Hitchcocks Forum

Hi,

Two months after I bought my new C5 I noticed a sudden metal wire clanging sound coming from the engine - I thought the engine seized and stopped immediately - eventually the sound dissapeared and only re-occured sporadically. Since this event the battery started discharged in totality every 300 km. Several months later - multipele visits to the dealership without succesful analysis of the problem eventualy the stator came loose - some metal bits entered the barrel and the entire top end of the engine; engine cover, stator and harness were replaced under guarantee. For a while all went fine until very recently the battery started discharging again after 250 km + rides with the head light on.

I analysed the battery which all seems to be in order. The charging was a bit on the low side at idle so I adjusted the idle speed a little bit up to the recommended 1000 rpm. The stator is charging, but on the low side- about 11 volt AC at idle. Is this normal? Am I overlooking something? Yes - one other thing is that I did install are hosts 23 watts indicator bulbs and relay - but surely this cannot be the cause of this?

Any advise....many thanks

Roeland

Hello ROELAND ----- You won't like me to say this but if the bike is still in warranty then take it back and get them to sort it out. I'm guessing you are not in the UK ?? Yes, there are some tests you could do but in my mind that warranty comes first. Don't forget, once that warranty has run out then you will have all the time in the world to do tests and repairs yourself.

just another thought... why fit non genuine parts i.e bulbs and relay sounds like a fine way to get warranty voided,when i worked in the motorcycle trade non standard parts however small ,i.e bulbs or parts could get the manufacturer monking ,like the time the kid filled his bike up with diesel and it wouldn,t run ,warranty down the toilet,warranty is not a god given right although most things mechanical should be covered except for wearing parts ..tyers exhausts brake pads etc etc glad i don,t have anything warrantable as in my experience warranty B.O.S PAUL CALF

Are you still running the stock battery or did your dealer upgrade to something better? My stock battery gave up after 9 month (after having been neglected during maintenance...) and left me stranded without juice (of course it was 35° and I pushed the bike home several kilometers ...). But after I changed to a pretty expensive Yuasa everything is fine again.

Alan,

By now I probably will not get much more out of guarantee. I'm now servicing the bike myself and replaced, the entire exhaust, added an 19 teeth sprocket, power comander, Autotune, etc... For me part of the experience is to take personally care about everything.

Grunda12,

I fitted smaller (better looking) indicators, but was not prepared to compromise on saftety and lose visibility - hence I upgraded the bulb wattage and relay from 10 to 23 watts.

Maturin,

Yes I'm still running on the original battery. What immprovement could an person expect with an after market battery? Do they hold the voltage for longer? Charge easier?

Regards

Roeland

Roeland,
You obviously have a meter because you say it is 11 volts at idle, bit low. What is the battery sitting with the motor not running and everything switched off? What is it showing at about 2500rpm should be 13+volts?

Norm,

I obesrved the following :

1. During cranking the engine over without starting the fully charged battery drops to about 10.5 volts.
2. The fully charged battery left over night seems to settle at about 12.6 volt.
3. After a short ride with the "Tiger Eyes - small lights on" the battery reads 12.7 volts.
4. At idle - with all lights off - the battery reads well over 13 volts.
5. At 2500 rpm - with all lights off - the battery reads about 14 volts.
6. At idle with head lights on the batter drops to 11.7 volts and seems to slowly lose even more voltage.
7. At 2500 rpmh - with all lights on - the battery goes up again to about 12.3 volts.

Please note that I ussually do ride with the headlights on. The battery does not drain with the lights off.

Kind regards

Roeland

Norm,

I would also like to add that I measure 1.7 Ohms accross any of the 3 wires from the stator. The manual specifies that this should be between 0.8 and 1.5 Ohms.

Thanks

Roeland

If you are measuring with the engine running then you are seeing the effect of the alternator. You say after charging all night the voltage at the battery, presumably with everything off, "seems to settle at about 12.6 volts." That seems a fraction on the low side but it should be OK if the battery holds the charge. So after an all night charge, what voltage do you have across the battery terminals after letting it stand for say 12 hours without any usage at all, and with nothing being switched on? Does the battery lose voltage in that period? Incidentally you haven't got an alarm fitted have you?

Madmike,

I probably did not explain it correctly. The 12.6 volts is after standing for 12 hours not connected to the bike. The initial charge indicates well over 13 volts, but this falls very fast to about 12.8 and than overnight to the 12.6 volts.

Many Thanks

Roeland