QuestionHello,
I am a new owner of a 1996 Yamaha Virago 535. This is my first motorcycle ever and cannot believe I had lived without one before. I know the previous owner and can ask them any questions if you see any to be fitting. Ok on with my question.
Before I recieved the bike it had been sitting for roughly 3 months. A person was supposed to have "gave it a tune up" sorta, to get her running smoothly and ready for me, He was supposed to clear it up replace fluids, minor parts in general to get her going. The bike was dropped off and it sat for 3 days at my house before I could first start it do to rain. This person had it for a week and rode it almost everyday. (You can assume he treated it like shit, he was a younger brother of the girl I know) When I started it all it would do is attempt to turn over then click. On here I found, check battery. I pulled it out electrolytes low and not knowing how old it was and being a walmart battery I went ahead and bought a new one, then new one was a "dry" battery. I filled her up and it said in the instructions that the bike should start without charging it. It didn't then same noise. I charged it and the bike started fine. One cylinder was firing so.. we changed a spark plug that was not good, it was also barely screwed in, half a turn and she came out,but now it fired. We also had to go around and tighten almost every screw on her. After about 30hours since the charge the bike would no longer turn over, same attempts then the clicking. 30 hours but, only 2-3 that it was running. I can jump her and it will run, I can charge battery and she will start and run. (Trickle Charging always). The last time after charge it ran for a little longer overall probably 4hours. Could the individual ride it hard enough/fast enough to break something that would prevent battery from charging? It was a 45min trip to get from there to here and he said for the week he had it started everyday no problem. Like I said, I am completely new to motorcycles and the closest repair shop is almost an hour away so just getting it there would be a problem for me since I do not have my license yet.. Going today to test for it! Please any help would be appreciated of why she wont charge the battery or if it sounds like something else. I will be looking on the internet for self do books to attempt to fix it myself, unless I am told it is to crucial for a rookie to attempt fixing.
AnswerWhat's probably happening is that the regulator/rectifier is shot and needs to be replaced but before you do that I would get a working (calibrated) multimeter and put it on the outputs to see what kind of voltage you are getting right there at the leads. You want to get 13-14V on there when the motor is revving. 12.5 when its idling.
The reg/rect is part #1 on the schematic:
http://www.bikebandit.com/houseofmotorcycles/showschematic/m7970sch133266
You want to check voltage on the connector which goes to the battery. Or you can just check the battery terminals.
If your reg/rect is not giving the right voltages you should also check your generator:
http://www.bikebandit.com/houseofmotorcycles/showschematic/m7970sch130340
The service manual has a resistance or continuity test to make sure your generator is ok. If the generator is ok then its the reg/rect that needs to be replaced.
The reg/rect goes bad when wiring gets corroded so check the contacts and clean them all over the bike. When the reg/rect goes it often causes the generator to overheat and melt. Another cause of the generator melting is when the bike is run on low oil. The oil cools the generator.
