Headlight brightens when revved, rectifer going bad?
Noticed this today when I got home, it's only very slight, but isn't this indicative of a battery on it's last leg? I also read something somewhere about the rectifier is about to go when this starts happening.
__________________
"A motorcycle is not just a two-wheeled car; the difference between driving a car and climbing onto a motorcycle is the difference between watching TV and actually living your life."
Location: Santa Maria, CA Otherwise known as heaven on earth.
Posts: 1,797
Motorcycles (at least most current ones) have a basic problem when it comes to the charging system -- the generator is mounted on the end of the crankshaft, and at lower than ~2,200 RPM the surface speed of the rotor is insufficient to generate enough power to keep the system going, depending on the battery to make up the difference. That is referred to as the "break even point", and is the lowest RPM at which the system will continuously operate. Above that point the nominal voltage should be 13.8 volts or slightly higher, and below it the battery has to take up the slack but since the normal battery voltage under these conditions is about 12.8 volts or a bit less the headlight will noticably dim.
From your description I'd say it's normal and not worth worrying about.
Infinitely adjustable, made of the finest materials available, and completely sourced from local suppliers -- gotta support the local economy! Order today and know handlebar Nirvana.
Infinitely adjustable, made of the finest materials available, and completely sourced from local suppliers -- gotta support the local economy! Order today and know handlebar Nirvana.
right answer... a person who says they know everything is vastly uneducated.
That stated... rob is a WEALTH of knowledge and probably knows more than most.
OP what ur describing sounds fine.... the 919 motor is easy to turn over... so when you start noticing that it cranks slower than normal... start lookin for a bat.
I was going to add that at idle, my Steibel horn also dims the light (noticed it when I tested it in the garage; also noted that I should not have tested it in the garage *ouch*).
Don't notice it at higher RPM's, but then again I don't tend to rev my bike in the gayrage and toot my own horn.
It is actually a good way of eliminating the need for a voltage gauge on the bike. If the light brightens slightly when you rev, that means the charging system is working. If it doesn't, don't go far!
__________________
In 1915 T. Roosevelt said, in a speech to the KofC, "There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. When I refer to hyphenated Americans, I do not refer to naturalized Americans. Some of the very best Americans I have ever known were naturalized Americans, Americans born abroad. But a hyphenated American is not an American at all. "
__________________
"A motorcycle is not just a two-wheeled car; the difference between driving a car and climbing onto a motorcycle is the difference between watching TV and actually living your life."
wait rob, you saying you dont know what you dont know?
There are four categories of things "you dont know", and some are more dangerous than others...
1) There is the stuff you know that you don't know...Harmless. you cn always find out.
2) There is the stuff you don't know that you don't know...generally innocuous, but a little bit more dangerous.
3) Then there is the stuff that you think that you DO know, but don't. This can be deadly, and will sneak up on you at the very worst of times...this is the finger of Murphy in action.
Rob has wisdom!
.
__________________
Well, fire the engines! Spur this iron space-pony on!
There are four categories of things "you dont know", and some are more dangerous than others...
1) There is the stuff you know that you don't know...Harmless. you cn always find out.
2) There is the stuff you don't know that you don't know...generally innocuous, but a little bit more dangerous.
3) Then there is the stuff that you think that you DO know, but don't. This can be deadly, and will sneak up on you at the very worst of times...this is the finger of Murphy in action.
Rob has wisdom!
.
you forgot the 4th one dec:
4) things you know you don't know and have no intention of ever knowing for to know is to become deeply scarred. an example is knowing how your parents get it on
Location: Santa Maria, CA Otherwise known as heaven on earth.
Posts: 1,797
A quick take on this:
Facts are information.
Knowledge is the ability to apply information to specific situations, and to know what information is pertinent.
Experience is the end result of the application of information tempered and ordered by knowledge.
Wisdom is the experience that gives you the knowledge that you will never have all the information you need to be absolutely certain of anything.
Consequently, if you talk with someone who is absolutely certain of something, they may be informed, but they are probably not knowledgeable, almost certainly not experienced, and definitely not wise. This is known as wizzdumb, and is the normal human condition.
Infinitely adjustable, made of the finest materials available, and completely sourced from local suppliers -- gotta support the local economy! Order today and know handlebar Nirvana.
Knowledge is the ability to apply information to specific situations, and to know what information is pertinent.
Experience is the end result of the application of information tempered and ordered by knowledge.
Wisdom is the experience that gives you the knowledge that you will never have all the information you need to be absolutely certain of anything.
Consequently, if you talk with someone who is absolutely certain of something, they may be informed, but they are probably not knowledgeable, almost certainly not experienced, and definitely not wise. This is known as wizzdumb, and is the normal human condition.
I think.
Rob
I like that a lot, always tell the kids here at school never trust anyone who claims to know everything.
Man, I had to read that about 4 times just to understand what you are saying!!
Dumb it the f&%k down please! JK! I really absorb your wisdom as much as I can.
Location: Santa Maria, CA Otherwise known as heaven on earth.
Posts: 1,797
Quote:
Originally Posted by ariannasdaddy
Man, I had to read that about 4 times just to understand what you are saying!!
Dumb it the f&%k down please! JK! I really absorb your wisdom as much as I can.
Focus, Grasshopper. Wisdom will come if you let it.
Incidentally, Arianna is my gradddaughter. I assume it's a different Arianna. Unless, of course, you or I don't have all the pertinent information necessary to be knowledgeable on the subject.
Infinitely adjustable, made of the finest materials available, and completely sourced from local suppliers -- gotta support the local economy! Order today and know handlebar Nirvana.
Incidentally, Arianna is my gradddaughter. I assume it's a different Arianna. Unless, of course, you or I don't have all the pertinent information necessary to be knowledgeable on the subject.
Well..... since my father and I are clearly cut from the same cloth.... I'd say Arianna is a simple coincidence....
Though, Dad, I would love a set of tharbars for christmas.....
What about the stuff I never wanted to know but someone told me - I now need to know how to forget that stuff .......
Like 'felching' - even typing the word brings a small amount of vomit up the back of my throat.
Definitely a great start to my morning.... reading the word felching and almost dry heaving
__________________
"A motorcycle is not just a two-wheeled car; the difference between driving a car and climbing onto a motorcycle is the difference between watching TV and actually living your life."
Speaking of the headlight, is there a bulb you can by to make it a little better? Can't do the 599 headlight upgrade right now, and riding at night has been sketchy
__________________
"A motorcycle is not just a two-wheeled car; the difference between driving a car and climbing onto a motorcycle is the difference between watching TV and actually living your life."