QuestionHI Bill,
I would like to know if there is a way to check directly wheather a voltage regulator is good.I have a brand new battery that, when the bike is started ,draws 15.3 volts.So I'm pretty sure the regulator is not doing its job.I question this only because the bike has 547 miles on it.I actually bought the bike from the origanal owner who kept it in his warehouse for most of the thirty six years he owned it.I have a hard time believing that it could have deteriorated over the years with that few miles on it.
Thanks for your time,Bill
AnswerWow! That is a great find! One CL175 coming up!
http://www.bikebandit.com/honda-1971/oem-parts
Battery-Rectifier page, item #4. That is all there is on the charging system, basically. If you are putting out 15.3 volts, it is probably just momentarily. Did you check it with the lights ON or OFF? There is no regulator, actually, just the rectifier. If it fails, either the battery will bleed down overnight through a shorted diode or the output will be low and you won't be able to keep the battery charged.
If the battery is new and correctly, completely fully-charged, using the electric starter will draw some amps out, which need refilling by the charging system.
Cars and bikes with regulators usually try to keep the outputs around 14.5 or so, but the nature of the selenium rectifier doesn't have quite that much accuracy. As long as you aren't boiling battery acid out of the battery, during normal riding, with the lights ON, then it is probably pretty much normal.
You might want to check and clean ALL electrical connections and GROUNDS for the electrical system on this bike. Years of sitting idle will set things up for corrosion and bad connections. The rectifier ground through the mounting studs. Make sure they are clean and tight where they attach to the bracket.
Bill Silver
He got any more of those in the warehouse!?!? :>)
