Dead battery......

[STVR]

Hello,

So I have a 75xs and have been working on everything myself with the help of friends and this website. So I replaced all my cables,new handlebars,rebuilt both carbs, fuel filters,adjusted the mix screw, put on a double throttle cable housing, put in 2 toggle switches on the headlight, one for the kill switch & one for the lights, another toggle is going on the head light for brights. I changed the oils twice using Valvoline Clutch Oil, this is really good stuff I can already feel the difference in the shifting. I took her out for a test ride today, it was pretty exciting . I rode all over town for about an hour stopped a friends house for a while came back out started up on the first kick. Then went home for a bit came out started right up rode down the street and she died right there at the end of the street. After several kicks I realized that I wasn't getting power from the battery........its dead. I got about 1 hour and 45minutes of riding in which i'm pretty happy with..........but I do have some sort of problem with my machine.

So I have been researching and reading that it could be a dead battery,alternator is bad, electrical problem, rotor brushes are bad, any simple test I can do to narrow down what my problem could be? I need to get it back to my friends garage I'm hoping I can charge the battery start her up and get it back to the garage so I can investigate the problem

 

[gggGary]

yes a very simple test will tell you about the two most common charging issues. Remove the two screws on the "yamaha" cover on the LH side cover that will reveal the brush holders. Remove the two screws that hold the brushes and check brush length about 3/8" of an inch 7mm is minimum. If they are anywhere near that replace them. I believe the outer brush tends to wear faster. While you have the the brushes out stick a drywall screw in the hole where the inner brush goes. then get out your multi meter set it to the ohm X 1 setting and put one lead on the outer slip ring which is easily seen. Put the other probe in the phillips slot in the head of the drywall screw and read the ohms of the rotor. 5.3 is good, 3.5 or less is bad and open (no meter movement) is bad.
One other thing to check is the fuse block, it tends to rot and the fuse holders fall off the wires or break in two. Charge up your battery and put your volt meter on it it should read about 12.7 volts with the bike not running with the bike running it should show 13 volts at idle and about 14 to 14.5 at 3000 rpm and above. If the brushes and rotor are good and it isn't charging then wires, connections or voltage regulator are your prime suspects.

 

[Travis]

If it started right up, then you rode it down the street and she died, then it sounds like fuses to me. The last time it started, was it with the electric start or kick?

 

[STVR]

I dont use the electric start on it kick start all the time.

Stv

 

[STVR]

If you don't mind me asking here , where and how can I check my fuse for this problem?

Steve

 

[XSLeo]

if it's still where yamaha put it, it's under the right side air cleaner cover just behind the starter relay. A clear plastic housing that holds the fuse and an extra.

 

[STVR]

Hey thanks a lot of all the advice looks like I have some work to do can't wait to get her in the garage and figure out what the issue is!

Steve

 

[STVR]

So I discovered that it is in fact my fuse that was blown. So I am wondering did it blow because my system has an electrical overload somewhere? I'm just wondering when I put a new fuse in if this will happen again? Generally what are the causes for this fuse to blow, age, condition, or too much electric current?

 

[STVR]

alright changed the fuse and still no juice so I then checked my brushes outer one is at 3/8 of an inch inner brush is at a 1/2 ". Charged the battery (its a new battery) and ordered new brushes from Mikes, from what I have been reading this seems to be the problem most of the time. If its not in this case I'll have new brushes at least!

Steve

 

[jurob]

Check the ohms on your rotor.

 

[pumps]

Trying looking at this manual for electrical troubleshooting. It's full of interesting stuff!
http://www.knucklebusterinc.com/tech/XS650.pdf

 

[STVR]

Alright so I tested my rotor,battery,regulator all the way down the line everything seems fine. I checked the new fuse that I had put in one more time and discovered that it was blown. So I went got some more 20 Amp fuses for the fuse behind the regulator. And she started right up 1st kick. From there I decided to test the horn,brights,signals ect... to see if one of these things was blowing my fuse, I suspect a bad wire some where.I opened up the head light and shook all the wires I could agin to see if one of these was the culprit alas nothing. I even took of my tank and shook all the wires and harnesses I could find and again nothing. So I suited up and took her out for a spin about 40 minutes then I took her to the garage to check on my carbs as I have a spattering issue (mix screw adjustment) I was turning the switches on and off everything working I put my carb back in took her outside started her up idling for about 45 sec then she died no lights nothing another blown fuse.......I suppose I can really start taking a look at all the wires in my headlight, ignition and else where to see if I can find a bad wire any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Steve

 

[gggGary]

You might try splitting up the circuits so you can further isolate the fault. Don't know the 75 wiring well enough to be much help on how to split them though. Check wires to tail rear turn signal and brake lights. Intermittent faults are a b@$#$%d, head light bucket grommets are mentioned. and under the clutch cover is a fun place to look usually needs a good bath in there anyway.

 

[STVR]

So I solved the problem, I bought a bunch of fuses being that it kept blowing and was testing and noticed that everytime I turn the key on a fuse blew, ignition switch. Opened up the head light followed the ignition wires down and there was the culprit a dark brown wire that had slipped out of its seed. I bought some new connectors rewired and bam no blown fuse and bike works !!!! Thanks again for all the suggestions everyone!!!

Steve