Battery/charging problems

[Hansb]

May fixed the charging problem. Looks like it`s too long or thin wires between the rectifier and the battery.
The rectifier has 2 red/black wires and 2 blue. The red/black is +, and the blue is -. Connected the 2 red/black to one of the connectors. Both is connected anyway inside the rectifier, and in the bike cables. Then put a new 6 qmm from the other connector directly to the fuse before the battery. Disconnected the existing red/black between rectifier and fuse. And like magic, charging voltage is now 14,2V at 4000 rpm with full light, fan runnig and and the heated grips on. Just finished the job, more testing tomorrow. Can see the difference on the headlights.
May not need to replace my battery...

[Hansb]

More pix..

[Hansb]

Never seen this before on this bike..

[bossbob]

Now that's a find........

I have been looking at replacing the reg/rec with an after market one (even tho I don't have a problem as such) as I was convinced that the reg charge level was too low.
This coupled with JB's fault finding chart should nail this issue for good.
What was your reading before the mod, hansb?
and what made you go down this route?
lastly, you said to put the 2 red/blk into one terminal ........ then later you said disconnect it at the battery

Surely this leaves a +12v lead connected to the reg/rec doing nothing??

looks like the issue tho......... nice find!!

Rab

[bossbob]

Just to add to hansb's find....... off to the wiring diagram, and


twats

One of those wee red/blk cables to carry 40 amps

[bikpaintr]

Hansb - Good work!! I went through the Electrex fault finding chart on my bike this afternoon & the test shows a bad connection in the positive lead between the rectifier and the battery. Exactly what you found! I have been talking with Ritzo at Electrex USA & will be sending him my info as well as your findings to see what he has to say. Electrex also recommends running a ground from the rectifier directly to the battery. Could you do me a favor & check the harness from the stator to see if it stays cooler now or still gets too hot to hold after idling for a minute or two.

John B.

[KenpoKev]

This thread is yet another in a long line of outstanding pieces of information that I have found here.

You guys are all really terrific, thanks for the excellent info!

Hope to see many of you at Laguna!

Cheers,

Kev

[Hansb]

lastly, you said to put the 2 red/blk into one terminal ........ then later you said disconnect it at the battery

There are 2 red/blk wires from the rectifier. 1 supplies the front fuse box, and the other suplies the battery. Disconnected the one at the battery because because its replaced with a new 6qmm.

Could you do me a favor & check the harness from the stator to see if it stays cooler now or still gets too hot to hold after idling for a minute or two.

It was idling for about 15-20 minutes last night, and the rectifier was not hot. no problem holding a hand hard on the ribs as long as you wanted.

What was your reading before the mod, hansb?

My readings before was around 13V, sometimes under when the bike was hot after 2 hours riding.

and what made you go down this route?

2 new batteries in 2 years, and a third on its way. Make my lokal bike pusher happy... And the fact that 13V charging voltage on the battery is far too low.


It may look like the stator and rectifier is quality parts, but the wiring on the bike is not. oth wires from the rectifier goes to the front fuse box, then 1 new returnes to the battery. Long way in a thin cable for 40 Amps.
BTW, it also pass through a connector under the seat. Bye passed it now.

About why voltage drops on higher rpm. Showed a frend of mine an internale drawing of a bike rectifier. He is working a lot with electronic parts on cars and boats. He says when the rectifier no longer has a "receiver" for the current, it starts connecting the + earth. Typical sign for tiny wires.

[Befbever]

Hans my man, this is priceless info. Countless Futuristi will benefit from this fix. Excellent work! Time to check my spaghetti methinks.

Thank you very much!


"Bike pusher".....LOL!

[RPB]

Excellent, Hansb!

I feel stupid, because this is exactly what I have done a few years ago to my Guzzi. Now you would think Aprilia is a bit more modern. Bloody Italians never learn electrics

BTW, the advice from Electrex to run a separate earth lead from the regulator to the battery is very good info too (on the Guzzi I replaced the stock Ducati regulator with an Electrex one, and did the same...no more charging problems).

Well, yesterday night I removed the brown connector (better safe than sorry). Looks like I will open it up again this weekend

[bikpaintr]

Hansb - I was asking about heat in the wiring harness coming from the stator(3 yellow wires) & the brown connector. I noticed mine got too hot to hold after only a minute of idling. Could you please check yours to see if it still builds up heat after your mod.

John B.

[bikpaintr]

Hansb - Please clear something up for me. You said you tied both feed wires from the rectifier together into one connector which is now supplying juice to your new wire running directly to the main fuse box under the seat. What is supplying juice to the front fuse box now that you no longer feed that wire at the rectifier plug?

[bossbob]

Hi John,
I am in progress with the mod right now, like you I am curious as to why hans disconnected the red/blk at the fuses next to the battery and left it connected at the rectifier. I haven't done it that way.
I have joined the two R/B's at the rec with another heavy brown (4mm) wire making a joint of 3
I have connected the brown to the R/B under the fuses next to the battery
I have joined the two blues with a third blue (4mm) making a joint of 3 the other end of which I am connecting to the battery negative.
I have soldered the 3 yellows to remove the connector.

I haven't had a chance to check if the yellows get warm yet, I will make it my first test

[bikpaintr]

I'm just wondering how the front fuse box gets feed if both red/blk wires coming out of the rectifier are feeding the one new wire going to the battery/main fuse box. This would seem to leave nothing feeding the original wire.
John B.

[bossbob]

I think you have mis-understood hans, john. he did not disconnect the existing r/b's at the rectifier..... he moved them onto one terminal, they are both still there. I **THINK** he disconnected the r/b at the fuses to replace it with his new cable, but I cannot see why!

Anyway, I'm done ....... job's a goodun
Not pretty, but it works, solves the issue, unquestionably, and should negate the need for startng/battery/solenoid issues to ever arise again.

The yellows do still get warm, even on tickover, but I would reckon not as hot as they used to get. Hard to tell. I did not have the 0.2v drop on the live, my readings were
0.14 drop from the red/blk at the rectifier to the +ve of the battery
0.08v difference from blue at the rectifier to the -ve of the battery
Total 0.22v therefor I did both
The voltage at my battery, bike running, was 13.1
When revved it fell to 12.9

It now shows 14.22 at tickover
13.96 at appx 4k rpm
a couple of pics to follow.....