how to check the electrical system

[two-stroke-brit]

i am competent mechanicaly but retarded on the electrical side of bikes.
so how do you check the system is working as intended on my buffalo.
i have a multimeter dont know where to start.
(plain english please)
thanks mark.

[Suzsmokeyallan]

Plain English???? place the red lead from the meter clipped onto + battery post and the black lead goes onto the negative - battery post.
Set the dial on the meter to volts D.C current
Start the bike and warm it up, then watch the voltage reading, check it at idle with the headlamps on.
Depending on the model of bike you have, in your case a Buffalo, you should not see it go below 12.60 volts at idle.
Usually you will see a 12.75 voltage or better at idle with the lights on.
Check it at around 3,000 rpms as well, same condition, lights on, you should see at least 13.80 volts or slightly better in this condition.
A rule of thumb is, if the voltage is under 12 volts or over 15 volts you are under charging or overcharging.
Naturally this all hinges on your battery condition and charging systems condition.
The mechanical coil induction type regulator on a buffalo is the achilles heel of the system and should be swapped out for an electronic unit.

[oldjapanesebikes]

One small point to add - I tend to set the meter to the measurement range I plan to use before attaching it to the circuit.

[two-stroke-brit]

thanks for the "how too",i did as instructed.
at idle with the lights on it is reading 12.4 and it slowely declines.
but at 3000 rpm it is as 14.4.
i am asuming that the HID headlight i have installed is drawing to much at idle ,
i replaced the regulator with an electronic unit as recomended by alan in a different post (oregon something).
i seem to remember ian saying you can tweek the regulator up a bit ,
but as it is coping unless at idle which would be the best course of action?.
thanks mark.

[Suzsmokeyallan]

At the bottom of the Oregon unit is a little 'pot', it changes the output by 1/2 volt when turned from one limit to the other, so you can try that small adjustment.
Also if you have not put in an LED rear lamp bulb, replacing that will help as well to reduce an avenue of unnecessary voltage drain at idle.
It would be interesting on your bike to reinstall the original headlamp bulb and see what the voltage across the battery terminals is versus the HID units draw on your system.
Is this a full hi and low beam HID system or a split system where one bulb is halogen and one is HID??
What are you using as the idling speed, as around 1,000 to 1,200 rpms is in the ball park for the Buffalo.
14.4 volts is very good for an old buffalo system at 3000 rpms, just keep your eye on the battery acid levels if you are using a wet battery, but possibly you have an AGM battery fitted so it will be a non issue.

[two-stroke-brit]

hi allan it is a 7" H4 HI/LO XENON HEADLIGHT from jc whitney.
part number. 1JA 312145
i think it is a single bulb unit.
i have a new jell battery.
and the idle is around the 1000 mark i will bring that up a bit.
do you have a part number for the led taillight ,
i got some leds for the clocks but have not put them in yet
thanks mark.

[oldjapanesebikes]

Just a caution - there is a connector block under the tank that is sometimes problematic (as in the connection corrodes, it over heats and the wires fry). Unless you have already double checked this, I'd suggest just taking a peek before tweaking the pot on the regulator to raise the voltage. If there is any sign or warm wiring at all, you will need to check all the connections and reassemble with dielectric grease.

[jbswear]

hi allan it is a 7" H4 HI/LO XENON HEADLIGHT from jc whitney.
part number. 1JA 312145
i think it is a single bulb unit.
i have a new jell battery.
and the idle is around the 1000 mark i will bring that up a bit.
do you have a part number for the led taillight ,
i got some leds for the clocks but have not put them in yet
thanks mark.

That's not an HID light bulb. It's just a regular filament bulb. It should burn at 55/65 watts, hi/low.

A real HID should only draw about 35 watts either hi OR low, as the bulb/shroud moves to change the intensity; the bulb always stays at the same "brightness" level.

[Suzsmokeyallan]

Good point Ian, he should check all connectors for tightness in the terminals and for cleanliness as well.
Yup thats also correct, from that description it sounds like a high output bulb unit and not a HID with a ballast assy.
Mark the LED tail lamp bulbs are available from most discount auto stores in packs of two, try to find ones with about 19 LEDs packed into the bulb housing and dont forget they have to be red illumination and not clear.
FWIW the LEDs themselves will be clear coloured so dont expect to see red ones in the packet.

See item 1157-R19 in red on this page.

http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-bin/ ... x12x19.htm

[tz375]

.

[Scorch]

(Rushes down firepole) Where?

[two-stroke-brit]

It would be interesting on your bike to reinstall the original headlamp bulb and see what the voltage across the battery terminals is versus the HID units draw on your system.
Is this a full hi and low beam HID system or a split system where one bulb is halogen and one is HID??
What are you using as the idling speed, as around 1,000 to 1,200 rpms is in the ball park for the Buffalo.
14.4 volts is very good for an old buffalo system at 3000 rpms, just keep your eye on the battery acid levels if you are using a wet battery, but possibly you have an AGM battery fitted so it will be a non issue.

hi guys its been a while since i looked at this but i did as alan said and reinstalled the original bulb and the readings are the same no matter which bulb is fitted so its not that,it must be something else cuasing the temp gage to increase when the lights are on.and go back down when i turn them off.
i have checked the wirring for hot conectors or wires but found nought.

[oldjapanesebikes]

For clarity - when the lights are off, the temperature gauge reads fine, and when you turn the lights on the reading on the temperature gauge goes up ?? If so then it sounds like you have leakage between the gauge wiring (which is orange and black) and the illumination lamp circuit (grey and a black/white trace) for the gauge housing. You can test that by disconnecting the wiring for the lamp in the temperature gauge completely, at the connection point inside the headlamp bucket. Worth a look-see anyway.

[tz375]

IIRC the temp sender changes resistance when it gets hot. Dropping the voltage in the main circuit is probably making the meter read as if it were hot.

[BRP Tourer]

Most charging systems, especially old bikes, do not put out much current at idle. If you are showing 14.4 volts at 3k rpm or so it is charging fine, tweaking the regulator will not make it charge more at idle only at higher rpm's, it is already doing all it can do at idle. If you adjust your regulator to put out more than 14.4 or so you will only cook the battery, because you spend most of your running time at higher rpm's / voltage.
Newer design charging systems use finer windings in the stator coils so they will drop less at idle, but even newer cars with 100+ amp alternators will drop off some at idle.