[TomTom]

Greetings!

This is my first post and I am a bit frustrated, so I apologize for any typos. I just wanted to run a problem past you guys. My 06 ZZR600 was put away in the garage during winter. It was taken out a few times on milder days. For one month it wasn't used at all. In mid March I tried to take it out for a ride, but would barely crank. (it wasn't on a battery tender)

I jump-started it, rode it for a good 30 minutes, put it back in the garage. 1 week later it was too weak to crank. So, I get out the cables again, jump start it, let it idle on the drive for a good 30 minutes, take off the cables, and off I go.

I hit a nice straight away and I open up the throttle a little and when the bike hit about 9k it started jerking back and forth like I was out of gas. So I turn the petcock to reserve and on I go, ego slightly bruised.

I turn around to head home, but the bike now starts doing the same thing at 6k, then 4, then 3, finally after 20 minutes of going between 2 and 3k in 2nd gear I get home.

Battery is dead, bike won't crank. For some reason I thought the battery developed a short, so a few days go by and new battery arrives. I put it in, bike fires right up, oh joy. But I got a volt meter in the few days I was waiting and hook it up the battery.it reads 12.9 volts with the bike not running, 12.5 with bike running.

So I now figure it has to be the regulator/rectifier. I got a cheap Caltric regulator/rectifier from Amazon for like 30 bucks with shipping. It arrives in a few days, this afternoon.

I hook it up, check voltage at rest, 12.9 right on the money. I fire up the bike, and its at 13.5-14 or so, tears of joy.

I start reving it tho, and the volts start climbing. By the time I am 4k its charging at 15+ and I think I saw a 16 in there on one rev. I never approached the 9k where the original problem occurred.

So what in the blue blazes is going on? I got a manual for the ZX600G model and it specifies 14.7 +_ .5 volts whilst running, but 16 would definately be abnormal, no?

How did the bike go from too little juice to too much? Any ideas? Faulty rectifier? Bad stator?

Thanks in advance and sorry for the long post

 

[Jperez]

My moneys on the cheap regulator not doing its job, sending too much juice to the battery. I think its always best to go oem.

 

[Zx6rSeth11]

Test the output of the three phases of the stator by using a multi meter on the a/c range, pull stator connector off the regulator and fire up the bike and rev at 4 grand and hold there while reading the output of all 3 phases should be about 54v across all three. If it's good then I'd say it's your regulator that's the prop but if there lower then 48v or so then turn off engine and check stator resistance with your multi meter on the ohms range should be between .11-.17 no more no less across all three phases. If out of range stator is bad or going bad but if you are in spec but output was low from engine runing test then it is your rotor that's to blame. From low magnetism either from impact or just age. Hope this helps you out, I'm currently in the same boat charging probs the struggle is real.

 

[TomTom]

Thanks for the above. I never did get around to trying it out. Since I put the rectifier in, I left the bike on the battery tender as it was raining cats and dogs.

Today as its really nice, I took the bike off the tender, wheeled it outside, and it would barely start. I immediately put a volt meter to it, and it was barely at 11.9 v with the bike off. With the bike running it was barely at 11.6. If I revved it, it was fluctuating wildly between 10.5 and 15v.

When it was just idling, it was evident that it was not charging properly. When I revved it up, the neutral indicator light that was barely visible in the sunlight became extremely bright green at above 3k or so.

When I shut the bike off, and took the battery out, the voltmeter said it was just a hair below 12v. However as soon as I put the battery back in the bike and connected the cables, the volt meter said it was at around 11.4. So it seems there is something draining the battery with the ignition off and the key out. This is a brand new battery mind you. And so is the rectifier/regulator. Just last week it was charging close to 14v at idle and at 15-16v when revved. The bike hadn't left the garage. Now the original symptoms are back with the addition that the bike barely turns over with a fully charged battery...

:notify:

Any ideas?

 

[Zx6rSeth11]

The battery at rest should be atleast 12.8 to be considered fully charged my bike won't turn over if it's less then 12 Volts. Also note you should wait atleast 30 mins after charging a battery too get a true reading when it's at rest. But it's also possible to get a new battery that's bad from the get go. At idle the bike should stay about battery level 12.4 at least but should never drop voltage. That's what my bike is doing right now dropping voltage at idle.

In order to determine the bad part you need to do the tests I discribed before but it sounds like the stator is good if it's pushing 15 volts and I agree with jp sounds like China regulator to blame always buy oem parts it cost more for good reason perfect fit and designed to work with everything else. But be warned bad regulator can burn up your stator I've been told. My reg I think was 240$ Oem. But I hope you get her figured out an back on the road.

 

[TomTom]

For what its worth I tested for parasitic draw with the ignition off and its 0.09 mA which I think its normal. Ill be testing the stator tomorrow when the neighbor's kids aren't sleeping.

 

[Zx6rSeth11]

Huh I've never thought to check that before how did you preform it? Oh book does say to test after bike is fully warmed up too I assume it's for testing voltage at idle but not sure if it would matter for stator test. Better safe then sorry tho.

 

[RJ2112]

Thanks for the above. I never did get around to trying it out. Since I put the rectifier in, I left the bike on the battery tender as it was raining cats and dogs.

Today as its really nice, I took the bike off the tender, wheeled it outside, and it would barely start. I immediately put a volt meter to it, and it was barely at 11.9 v with the bike off. With the bike running it was barely at 11.6. If I revved it, it was fluctuating wildly between 10.5 and 15v.

When it was just idling, it was evident that it was not charging properly. When I revved it up, the neutral indicator light that was barely visible in the sunlight became extremely bright green at above 3k or so.

When I shut the bike off, and took the battery out, the voltmeter said it was just a hair below 12v. However as soon as I put the battery back in the bike and connected the cables, the volt meter said it was at around 11.4. So it seems there is something draining the battery with the ignition off and the key out. This is a brand new battery mind you. And so is the rectifier/regulator. Just last week it was charging close to 14v at idle and at 15-16v when revved. The bike hadn't left the garage. Now the original symptoms are back with the addition that the bike barely turns over with a fully charged battery...

:notify:

Any ideas?

Your regulator is not working. The purpose of that part of the system is to limit the Voltage so you don't damage your battery. It shouldn't go past 14.7 VDC (best to check the exact number in the shop manual) even when you have it revved up.

 

[PainfullySlo]

...cheap Caltric regulator/rectifier

your issue lies in the above sentence =)

 

[TomTom]

Huh I've never thought to check that before how did you preform it? Oh book does say to test after bike is fully warmed up too I assume it's for testing voltage at idle but not sure if it would matter for stator test. Better safe then sorry tho.

You put your multimeter in A mode, and switch the positive line to the unfused position. Then you take off the negative cable for example and complete the circuit, "in-line". So if you took off the negative cable, you connect the positive end of the mutimeter and you connect to ground using the negative.

You then work your way back from the highest A setting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prkA1fYvhWo

 

[Elduderino01]

Gotta be very careful with cheap junk. You do get what you pay for. With something mechanical and electrical you shouldn't go cheap. Plastic parts, and other stuff is ok. Sometimes it works out, sometimes its disastrous.

 

[TomTom]

your issue lies in the above sentence =)

OEM 189 dollar rectifier inbound...deep down I knew that 23 dollars was too cheap. the fact that I had to modify one of the sockets should have been a clue =(