GB's lights go out

[guest7]

I had to barrel back from Port Talbot tonight at a steady 70- 75mph which is a bit of a handful for the venerable GB500 sidecar outfit. When I got back I turned off the engine, opened the garage doors and then switched it on again...
not a thing.
Hmmmm...
The bike started on the kickstart so I'm guessing the main fuse has blown (the bike will still start and run without it). Any thoughts on what may have caused this? I was travelling for half an hour at 5-6k rpm which I rarely do, although I suppose it could as easily be the vibration that killed it.

Cheers
GC

[002]

[quote
The bike started on the kickstart so I'm guessing the main fuse has blown (the bike will still start and run without it). Any thoughts on what may have caused this? I was travelling for half an hour at 5-6k rpm which I rarely do, although I suppose it could as easily be the vibration that killed it.

Cheers
GC

Thats right we are all psychic,I'll consult my Crystal Ball or better still have a word with my spirit guide !

I have an idea....Its an old nail !     ;-)

Could be One of those things !
Put a fuse in and see what happens....then try everything in turn to see if it blows.....then everything all together !
Work your way through it.If nothing happens dont worry.
Take it for a spin at speed and see if it does it again.
Could be vibration.....more than likely the guy that is riding it.


Jethro   :-)

[guest7]

Well I rode it in an unususal way and and unusual thing happened. Given the different riding style (i.e. higher revs held for longer) then I thought it might give you technical wallahs a clue... or maybe not.

GC

[guest27]

Leave the poor chap alone - he has suffered enough today.  - However have to suggest looking at the fuses. Checking the connections.  Checking that you were pushing the right button etc.  Could be that higher revs = abnormal out put = blown fuse.  Could be that the bike has just thrown a wobbly - I would look at it in the morning.

R

[GB500nz]

err, there's a spare fuse in there (unless you've used and not replaced it) but I doubt that'll do you any good. Check battery volts and then get back to us. I had this happen to me and it was a broken wire in the alternator stator. Easy to fix. Vibration affects solid conductors rather badly.

[andy230]

Thats right we are all psychic,I'll consult my Crystal Ball or better still have a word with my spirit guide !

I have an idea....Its an old nail !     ;-)

Jethro   :-)

Hahahaha!!  Jethro you're a nasty grumpy (hairy!) old bastard!! 

I've never been to your bike shop, but I'll bet I know *exactly* what its like.  Fuck being the YTS in there!!



a

[002]

Hahahaha!!  Jethro you're a nasty grumpy (hairy!) old bastard!! 

I've never been to your bike shop, but I'll bet I know *exactly* what its like.  f*** being the YTS in there!!



a

Funnily enough !  Have had fun with a work experiance lad.Mind He WAS Thick as Sh1t !
Didnt know how to use a Broom ! Honest,he couldnt sweep the floor !
Wanted to be let loose working on GSXRs and the like.

Did ask him to get a Fallopian Tube for a VFR 800.And to ask if anybody had seen my mate come in the shop....Mike Hunt !

Oh ! Did I laugh !    Personal Hygiene wasnt his strong point either.

Jethro

[guest7]

Didn't appear to be fuses so dropped in at grumpy's place to use his multimeter and sure enough it's not charging (battery volts didn't read above about 8 volts).

The problem is I'm too busy to take time to look at it and added to that wifey now works three evenings a week so I can't even go to the garage on those nights.

Is it me or does spare time decrease with age?

Cheers GB500NZ for the alternator thought. I'm guessing that I can find the relevant advice on testing the alternator output in the manual.

GC

[GB500nz]

If it is a broken wire, be sure you put shrink tube over the repair; tape won't do.

[guest7]

Bit embarassing this...

I went to see Jethro today and we had a look at the alternator output and whatnot, however the lack of charging remained a mystery. JK's thought was a broken wire somehwere. (at this point he didn't know I HADN'T pulled the battery off and tried to charge it)

Later on I was passing the workshop of a bloke I know to be a bit of a genius of locating wiring faults (30+ years of working on dogs gives you that skill I guess). He added a battery in parallel to mine, saw that it was pushing out 14V and said "your battery's knackered".

And yes I feel stupid now. I'd been caught out by the sudden transition from fully-functioning battery to completely FUBAR battery in one ride, assuming that it was a charging problem. In my ignorance the low reading (8V and less) at the battery seemed to confirm this.

So... it ever you needed proof that I'm a dolt then you have it here.
GC

[steveD]

C'mon GC, better to be thought of a fool, but to proove it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anon

[guest27]

GC - you have a knackered battery - but ask, was this just because of age (the battery not yours) or has there been another fault.  One way of testing would be a new battery and wait for it to die as well and thus find that there is no voltage regulation etc, or maybe just check it in case?

So does this mean I will soon be allowed to use the loo in the house again?


R

[002]

Believe Me....GC is Knackered due to Old Age !

And the bike is charging !
He keeps popping around when I'm up to my eye-balls in work.

Mind it is a welcome distraction sometimes just for the pure comedy of it all.    ;-)

Jethro

[guest27]

Think yourself lucky I do not live closer - at least GC has an appreciation of aesthetic beauty...

Now where is that lump hammer I have a tank to modify....

R