double_o

I ride my newly acquired 96 rebel 250 12 miles to work every day. The bike just turned 2000 miles yesterday, this morning when I went to start the bike up the battery was dead, so I rolled the bike down my driveway and bump started it, on my way to work I noticed that at higher RPMs the signal lights didn’t work, so when I got to work I put the bike in neutral and ran the RPM up, as the RPMs went up the head light dimmed, I turned the bike off and the battery was dead as a door nail, which make me think the stator is working and the regulator is bad because the bike didn’t sputter due to lack of power for the spark and the bike wasn’t drawing power from a dead battery.. I would like to know if anyone can confirm that I’m looking in the right direction, or am I over look a simpler answer… or is it the stator?

Thank you for your time.

I did search the forum for similar issue, but did see anyone posting about dimming lights as the rpms went up. I would be glad to follow any
Relative links

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Buickguy

The charging system and ignition system are two seperate things, electrically. The stator has the winding for the charging system but also the winding for the ignition.
It is possible (but not recommended) to start and run the Rebel without a battery at all.
The very first thing I would look at is the main fuse. A blown main fuse will have the same (at least similar) symptoms as a dead battery.
Since the lights worked, albeit incorrectly, I would think that you were running them from the stator directly as if no battery was there. leading me to the main fuse first, then putting a VOM on the battery and seeing if it is producing voltage.
The higher RPM dimming could simply be a function of the voltage regulator trying to compensate.
If the fuse is good and the battery reads 12.8 volts with the bike off and no draw, then start the bike and use the VOM on the battery again and see what the voltage is. That will give you a better idea of the condition of the charging system.

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1987 CMX250C Rebel

2002 FSC600 SilverWing

1983 Yamaha Midnight Virago XV920MK

Put your bike's year and size in your signature.
It helps others help you.

double_o

Thank You Very Much.. I will check that first thing..

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cagie

If you have a volt meter hook it up to the battery. IF it is below 11-12v your battery is below what the starter needs. Run the motor and it should read about 13.5 +- at idle and move up to 14.5 +- at 3000 rpm+. If you are not getting any higher reading or it reads high then drops, I would suspect the regulator (or regulator connections). Jack has a source for those if you need one.

You can also check the battery to make sure it is able to keep a charge. You can take it to an auto parts store and have them do a load test on it.

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Comments contained in my posts are not intended to cause physical or psychological stress and are mearly my two cents worth, and in this economy, that's cheap!
87 CMX250C 'the Pygmy Pony'
87 CMX450C 'Black Lithium'

double_o

Ok. I was able to sneak outside an check the fuses, I found 4 fuses a 20 amp that I think is attached to a starter relay... it was fine, 3 tubular old style car fuses in a box attached to the backside of the battery and they were good. I am at work right now and don’t have the owner’s manual with me, which one is the main fuse or am I no where near it.

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cagie

You found em all. If they were all good I would start looking at the Regulator as mentioned above.

__________________
Comments contained in my posts are not intended to cause physical or psychological stress and are mearly my two cents worth, and in this economy, that's cheap!
87 CMX250C 'the Pygmy Pony'
87 CMX450C 'Black Lithium'

Buickguy

Yep, check that regulator, connctions first then do a running test like Cagie described.
Also do a static test of the battery and see what its voltage is without a power draw.

__________________

1987 CMX250C Rebel

2002 FSC600 SilverWing

1983 Yamaha Midnight Virago XV920MK

Put your bike's year and size in your signature.
It helps others help you.

double_o

Thank you for ALL the response and help..

I got the bike home, when I left work for the first 2 minute after bump started it, she seemed to run fine. Then the lights started to fail again or going dim, when I got it home to be sure that the battery was truly dead I decided to try and see if I could start the bike by jumping it off, she fired right up... I don’t have a meter so I will have to get one tomorrow, I took the bike apart to were I could get to the regulator, I could smell melting plastic in that area, all the wires and connection look fine, nothing burnt. Is the regulator supposes to get hot when the bike is running? This one only got slightly warm.. Also I noticed that if I only slightly raise the RPMs (I don’t have a Tach) maybe two or three hundred RPM (just above idle), the lights would get bright then would dim as I raised the RPMs…

My Question: Is the regulator supposes to get hot when the bike is running?
Is the smell of melting plastic a known telltale sigh of a failing regulator?

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Buickguy

Question for you,
How does the bike act on the jumper cables?
It's just a thought and Cagie is probably right about the regulator but I've seen batteries occasionally have a plate break loose and cause a dead short internally.
When one of the cells shorts internally like that the best voltage it will put out is around 10 volts.

I've never checked the temp on the regulator, sorry I can't help you there.
You should not smell burning plastic however.

__________________

1987 CMX250C Rebel

2002 FSC600 SilverWing

1983 Yamaha Midnight Virago XV920MK

Put your bike's year and size in your signature.
It helps others help you.

cagie

The regulator will get warm, hence the cooling fins on it. But hot enough to cook plastic is IMO a sure sign it's dead. The insides are filled with phenolic resin and could account for the smell. Does it smell like a fluorecent ballast that has gone bad?

The other thing that could be smelling like that is the CDI. since you have been running the bike with out a battery you could have blown the CDI as well. One thing you shouldn't do, if at all posible, is to run the bike without a charging system intact.

__________________
Comments contained in my posts are not intended to cause physical or psychological stress and are mearly my two cents worth, and in this economy, that's cheap!
87 CMX250C 'the Pygmy Pony'
87 CMX450C 'Black Lithium'