Motorcycle Repair: 1979 CB650 Electrical Question, 1979 honda cb650, regulator rectifier

Question
I have inherited a 1979 Honda CB650 and it is not charging.  It ran fine, regulator/rectifier OHM's out okay, but the spark units are melting the epoxy out of them.  The battery was replaced but was dry when I got the bike. I am in the process of trying to bring it back to life but am not sure where to look for the charging problem.  I was hoping you have seen this before.
Thanks,
Andy


Answer
Hi Andy,

Visit the following websites for more assistance:


www.bikebandit.com  (to view microfiche parts)
www.electrosport.com  (fault finding chart & elec parts)
www.salocal.com/sohc/tech/tech.htm
www.imagearts.ryerson.ca/dgreen/cb750.html
www.honda-sohc.co.uk/


Respectfully,
Mark Shively




Any well working charging system on a modern bike will produce a voltage over the battery terminals in between 13.5 VDC and 14.5 VDC, over the entire rev range. When you suspect a fault in the system, this is the first thing to check.
When you find that there is a problem, keep in mind that the no.1 fault in any charging system is bad connections.
Suspect any connection in the whole system. It's advisable to take off all fairing parts, the fuel tank and seat, and just disconnect all connectors you can find. Do this one at a time, and spray them with a contact cleaner. Before fitting the connector again, apply a small amount of dielectric grease to each connector. On the widely used bullet connectors, the ones used on many Japanese bikes for connecting single wires to each other, you should see if the male bullet connector needs a firm push when it slides into the female one. If not, use a pair of pliers to make the fit tighter in the female connector.
When you disconnect them one at a time, nothing can go wrong. You will see that the wires are color coded, so mistakes when refitting the connectors are almost impossible
The use of our universal fault finding chart is a good way of finding the fault in most of the charging-systems on motorcycles. Go through the tests step by step, following the procedure accurately. If you're not completely sure that you have the basic knowledge required with electrical systems on motorcycles, don't do the tests yourself, but find someone experienced in this field to help you.
Find the chart at our website:
www.electrosport.com