Hello KBers,
My 1989 CBR400RR is now my only bike, so I need it running 100%.
Recently, It's developed a problem:
I used to ride everywhere with the headlights on, and never had a problem with it. But suddenly one day, I went to start it up as normal, and the starter went crank-craaank-craaaaaank and just died. I push started it, started and ran fine. That was the day of the ride to Kawakawa bay, so I rode it all the way there with the headlights off and after that it was fine.
Once I started riding around with the headlights on again, the symptoms re-appeared. The starter was noticeably weaker and it just wouldn't 'catch' as easily, sometimes I had to keep cranking till it ran out of juice and wouldn't crank anymore. (I presume this is because all the juice was going into the starter and none for spark).
If I ride around with headlights off whenever I can (i.e. before sunset), the bike is sweet. But once I ride with headlights on, it just doesn't charge the battery (too well).
I recently went on a little ride to Whangarei, and On my way back from, it was dark and I was riding with my high beams on. I stopped at a petrol station to clean all the bug guts off my bike, and when I got on it and hit the starter, it was VERY weak and just gave up after a bit. Push started it and it ran fine.
Bike idles fine etc, and is alright unless I ride w/ headlights.
What's the prognosis? Alternator on the way out? Shagged battery holding only a surface charge? I hope it's the latter D:
Here's something to consider: When I fell off it, I damaged the switch block, so the high beam was re-wired with a toggle switch - would this mean that when I flicked it on it wouldn't disengage the low beam like it normally would?
Is there some testing I can do at home to see what's up? I know my way around a multimeter.
TIA![]()
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