Hello Mike. Glad you are ordering Rick’s book. If someone is going to own and ride airheads, it’s a good thing to have.
im going from memory because it’s been a while, but I think one has to be careful to properly assemble the brushes to the brush holder, and the brush holder to the alternator, so that it is not inadvertently grounded out to the alternator housing. Again, it’s been a while, but I think there are little fiber washers and sleeves that insulate the circuit from ground?
Of course poking around like an idiot I zapped the diode board! Dammit!
Of course poking around like an idiot I zapped the diode board! Dammit!
The Airhead Police will be around shortly to impound all your electrical test equipment.
Owning an old Airhead is easy.
Keeping an old Airhead running great is the true test.
Ok, everything is back together. Took it out for a spin audit ran well until my last stop and the starter button gave me nothing. I could just hear the click of the relay and nothing else. Not like a battery gone down just nothing.
Reminds me of when I went to TN for the MOA rally and when the bike was hot it would quit starting. Matt Parkhouse liked at the bike and his suggestion was the neutral switch which has now been replaced.
Secondly what does it mean if the generator light is always on?
Secondly what does it mean if the generator light is always on?
It means your battery has a problem. 1) It is not being charged (by the alternator) while the bike is going down the road, or 2) the battery is unable to accept the charge being sent to it due to poor internal conditions. It is common for this lamp to illuminate at idle on cold mornings before the engine oil is fully warmed and at other times of very low engine speed, but it should never be ON at road speeds.
> The internal resistance of the incandescent lamp itself is a necessary part of the charging system, so when the key is first turned ON you should see the lamp being illuminated. (Do not replace this bulb with an LED without adding a resistor.)
> This lamp is powered/triggered by the Voltage Regulator.
Ok, everything is back together. Took it out for a spin and it ran well until my last stop and the starter button gave me nothing. I could just hear the click of the relay and nothing else. Not like a battery gone down just nothing.
Reminds me of when I went to TN for the MOA rally and when the bike was hot it would quit starting. Matt Parkhouse liked at the bike and his suggestion was the neutral switch which has now been replaced.
Charging System
1) The first test is to "trickle charge" the battery for 24 hours. Place a DC voltmeter across the bike's battery terminals. When OFF (and fully charged) you'll get the base battery voltage, which should be well over 12.6V. (Many "dead" batteries will have trouble making it as high as 12.3V after charging.) With the bike rev-ed up to road speed (3000+ RPM) you should be seeing the charge voltage of 14.3 (for a lead-acid battery) to 14.5V (for an AGM battery).
2) Second step is to replace the old style mechanical VR with a modern "solid state VR", simply because it's easy. (Remember to coat the 3 terminals with anti-oxidation compound, such as NO-OX-ID.)
3) The next step is to replace the 2 carbon brushes, inside the front engine cover. These wear short over time, and the short length reduces the spring pressure. Low spring pressure leads to a poor electrical connection. Poor electrical connection leads to low alternator output.
4) The last step is removing and testing the rectifier board.
Starter Interlock
Of course there is the starter interlock system which could also be acting up. The main wear components of that system are the neutral switch and the small switch that is part of the clutch lever bracket. In my experience the switch at the clutch lever sees about 5 times the wear as the neutral switch, and so it is not only more suspect, but it is easier to troubleshoot (Ohm meter across the 2 leads; make/break) and does not require getting under the bike.
Hope this helps.
Owning an old Airhead is easy.
Keeping an old Airhead running great is the true test.
Thanks for the insight. I'll check the clutch lever switch next as stator, brushes and VR all all new.
Thanks for the insight. I'll check the clutch lever switch next to the stator, brushes and VR all all new.
> No mention of the battery condition. Many of the popular "trickle chargers" will actually kill the battery if left connected 24/7 for months on end... like someone might be tempted to do if the bike is north of the Mason-Dixon line. If you do this, then I suggest adding a common 24-hour wall timer so that your battery is only charged for 1 hour out of every 24.
Many people believe a battery is "good" if it reads above 12.0V with a VOM. This is NOT true. Batteries, being a chemical storage device, have weird electrical habits you MUST account for. First you'll need to bleed off the "surface charge". I suggest you simply turn ON the headlamp for 60 seconds before taking your VOM reading. Readings for a new battery should be around 12.7 or 12.8V. The very minimum reading should be around 12.3V. Higher is better-er. A battery reading 12.2 or lower is (as they say in the movie "Oh, Brother !") "D-E-D, dead".
> If you follow the clutch lever switch wires into the HL shell, you'll see that you can easily unplug both ends. Apply your Ohm meter to the 2 leads. The reading should be a sharp ON or OFF no matter how fast or slow the switch is actuated. Or, simply replace the old switch based on age and the 1 million plus switching cycles it's probably already lived through.
Owning an old Airhead is easy.
Keeping an old Airhead running great is the true test.
The battery is new but I'll check it. You're saying if the clutch switch isn't reading right it can affect charging?
You're saying if the clutch switch isn't reading right it can affect charging?
No, sir. A change in paragraph denotes a change in subject.
Owning an old Airhead is easy.
Keeping an old Airhead running great is the true test.
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