CHARGING ISSUES Grrrrr

[motormike]

Battery voltage .... checked with two meters..... found this wire near starter relay... ? Start bike and my handlebar mounted volt meter goes to green it should... add Rpm's and it goes to overcharge... into the red... with the voltmeter.. it screams 17.7 volts and the bike is back firing and isn't happy. Suggextions... 82' Special. Thanks

 

[Jan_P]

Possibly the regulator not getting the correct signal .. Believing not charging and opens full to he alternator
I would find the regulator and service the wires in to it.
I believe there is 3 .Someone chime in
Any spare regulator in the House ?

 

[Jim]

found this wire near starter relay... ? Start bike and my handlebar mounted volt meter goes to green it should... add Rpm's and it goes to overcharge... into the red... with the voltmeter..

Not sure what you mean by "found this wire." Was it just dangling? Did you connect it... disconnect it? Not sure how that ties into your problem.

 

[Wingedwheel]

R/Y on the 82 diagram shows it belonging to the turn signal circuit?

 

[nj1639]

R/Y on the 82 diagram shows it belonging to the turn signal circuit?

Red is power, Yellow is lights - other than instrument lights which would be blue.
So Red/Yellow is a good assumption of power to some kind of lights.

 

[jpdevol]

is it Red/Yellow or Red/White (dirty?) and was it disconnected?

Doesn't seem to be directly involved in charging system. Overcharging on Type A systems normally would be related to the Regulator or a bad ground connection

 

[motormike]

Not sure what you mean by "found this wire." Was it just dangling? Did you connect it... disconnect it? Not sure how that ties into your problem.

It was just hanging there... saw no male wire that I assumed would connect ?

 

[motormike]

Couldn't see a regulator on Mike's Xs..... Ebay has several.... seems they fit other Yamahas.... cheap... but wonder how " cheap "... as in cheaply made.... I'll order one.... our local boneyard may have something, but the bikes have been outside since Bush One.... I don't have any Special parts.... Aaaaaaaaargh

 

[Jan_P]

Couldn't see a regulator on Mike's Xs..... Ebay has several.... seems they fit other Yamahas.... cheap... but wonder how " cheap "... as in cheaply made.... I'll order one.... our local boneyard may have something, but the bikes have been outside since Bush One.... I don't have any Special parts.... Aaaaaaaaargh

Perhaps you know this but there are different versions for XS 650 pre 80 and post 80 in the US
The Tech section have INFO
If there is a Auto supplier nearby it ( regulator ) perhaps can be bought over the counter locally.
Cheap regulators have worked for me over the years But connect them wrong it is over .for it . You don't even get the Lucas type Smoke

 

[Jim]

Couldn't see a regulator on Mike's Xs..... Ebay has several.... seems they fit other Yamahas.... cheap... but wonder how " cheap "... as in cheaply made.... I'll order one.... our local boneyard may have something, but the bikes have been outside since Bush One.... I don't have any Special parts.... Aaaaaaaaargh

https://www.xs650.com/threads/diy-reg-rec-5twins-and-jim.55842/

 

[motormike]

Got a new volt reg off ebay still goes spastic and over charges... engine back fires.... now.. I'm just tossing parts on it... swapped stator .. same issue.... the stock ignitor box ..black... a buddy had the blue one... said it came off a Special.... numbers are off one digit... I tossed it on... same issues.... if it idles.... normal voltage....rev's and it goes berserk ..... I wonder if I have a ground issue..... the heavy negative from the battery to the frame... perhaps.. corrosion ... ? maybe I'll run a Xs2 engine ground cable to the frame.... NOTE: Do not leave the clutch cover off to start and check the charging system.... the clutch push rod gets pumped out and ya get to spend 20 minutes cleaning the oil off the lift.... Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

[Jim]

Power to the rotor comes straight from the ign. switch. Voltage control is by the regulator controlling the ground side (green wire brush). Sounds to me like the green wire might be shorted somewhere, asking for full charge. Maybe behind the sprocket? That's a known hiding place for shorted wires and such.

 

[Jan_P]

Power to the rotor comes straight from the ign. switch. Voltage control is by the regulator controlling the ground side (green wire brush). Sounds to me like the green wire might be shorted somewhere, asking for full charge. Maybe behind the sprocket? That's a known hiding place for shorted wires and such.

I would check the connector first especially the black pin to the right grind clean- inspect and apply some contact grease
I have rarely had problems with the wire itself. Always Connectors and Switches

 

[motormike]

I pulled all the block connectors... looked good... no " green death " .... didn't make any improvement Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Doesn't look like it's going to my Labor Day ride for WildCat..... I'll go with plan " B ".

 

[Jan_P]

Lets Do this

Connectors is now serviced
Is it stock 82 Post 80 rotor and Electronic ignition
please give info on what regulator is used.

The alternator is charging but it i s not regulated.

I am more used to the pre 80 regulators but there are 3 wires. Should be possible to figure something out

 

[motormike]

It's a stock 82'..... right down to the goofy handlebars...

 

[Jan_P]

As mentioned I believe you have a working rectifier and alternator but not a working regulator
I did look at a manual for later models

https://thexscafedotcom.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/xs650sj-manual-chapter-6.pdf

Not sure if it is the bike you have But it seems as they have a combo where the rectifier and regulator are built in as a unit
Please look if you can se something with a lot of wires entering 6 or 7

There is a test procedure rather long but possible to do

There is mention --> cheap... but wonder how " cheap "... as in cheaply made.... I'll order one.

I once ordered at combo for an 80 which I have but in Europe with the old system and fried the regulator part inside the combo immediately in the combo

So please give info what is on the bike now
Is it the stock Combo that does not regulate down ( Possibly fried )
Or is it an ordered one as in -- I'll order one.

I went for separate units rectifier and regulator --- has worked for me That stock combo is like a black box ..Even though the rectifier can be ok It inside the black box connects to the regulator in an unknown manner I do believe .

Others chime in if I have missed something here

 

[motormike]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaargh I kitted and added new floats to the carbs.... and while look'n for electrical gremlins the bike stumbled and didn't rev well.... so I pulled the plugs... sooty black.... pulled the crabs.... float level 22..... I sat them by the book... so I raised them by 1mm.... and installed the crabs... and.... sweet ! runs great.... I noticed the vent hose at the head had a half inch split... repaired... fired the bike... and checked the voltage at various Rpm's and... 13.5-14.3... WT! ... perhaps the split rubber hose was the cause of my electrical issues... ! Must be a direct correlation between rubber hose and voltage ! perhaps I grounded the hose... The proof... will be next week.. when I go back to the shop... finish the Quick Silver install... and go for a test ride...I installed a digital (color) voltage meter....

 

[Kevin Werner]

But connect them wrong it is over .for it . You don't even get the Lucas type Smoke

 

[5twins]

Yes, I consider an on-board voltmeter a must-have on these old girls. I have one on both of mine and it saved my bacon on the '78, alerting me to a charging issue (rotor had gone bad). My '83 came to me with a bad regulator. It was charging at 15+ volts. The P.O. had routed the alternator wires wrong, the chain cut into them, and obviously that shorted out the regulator and fried it .....

A good, used unit from my stash fixed it right up and it's been charging fine (mid 14's) ever since. Some day I may "upgrade" to the separate auto regulator and Windy Nation rectifier but for now, I'm fine with the stock unit.