Voltage Regulator?

Ben Mccree

XS650 Enthusiast
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It's all stripped down now, apart for the engine which I'll do in the next few weeks. The only problem so far is that someone in the past has cross threaded the fork top bolt so much so that they had lowered the fork stanchion in the top yoke so that the bolt head seated on the yoke.
Any idea what thread it is? Also has anyone bought after market stanchions and are they more or less identical to the originals?

Also there seems to be two voltage rectifiers. My book shows the one with the coil underneath, but not the one below as in my picture. You guys might identify it straight away so I won't explain the wiring of it just yet.

Thanks for your help. Ben
 

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I think the bottom one is the safety relay that will not allow you to use the starter when the bike is already running. I'm no expert on the early XS machines though so I hope someone else will come along to verify.
 
- you have an xs2 no?
- if so i too think that should be the safety relay...is it cabled so earth, brown, blue-white, yellow?
- i will measure the thread in the fork stanchion when it stops raining
- heiden engineering in holland sells replacement 34mm tubes for these #27-2002 27-2002-xs2 fork tube set
 
Cheers Bud. Cabling is two browns, one to top soldering point on starter solenoid, two is fed from ignition switch in red and white and enroute feeds the coils. Three is black, earth and four is yellow that seems to go to the alternator. I will have a look at Heiden. Are they good to deal with. Ben
 
- you can remove it but it requires some playing with the wiring-its switched through the decompression lever and cuts the current to the starter off when the alternator begins to produce voltage...if its working and doesnt disturb you it can be left

- heiden are typically dutch, friendly and knowledgeable...my european shop of choice
 
Depends what else you're doing to the bike. If you're doing any kind of rewiring at all, I'd remove it. If you're keeping the stock wiring harness and all the other electrical junk, I'd leave it. :twocents:
 
Cheers for that. This bike does'nt have any wiring going to the decompression lever someone must have ripped it off. It does have the lever which I might use and I was thinking of fitting a standard starter button from a different bike and work the two manually. The starter works and seems to turn the engine over okay without that decrompression lever working. If the wiring contacts are still within the lever assembly ( not stripped that down yet) then I might put it as it should be.
 
Hi. As i took my XS650 1975 inside for the winter, i discovered the battery was near empty. Then i could see that the "basket" that the battery is mounted in, needs rust remowing and painting, probebly due to leaks of acid and water over time. The question is; do i need to remove this basket backwards after removing the rear wheel? I have tried upwards and both sideways with no luck so far.... thank you
 
It will come out. Ya rotate it to one side...It can be done...just takes patience...Just ask Gggary. Loosening the lower fender helps for clearance tho. It comes out the back easy with wheel and lower fender removed.
 
The bolt your talking about being stripped is the bolt that holds the upper tree down on the stem, right? The one I have is 14x1.25.
 
I took the rear wheel away, and the battery box came out with no problem, thanks. I cleaned it yesterday and will paint it tonight. And for christmas i wish a new battery...
 
I have a 1980 xs that started missing after reading post i unhooked the reg/rectifier the mis went away, Engine runs great, The bike charges it will get up to 14.5 volts after a while but the miss stays unless i unhook the reg/rectifier clears it right up
 
On the 80 it uses the TCI. This ignition uses a magnet in the rotor. As the rotor turns this magnet passes the TCI pick ups. This passing creates a small voltage in the pick ups, this voltage is used as a signal to the TCI box telling TCI the engine position.
It uses this info to tell when to fire the plugs.
Often this magnet gets weak. Thus the poor running with the reg/.rec plugged in, runs well unplugged. With the reg/rec plugged in the rotor gets current through it, this current magnetizes the rotor. This magnetic field covers up the weak magnet so the pick ups don't send a good signal.
Good thing it's easy and cheap to fix. Herrington Ks, the Ks is Kansas right? If so Radio Shack sells a rare earth magnet. A 4 mm/3/16 inch size. I don't have the part number handy or I would give it to you. A two pack is like $3. Just epoxy one of these new magnets right on the magnet in the rotor. I like JB Weld.
This new magnet is much stronger than the old one and can easily trigger the pick ups.
Just glue it on, no clearance issues.
Leo
 
On the safety relay it is used not so much to protect the starter, but the gears that engage the crank. They won't take a lot of over running.
When you are cranking the engine to start, as the engine first starts the alternator starts making voltage, some of this voltage is sent to the safety relay on the yellow wire. As the engine speed increases as it starts this voltage increases. When the voltage on the yellow wire reaches 4.5 volts the safety relay gets tripped and stops the current flow to the starter relay. This shuts down the starter and prevents it from working as long as the engine is running.
Some have had good luck deleting this safety relay. I like it. No matter how fast I think I can release the start button, I'll never be as fast as that relay.
If you want to use the e-start keep the safety relay.
Leo
 
Its the rotor, I bought a cheap chinese off ebay it made one year, I dont have the same voltage at the brushes that i have at the battery, The rotor doesnt ohm out either I ordered a new one from Mikes xs You get what you pay for!
 
Well where do you think Mike's gets theirs?
You should have the same voltage at the brushes as at the battery, with about .2 or .3 volts. If much less clean the ignition switch.
Do you still have the original stock rotor? If so get it rewound. Gary at Custom rewinds, 1-800-798-7282
Leo
 
- you can remove it but it requires some playing with the wiring-its switched through the decompression lever and cuts the current to the starter off when the alternator begins to produce voltage...if its working and doesnt disturb you it can be left

- heiden are typically dutch, friendly and knowledgeable...my european shop of choice

Never heard anyone say typically Dutch in my lifetime of 54 years :laugh:
 
So if I understand this clearly from the original post and picture Ben posted...the top is the voltage regulator and the bottom is just the safety relay for the starter? Meaning if I have a kick only bike this bottom piece can be removed? I'm sorry I just wanna know if I'm understanding thos correctly...I have a 72 xs running kick only with points
 
The safety relay is just for the e-stat on the early bikes. In late 78, I think, they used the safety relay to turn on the headlight. In 80 they even deleted the headlight on/off switch..
Leo
 
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