RG150 electrics no longer working

[Jase W]

The battery was dead, it showed that it was charged but then lost it all when any load was put on. A new battery and plug sorted the problem pretty quickly!

Thanks for all the help guys

[notme]

It should start even with a buggered battery. Will definetely crash start.

Not if it's dead flat, or faulty. You need at least enough juice to bring on the dash lights to bump start a vehicle. Plus it seems his battery is more than just flat but actually faulty.

[notme]

The battery was dead, it showed that it was charged but then lost it all when any load was put on. A new battery and plug sorted the problem pretty quickly!

Thanks for all the help guys

(10chars!)

[quallman1234]

Not if it's dead flat, or faulty. You need at least enough juice to bring on the dash lights to bump start a vehicle. Plus it seems his battery is more than just flat but actually faulty.

What world do you live in? Obviously not a 2 stroke world. That may be true for larger bikes. But for a little 2 stroke.
They don't need any charge on the battery. I've had 4 volts on my battery on my RG150, and it still started off the kick. Let alone crash starting it. A few revolutions of the crank give its plently enough spark. (Just make sure you light switch is turned off which in this case it would be because its a race bike).
The battery however in this case was probabaly drawing all the current through it, and not leaving enough for the cdi/igintion coil. Being faulty and all.

Glad you got it sorted Jase!

[notme]

What world do you live in? Obviously not a 2 stroke world. That may be true for larger bikes. But for a little 2 stroke.

My world is the third from the sun, take a left at Saturn and look for the blue planet.

The number of strokes has nothing to do with the charging system, I'm afraid. Yes, there is a correlation where small magneto type igniton engines are usually 2 stroke, but assuming a bike with a standard PM alternator system, 2 stroke, 4 stroke, 1 cylinder, 6 cylinders - it's all irrelevant.

They don't need any charge on the battery. I've had 4 volts on my battery on my RG150, and it still started off the kick. Let alone crash starting it.

Similar to the number of strokes, turning the engine over via kick starting or crash starting makes no difference.

A few revolutions of the crank give its plently enough spark. (Just make sure you light switch is turned off which in this case it would be because its a race bike).

You correctly point out that you'd turn the headlight off if fitted - the reason for this is to leave all the battery juice available to run the ignition system. If the battery is faulty, it's leaving a load across the battery, similar to the headlight, which is what I said in at least 2 previous posts above, and is why I said you won't be able to crash start a bike if the battery is dead flat, or faulty. In this case it was faulty, but the same applies if it's flat as a pancake.

Now, to explain the why of what I've said above - but first note that this is a generalization, and may not apply to every bike out there, but it will apply to most except the out of the ordinary types like older magneto ignitions or BMW type wound field alternators.

If you have very little battery power (i.e. it's too flat to even weakly light up your dash lights) on your standard PM alternator/regulator rectifier system equipped bike, you obviously cannot use electric start. However, if you kick start, you should be able to start it, but don't kid yourself that the alternator is making power, which is powering the ignition system, which is allowing you to start the bike. The battery is providing juuuuust enough go to get the thing firing, which is not a lot of power. Then when the engine is running, yes the alternator is providing all running current. If you can pull the battery out of your bike and kick start it, you have either a magneto ignition, or an auxiliary winding on the alternator, or a very geared down alternator to crank connection, or some other special setup.

The alternator provides buggerall current up until (depending on design) 1 or 2 thousand rpm. You are not able to achieve those rpms's with a kickover - though you do have a better chance with a crash start depending on gearing.

Another wrinkle is that depending on the bike, there are other factors that will stop you from starting with a very flat battery. If you have EFI, you're rooted. If your bike needs to pull in one or more relays like an engine stop relay or ignition relay, you might have trouble. If you have any sort of electronic ignition, you may be screwed.

20 or more years ago, if it had a manual gearbox you could crash start it....nowadays even my manual cage won't crash start!

Interesting huh? :-)