Hey y’all. I’m honestly lost and feel super down.
- Facts: CBF1000 sc58
- Last thing I did was get my alternator and regulator repaired/changed. My alternator was burnt out. The mechanic said that it’s am usual problem with this model and the regulator is the problem.
- I had to learn to take it out and rebuild it myself. About a month ago, I finally put the alternator back in and my bike actually started! I was overjoyed.
- Since a week now I’m trying to actually ride it again and it won’t start. I recharged the battery (Li-ion). When I tried starting it, the battery kinda drained immediately. It just didn’t start. Luckily, I have a second (gel) battery that was full. I put that in and my bike didn’t even light up. The fuses all look fine to me. The cables should be correct (there aren’t that many options).
I just don’t even know where to start. Thanks for reading
In addition to checking ground connections per the other good comment chain, many DVMs (digital voltage multimeters) include a current test feature, including cheap ones from harbor freight.
Instead of measuring the system voltage, you can see how many electrons per second are going in, or out, of the battery in terms of amps, very useful when you need to see if something is sucking battery even when the bike is supposed to be “off”.
On my fluke meter, you switch the knob over to the A symbol that isn’t squiggly (farthest position in this particular model), as you’re measuring DC current. You’ll then unplug the red wire from the usual voltage position and plug it into the left-most A position.
After checking ground connections, while the bike is off and battery at least somewhat charged, disconnect the positive lead from the battery (leave negative connected). Now, jump the now disconnected positive lead back to the battery, you can do red dvm wire to positive bike wire, black dvm wire to battery’s positive terminal. Do not measure directly across battery while dvm leads are in this mode, it will look like a short circuit to the battery!
Anyway, the reading in the DVM should be low, something like 100ma at most. You’re measuring how much energy the bike computer etc is drawing from the battery while it’s supposed to be “off”. Anything more than 100mA indicates there’s something possibly wrong with ECU (less likely), wiring harness (less likely), or there’s an accessory that is poorly installed or poorly designed.
Good luck, if this doesn’t work, next step is starting the bike without dvm in current mode, and either check system voltage (should be about 14.4v when idling) or you can check the system current while the bike idles and at other rpms to identify whether electrons are going into or out of the battery.
Well. Something is definitely wrong. I think the Li-ion battery is fried, it’s losing charge immediately after unplugged from the charger. It powers the bike enough to try to start it, but then falls off to under 10V. The gel battery doesn’t even get there, it’s losing charge apparently immediately when I press the starter.
There’s no leakage, as far as I can measure. About the grounds, I still don’t know. But it seems like that could be the issue. I don’t know if I can do that whole measuring on my own though. Maybe I need a mechanic to pick up my bike and pay for that. I just don’t have the equipment or space to take my bike apart, check the spark plugs or anything. Do you maybe have a good tutorial for dummies like me on how to check the grounds?
Easy check is disconnect negative from battery, set the DVM to continuity (the beepy mode), check that the DVM works first (make a beep), then test the connection between batt negative, and:
- Frame
- engine
- regulator negative (you can poke the sharp tip right into the copper)
- Anything else you suspect
That’s the critical stuff.
Thank you. I needed that explanation.
Glad to help, try to keep us posted whether you succeed or encounter difficulties.
Thank you my friend! This is what I needed. An explanation that’s really in-depth and good to understand. I’ll try that tomorrow
Is the battery hooked up backward? That could cause it to seem like it immediately drained.
We’ve all done it. lolNo that’s not it, but thanks for checking
Check grounds.
Could you elaborate please? I know I did that before but I’m blanking right now on everything -_-
Check all the wires to ensure they are all connected and have clean contacts. If your grounds are bad, it can cause all the issues you describe.
It may be something else, but checking grounds is the first step with the issues you have mentioned.
Thank you so much. I can try that tomorrow. But I didn’t change anything about the cables since it started last time. I have a multimeter, so I guess I measure stuff.
The contacts will oxidize over time, especially with high humidity or exposure to salt air.
Often just loosening/tightening connections is enough to get it working. Better still is loosening, then contact cleaner, then dielectric grease, then tighten.
You have already done the battery connections, so check the frame ground, the starter relay (that’s hot only), the start switch (again, hot only) and on from there.
You’ll get it. Motorcycle electrics generally suck shit and are subject to harsher conditions than a car, at least it isn’t a 1960’s Triumph.
But that’s happening in one month? It started like 4 weeks ago… I wouldn’t even know what connections to loosen. I’ll have to read a electric dictionary to understand your message, but thanks so much for your help and suggestions 😁
It probably wouldn’t have happened in one month, it just got worse until it stopped working.
Battery negative — will connect to the engine. The black cable coming from the battery. Loosen that, give it a wiggle, tighten again.
Battery positive + will have a large red cable, and some smaller ones too. The large red will go to the starter solenoid, loosen that, give it a wiggle, tighten again.
That’s a start.
