Electrical Trouble::Reg/Rec?

[ekr]

Hi all

So I've been having electrical troubles--to recap:

1. Previous battery would not hold charge--leaving work or stores sometimes, wouldn't start--roll started to get home.
2. Went to Europe on tour for a month--had a friend try to ride it to keep it going because I have stupidly not bought a tender.  He couldn't get it started.  Got home, took the battery in to be charged.  Crap chain autoparts store [get what you pay for, no?] left it on until most of the electrolyte had boiled away.  Battery really dead now.
3. Ordered new maintenance-free [Scorpion] battery.  Threw it on, all suited up--no good.  One or two cranks of starter, then just solenoid click.  Roll-start=FAIL, jump with non-running car=FAIL.
4. Took battery to real cycle shop to load test/charge.  Tests OK.  Good man at Combustion Cycles advises me to fix this myself and save huge labor cost.
5. So--tested solenoid voltage and Ω: OK
6. Checked clutch, sidestand, kill, and start switches.  All OK, but of course they are--it's trying to start.  Cleaned contacts, slathered in dielectric grease.
7. Pulled headlight, checked connectors, dielectric greased, etc.
8. Checked frame ground: OK.
9. Checked for current leak between neg post and neg lead: none.
10. Have had an intermittent neutral light recently, so pulled all bulbs, cleaned contacts, etc.  Pulled left cover to get at neutral switch, cleaned up in there.  Again, though, it's trying [half-heartedly] to start, so it seems like that might not be the problem.
11. Realized I am an idiot, and have left gas in the thing for...three months now?  No good.  So drained gas [GS has a huge reserve], drained carbs, replaced with new gas.  Changed plugs while I was at it.  Same solenoid click.  Roll-started, though.  So rode about 25 minutes over 5K to try to charge.
12. Got home, left running, and started the John Bates charging circuit tests which I haven't been able to do with the non-running bike.  All OK until step 16: Positive Swing Diode Forward Bias check: FAIL.
13. Bike will not start once shut off.

SO: I think I did this last test correctly.  The wires on my 2000 GS don't seem to be exactly the colors he's naming [red seems to be black w/ red stripe on mine...etc].  Would a faulty R/R diode cause these symptoms?  Clicking solenoid but no starter action?  I have a friend with a GS, so I'm hoping to borrow his R/R to test. 

Could still be something with #10, though--that neutral indicator.  Can I disable this to test?

Any help from you fine people will be much appreciated--I'm quiet here, but you've kept me out of the shop through a re-jet, a front spring upgrade, and hopefully this catastrophe.  It's killing me not to ride in this weather.

thanks

=E

[werase643]

what is the batt voltage with the bike turned off? 12.? Volt?
what is the voltage at 5000 rpm?  13.5- 15.5 volt?

[ekr]

what is the batt voltage with the bike turned off? 12.? Volt?
what is the voltage at 5000 rpm?  13.5- 15.5 volt?

Those checked out I think--bike off is 12.7, at 5K it was under 15.5V, 14.something I think.

[average]

Stator is cooking the battery? 

[werase643]

ok.... what is the voltage at step 13?

[ekr]

I wondered about the stator, but it didn't seem to be shorted to ground.  Had 1.3 Ω [I think]across wires.  What else should I check?

On step 13, I'll have to roll start it again tomorrow and I'll let you know--thanks all.

[lamahug]

Try taking the starter off, clean the wire contacts and the starter housing itself where it bolts into the frame (use emery cloth or sandpaper to get a clean finish).  If you can reach it, clean the bike frame where the starter mounts into.  There could be corrosion between the starter housing and the bike frame.  Sometimes the contact between the two gets corroded and you won't get good current flow through the starter.
 

[ekr]

Try taking the starter off, clean the wire contacts and the starter housing itself where it bolts into the frame (use emery cloth or sandpaper to get a clean finish).  If you can reach it, clean the bike frame where the starter mounts into.  There could be corrosion between the starter housing and the bike frame.  Sometimes the contact between the two gets corroded and you won't get good current flow through the starter.

Is the starter inside the left side cover?  I've got some oil coming from there as it is, so I should go ahead and replace the gasket...

[werase643]

under cover below the carbs