Re: nighthawk 550 electrical problem
- From: "krusty kritter" <kriyamanna@xxxxxxx>
- Date: 22 Sep 2005 07:56:49 -0700
jlpridge wrote:
> I recently (last week) purchased this motorcycle. IT runs well with a
> fully charged battery. However after I ride it for awhile and then park
> overnight it does not seem to want to run well at all. In fact the
> battery dies and the bike will not even start. I do not leave the key
> on or in it overnight. When I jump start it the bike starts up and as
> soon as I disconnect the jumper cables it dies. I do not want to start
> blindly replacing stuff. Please help. I do like this bike.
You need to start educating yourself on permanent magnet alternators
and shunt type rectifier regulators and the typical Honda problems with
bad electrical connections and too damned many of them.
I've written about a hundred thousand words on the subject and they are
all archived on Google, so you might try doing a google search for some
of my older e-mail addresses, like "kaybearjr@aol", and
"spectraltarsier@aol" +permanent magnet alternator and diodes and read
up on the subject, because I'm NOT going to type all that stuff out
again and I don't plan to put up a web page either.
And, you'd better start hoping that the problem is just bad electrical
connections, a defective rectifier regulator, or an old sulfated
battery that won't take a full charge, because the 1983 CB-550
Nighthawk was a glorious ONE YEAR ONLY model, and the aftermarket folks
DO NOT make a replacement stator for the weird alternator with its
2-piece permanent magnet rotor.
If nobody knows where you can get a good used stator (like a motorcycle
salvage yard, I wish you lotsa luck finding one for such a rare
motorbike), Honda will sell you a new one for about $275...
Also, google the internet for "stator +CB550 Nighthawk". Somebody
probably knows more than me about Nighthawks.
Electrosport and other companies do make aftermarket voltage
regulator/rectifier assemblies for your Nighthawk.
Some information about troubleshooting motorcycle charging systems can
be found here:
http://www.electrosport.com/05_technical_start.html
It may be more confusing than helpful. If I hadn't been to electrical
tech school, I would get anything at all out of their diode testing
procedure.
An exploded view of the weird split rotor alternator with its air
cooling fan can be seen at www.partsfish.com. Just register and you can
look at the alternator parts fiche for free.
I was trying to figure out how the alternator was driven, whether by
gear or chain, but it's unclear from the drawing. However it's driven,
the rotor MUST BE TURNING to charge the battery!
One of the things that the instructors attempted to pound into our
thick skulls at electrical tech school was that an alternator rotor
must be ROTATING in order to generate any juice, but a whole generation
of aircraft electricians was often fooled by that part of the
troubleshooting process. I've only run across one alternator whose
rotor wasn't turning though. It's something to keep in mind.
.
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