes together, less than 1 ohm resistance.

[BugJuice]

1) your battery is not getting any charge.  You and I agree on that.

2) your stator tests good.  Seems odd but certainly possible.  I would re-test for short to ground, the usual failure mode.  Un-plug the stator (3 yellow wires) and check each to ground.  The stator wires not the RR wires.

 

Assuming the stator really is good. the problem is in the wiring.  Someplace between the RR and the battery.  Look at the plug out of the RR, look at the fuse and fuse holder,  Look at he connection between the fuse holder and the battery.  Clean and tighten the battery terminals.  Check the battery cable ground wire to the motor.  Check continuity of the black wire at the RR connector to the battery.  Check continuity of the red wire at the RR connector to the battery.  Use a low ohms scale for continuity checks and read the ohm value.  Continuity is the same as placing the probes together, less than 1 ohm resistance.

To test short to ground. Do I touch each of the 3 yellow wires with one probe and the other probe to the frame? Also does it matter which probe torches the wire? Positive or negative?

 

Also when checking for continuity. I'm supposed to test it in ohms instead of continuity mode? (Mode that beeps)

Edited October 22, 2015 by BugJuice

[Noble]

To test short to ground. Do I touch each of the 3 yellow wires with one probe and the other probe to the frame?------Yes but I would actually touch to bare metal on the motor.  Motor and frame are electrically connected but the motor is more accessible to assure a good ground point.  The important thing is to touch bare metal not paint or anodize or to some component that is not electrically connected (like the carb mounted in rubber).  Funny story -  I was working on a Toyota one time and testing to the valve cover that turned out to be entirely insulated with rubber grommets and gasket.  Obviously by testing was not valid and I came to a wrong conclusion.

Unplug the wires to the RR but leave the wires to the CDI box connected

 

Also does it matter which probe touches the wire? Positive or negative?------No.  Polarity is important when testing diodes but not for a direct short that you are looking for here.

 

Also when checking for continuity. I'm supposed to test it in ohms instead of continuity mode? (Mode that beeps)-------I do not know your test meter.  Either mode should work.  Some meters will beep and give you an ohms reading.  I'm suggesting you use a test mode that you can read ohms, I don't care if it beeps or not.  Say for example you have a reading of 100 ohms.  You will probably not get a beep but it is still a short circuit.  Unlikely but possible.