Blows headlight.

The Buddha · April 13, 2009, 08:47:21 AM

The GR is killing em. Anyone have an idea what can do that.
Cool.
Buddha.

joshr08 · April 13, 2009, 08:53:49 AM

buddha that gr have a voltage regulator?

The Buddha · April 13, 2009, 09:38:35 AM

Yes and its putting out 14.5V DC at 1500 rpm across the battery and almost no AC, like .1V or so AC.
Cool.
Buddha.

joshr08 · April 13, 2009, 09:43:32 AM

do you have a bare wire shorting to the light housing? or grounded out light bulb?

sledge · April 13, 2009, 10:13:12 AM

GR650?..........Nothing to say its the same system as on the GS500......Could be its one of those old crappy unreliable "lost phase" setups where 1 of the 3 phases from the alternator is dedicated to supplying the headlamp on its own, with the remaining 2 used for charging the battery and powering everything else, unlike the GS5 system where the total electrical load is split evenly over the 3 phases. Under certain conditions it would cause a current imbalance in the stator winding, 1 phase would run hotter (or colder) than the other 2......and things would start to fry.

Q #1...Has the headlamp got it own fuse?
Q#2....Have you got a detailed schematic or what other models used the same engine?

fred · April 13, 2009, 11:20:55 AM

Is your headlight housing not shedding heat as fast as it should? If it is supposed to have vents but doesn't, or they've been plugged up, you could just be overheating the lamp constantly... Might be worth a look...

The Buddha · April 13, 2009, 11:51:41 AM

Quote from: sledge on April 13, 2009, 10:13:12 AM
GR650?..........Nothing to say its the same system as on the GS500......Could be its one of those old crappy unreliable "lost phase" setups where 1 of the 3 phases from the alternator is dedicated to supplying the headlamp on its own, with the remaining 2 used for charging the battery and powering everything else, unlike the GS5 system where the total electrical load is split evenly over the 3 phases. Under certain conditions it would cause a current imbalance in the stator winding, 1 phase would run hotter (or colder) than the other 2......and things would start to fry.

Q #1...Has the headlamp got it own fuse?
Q#2....Have you got a detailed schematic or what other models used the same engine?

OK worth checking voltage @ the bulb, or looking @ its electrical diagram, and its regulator is comepletly different from the GS.
BTW the yamaha virago I have has a regulator that has only 2-3 wires comming+going to it. Odd.
Its venting ... giant hole in the back, its getting air in & out.
Cool.
Buddha.

bill14224 · April 15, 2009, 08:02:43 AM

Four things kill bulbs in short order, high vibration, high heat, high voltage, and getting wet, nothing else. Shorts and opens will stop the bulb from working but will not kill the bulb. Shorts will kill the fuse so that's not hard to diagnose.

You've already ruled out venting and vibration as the bike hasn't left the driveway and GR's are pretty smooth anyway, so it's time to look to the regulator. If it were getting wet you'd know it because you're not an idiot. If the alternator is faulty it can't supply enough power to the regulator for it to pump the voltage up that high. Sounds to me like you need a regulator. An overzealous regulator will also cook your battery.

There is one caveat to this. If your battery is crapola it may cause the regulator to go all out attempting to charge it, and could push the voltage high enough to blow the bulb.

joshr08 · April 15, 2009, 08:29:01 AM

well i may have went to short next but if you look bill i asked about the regulator first so maybe im not as dumb as you think

werase643 · April 15, 2009, 09:02:46 AM

what is the voltage at higher RPM? 3000 - 5000 rpm ish

average · April 15, 2009, 10:51:01 AM

So, you finally got this thing going? Wow, any pics? Is it in one of your many PC frames? Maybe you got a fraid wire grounded out on the back of the bucket. Got a grommet back there?

The Buddha · April 15, 2009, 11:10:26 AM

I had the GR running the day after I got it ... but it aint the GR fitted GS, its a GR GR.
Pics - in that thread titled Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr ...
Cool.
Buddha.

bill14224 · April 15, 2009, 03:15:11 PM

Josh, I don't think you're dumb, I just think you're compelled to weigh in on everything whether you know about it or not, and if someone disagrees with you, you take it personally. You also give very biased advice rather than stating your preference then explaining both sides of the coin and letting the reader make up his own mind about the alternatives that exist.

There have been times when a question comes from someone who states his intended use for his bike is different from yours, like the guy who said he likes to go on long rides, but that didn't stop you from trying to convince him to gear down, and it should have. Even though I prefer to gear up, if someone wants more acceleration, I tell him gearing down is by far the cheapest way to do it, but then I explain the costs, of which there are several.

I wouldn't describe our bike as sluggish with stock gears as you do, or even 1 tooth taller. 13.65 quarter mile makes it less sluggish than most cars and half the bikes on the road. That's what the magazines want you to believe, that the acceleration of many of the bikes of the last 25 years is somehow needed, to get people to fork-over many thousands of dollars just to dramatically increase their chances of being killed in this insane ego-messaging arms race of HP and acceleration. I was thinking about that earlier today as I was accelerating up a long incline on my bike in 6th at 70 with my sluggish gearing while taking a 60-mile ride. If I wanted more acceleration I'd get a different bike, as I like a bike that performs well everywhere, not just in the neighborhood.

There, I've said my peace and I'll never bring it up again.

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Blows headlight.