Red Echo

August 18, 2008

The new battery definitely has not solved the starting problem. Grr.

2 Comments

  1. Hey Mars– I had a similar problem with the battery not charging properly. Pull the seat and test the amps going out of the battery. If it’s overcharging (are you blowing head/tail lamps as well?) it could be the regulator. I found one at a backyard junk shop for $20 and replaced it in an afternoon. Good luck!

    Comment by Green-eyed so and so — August 19, 2008 @ 9:16 am

  2. It does seem to be some kind of regulator problem, though it’s sort of the opposite of what you describe. The headlight is nice and bright once the bike starts, so I think the alternator is working, and of course the battery is brand new and works fine as long as it is charged; what’s broken is simply that the alternator is not recharging the battery. Adam suggested that the alternator is working but poorly, so the battery is charging very slowly or not at all, while there is still enough power for the lights. But it does seem like it could be some sort of regulator problem. I will poke at it with a multimeter and see what happens.

    Comment by mars — August 19, 2008 @ 2:09 pm