Hitchcocks Forum

Hello all,

I have a very frustrating electrical fault with my Bullet bitsa. It’s using a 1999 loom, with three wires coming out of the alternator, violet, green and white and fitted with our host’s power box. The problem is that sometimes the ammeter completely stops flicking and the battery doesn’t receive any charge. The bike still runs but it’s a bugger to start and it doesn’t tick over very well. When the lights are on they brighten and dim with the engine revs, rather like a bicycle dynamo. Then the next day the ammeter can flick and the battery will charge and the bike will start first or second kick, then the next day again it’s all stopped again. Currently it’s in the ‘no charge or ammeter flick’ state and no matter how much I waggle wires and connections I can’t get it charge at all. It has a new battery and all the connections seem secure and the earth to the back light and behind the battery seem ok. Anyone suggestions will be well recieved, its driving me mad.

I'm going to stick my neck out Chris and say i don't think you have a charging fault here, symptoms yes but the power box is fairly reliable...

Sounds to me like a high resistance in the ignition switch area.. Voltage testing is the way to go. Use a Multimeter first across the batt posts to give a reading base line...

Now move the black test lead to various good metal contacts on the frame.. This is testing the main earth frame to battery..

Now with the red lead test each side of the main fuse holder. black lead on batt post neg.. assuming negative earth here..

Now test supply to the ignition switch, all should be showing ~12.5 - 13.0 Vdc.. Now the switched live out from the switch ignition ON, again should be very little volt drop if any.

Test each post of the amp meter back to earth should be no significant voltage drop either side..

Carry on like this with the coil connection, kill switch etc,, boring i know but methodical is the only way...

My thinking is even with a kaput power box the amp meter would still deflect and the motor fire when ignition turned on with a good battery....

Great, just what an electrophobe like me needs, thanks Gwilly