Headlight issues

Rotor swapped. Headlights come on. What should I check now?
Excellent! Give us the batt voltage:
1. bike turned on, motor off
2. engine at idle
3. engine reved to 3000-3500 rpm.
We need to make sure you're not overcharging.
 
So you think all the issue was, was the knockoff rotor that the po had installed?
That's what it looks like. Those voltages are right where you want 'em. The knockoff rotors are notorious for not lasting long. I know of one guy who went through 2 of 'em with less than 300 miles between failures.
I'll make a suggestion. Put a voltmeter on your bike. A lot of us here use one. Gives you good peace of mind when you're out and about.
 
Once I tune her up good. I'll be looking in to that. Previous owner put K&N air filters on, got the dyno jet kit from Mikes, and jumped the pilot jets from #30 all the way to #45. The mains from #132.5 to #135. Plugs look a bit fouled. I feel like those pilots might be a bit much. Fortunately, he didnt drill the holes in the slide or install the new needles. And he gave me all the stock jets.
 
I'll make one other suggestion. I like to tear the ignition switch apart and clean/lightly sand all contact surfaces in there since it passes voltage to other areas. Often a weak spot where just a bit of corrosion can cause trouble on these 40 year old bikes.
 
The only time I've started it was to move it to the back yard as they're repaving my street. Other than that. Hasn't been ridden. I'm well aware of the cascade of failures it can cause. Don't want to risk it. I'm going to replace the battery when I get the new rotor put on. This one is supposedly a year old. I've charged it on a trickle charger and seems to be holding a charge.

But either way. I really haven't been running it.
Before you invest in a new battery, take the one you've got somewhere where it can be load tested. It's a good sign that it holds a charge, but not the whole story - a load test will tell whether it's got useful life remaining or not. Where I live, stores like Battery Plus and Battery Giant will do load testing for free.
 
Your starter motor is a good load tester. If your engine turns over pretty easily, the battery is probably good.
Better yet, connect your voltmeter to the battery, and don't put the choke on so the bike doesnt start, and turn it over for 3 seconds; if the voltage doesnt go below 10 volts, the load test is "good"
 
Before you invest in a new battery, take the one you've got somewhere where it can be load tested. It's a good sign that it holds a charge, but not the whole story - a load test will tell whether it's got useful life remaining or not. Where I live, stores like Battery Plus and Battery Giant will do load testing for free.

My battery tender is supposedly supposed to warn me if the battery is bad. All the tests I've done on the battery seem to say it's working fine. I'll take it in though. It seems the rotor just died because it was a cheap aftermarket thing.
 
My battery tender is supposedly supposed to warn me if the battery is bad. All the tests I've done on the battery seem to say it's working fine. I'll take it in though. It seems the rotor just died because it was a cheap aftermarket thing.
I wouldn't rely on the battery tender to detect faults. I think they just sense really bad cells.
The load test is critical.



7 Function Digital Multimeter


$6.39
 
My battery tender is supposedly supposed to warn me if the battery is bad. All the tests I've done on the battery seem to say it's working fine. I'll take it in though. It seems the rotor just died because it was a cheap aftermarket thing.
You're sorting thru the problem methodically, which can be time-consuming but is the right way to go. Kinda like doctors diagnosing disease in a human body - eliminate one "possible" at a time.
 
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