This description of my experience with a charger system failure on my 2015 R1200RT which I hope may in future be of help to others. (Anyone with an R LC 2014+ model and charging system problems could make use of this also.)
During this Covid epidemic my wife has not been keen on outings on the motorcycle. Quite rightly notes that any accident could be more of a problem due to limited hospital resources, which should be for others. Nonetheless, I on occasion go out on short outings alone.
My standard outing on the old highway to Cuernavaca last Wednesday is a lovely 100KM outing in the woods on a black asphalt road full of twisties. At specific times with next to no traffic at all. (Google maps can be very useful.)
Great outing, but close to entering the city again, the yellow battery warning on the dash lit up. Then it went off. Then it lit up again and did not go off. Then the red one lit up, just minutes away from home.
My first idea was the battery must be dead. Without any testing, after checking it was a little over two years old and actually a very cheap one, I called and a great supplier here brought a new one over and installed it free of charge right at my parking spot. US$80 all included.
The motorcycle tech guy checked for adequate charging with his multimeter. He showed and told me it looked like the motorcycle was not charging. I didn't really want to believe that, but a short test ride the next day proved him right: The yellow battery indicator lit up again, so I returned home promptly.
The Haynes manual suggested checking the charging system fuse: Under the driver's seat the two main fuses are in a small cylinder. You dislodge this from it's plastic holder rod. Open by dislodging the two clips each side with a small screwdriver. Check each fuse. Of course these are not for the charging system, but it's good to know where they are.
Under the seat, at the edge of the ECU, aluminum coloured box right there, but on the right hand side, a cable afixed there holds the charging system fuse. 50 amp it seems. You may need to remove the plastic belt there if it has never been touched. Dislodge the cable and remove the plastic cap. Then you can measure continuity with a multimeter.
I discovered on YouTube that my multimeter has a setting for continuity. It has a symbol for it. Go figure. Small triangle with a line going in. Like an arrow. Seems to be a symbol of a diode or something. You put the black probe on the COM side and the red one on the VOhm connector. Test for continuity at the fuse.
According to the Haynes manual, only reasonable manuals if you want to fix your motorbike, that's one thing to check. However in my case that was not the problem.
Now rather worried, because after reading up, I discovered the alternator is in an impossible place, way inside the engine and gearbox. I.E: Some people think you should get a new bike rather than have to fix that. Enterprising people say it is a very complicated and expensive thing to repair. Repair shops ask for home deeds and such before starting the repair.
So my search for answers on the Internet continued and gave fruit, using very adequate search words. (Can't remember what they were.)
So I found the bible for this problem, fruit of a very knowledgeable and kind British biker form the www.ukgser.com forum crowd:
https://www.ukgser.com/technical/ni...f charging system (R-series, '13 on) V1.0.pdf
This 13 page PDF file is the "Diagnosis and repair of charging system problems" bible, written by Nicholas Van den Berg with Andrew Hamer.
Brilliant and detailed and clear explanation of the whole charging system. Crystal clear images and procedures.
So basically you follow that guide. In short, you check the battery, check charging. If the battery isn't at fault, next thing is to get the major worry out of your mind: Check for continuity between the three yellow cables coming from the alternator into the regulator/rectifier under the seat and above the rear tire.
In my case for the RT it is quite a bother removing the regulator/rectifier. Very little space. Best thing would have been a small "T" shaped tool to remove the two screws. Removing the plastic belt holding the cables first is a good idea. Removing the sensor arm top bolt in front is necessary to take the regulator / rectifier out. Easier to remove the cables from it when it's outside. Push the pin in each to remove the socket. Then you're free to check the damn yellow wires for continuity.
If you don't find continuity between the three yellow cables going to the regulator rectifier, you're basically &/$""$%&()=??=)(/%$"!. So you can swear, cuss, cry and consider terminal options and such. Or you can breathe deeply and continue on with the other tests indicated, because it can still be a wiring problem... It seems.
If you find continuity among the three yellow cables as I did, you can be at peace with the world. Now you need to carefully do the tests on the regulator/rectifier. I made a little table and did all the multimeter measurements on a desk: Most were off range. Ordered the Regulator / Rectifier immediately.
It's a system and it works. You just have to read with care and follow indications.
Forget going to any garage or repair shop before doing these tests, unless you have a mechanic you would trust 100% on a trip to Hawaii all expenses paid alone with your wife for a month. (At least that's my philosophy, ever since some very professional garage "fixed" my front forks and they exploded in my face mid freeway due to excess oil.)
Now I'm waiting for the part and my bike is on hold until it arrives.
Will post results when that's done...
Dr. Rolando Montaño Fraire
Viajes en moto
www.rolandomontano.info
During this Covid epidemic my wife has not been keen on outings on the motorcycle. Quite rightly notes that any accident could be more of a problem due to limited hospital resources, which should be for others. Nonetheless, I on occasion go out on short outings alone.
My standard outing on the old highway to Cuernavaca last Wednesday is a lovely 100KM outing in the woods on a black asphalt road full of twisties. At specific times with next to no traffic at all. (Google maps can be very useful.)
Great outing, but close to entering the city again, the yellow battery warning on the dash lit up. Then it went off. Then it lit up again and did not go off. Then the red one lit up, just minutes away from home.
My first idea was the battery must be dead. Without any testing, after checking it was a little over two years old and actually a very cheap one, I called and a great supplier here brought a new one over and installed it free of charge right at my parking spot. US$80 all included.
The motorcycle tech guy checked for adequate charging with his multimeter. He showed and told me it looked like the motorcycle was not charging. I didn't really want to believe that, but a short test ride the next day proved him right: The yellow battery indicator lit up again, so I returned home promptly.
The Haynes manual suggested checking the charging system fuse: Under the driver's seat the two main fuses are in a small cylinder. You dislodge this from it's plastic holder rod. Open by dislodging the two clips each side with a small screwdriver. Check each fuse. Of course these are not for the charging system, but it's good to know where they are.
Under the seat, at the edge of the ECU, aluminum coloured box right there, but on the right hand side, a cable afixed there holds the charging system fuse. 50 amp it seems. You may need to remove the plastic belt there if it has never been touched. Dislodge the cable and remove the plastic cap. Then you can measure continuity with a multimeter.
I discovered on YouTube that my multimeter has a setting for continuity. It has a symbol for it. Go figure. Small triangle with a line going in. Like an arrow. Seems to be a symbol of a diode or something. You put the black probe on the COM side and the red one on the VOhm connector. Test for continuity at the fuse.
According to the Haynes manual, only reasonable manuals if you want to fix your motorbike, that's one thing to check. However in my case that was not the problem.
Now rather worried, because after reading up, I discovered the alternator is in an impossible place, way inside the engine and gearbox. I.E: Some people think you should get a new bike rather than have to fix that. Enterprising people say it is a very complicated and expensive thing to repair. Repair shops ask for home deeds and such before starting the repair.
So my search for answers on the Internet continued and gave fruit, using very adequate search words. (Can't remember what they were.)
So I found the bible for this problem, fruit of a very knowledgeable and kind British biker form the www.ukgser.com forum crowd:
https://www.ukgser.com/technical/ni...f charging system (R-series, '13 on) V1.0.pdf
This 13 page PDF file is the "Diagnosis and repair of charging system problems" bible, written by Nicholas Van den Berg with Andrew Hamer.
Brilliant and detailed and clear explanation of the whole charging system. Crystal clear images and procedures.
So basically you follow that guide. In short, you check the battery, check charging. If the battery isn't at fault, next thing is to get the major worry out of your mind: Check for continuity between the three yellow cables coming from the alternator into the regulator/rectifier under the seat and above the rear tire.
In my case for the RT it is quite a bother removing the regulator/rectifier. Very little space. Best thing would have been a small "T" shaped tool to remove the two screws. Removing the plastic belt holding the cables first is a good idea. Removing the sensor arm top bolt in front is necessary to take the regulator / rectifier out. Easier to remove the cables from it when it's outside. Push the pin in each to remove the socket. Then you're free to check the damn yellow wires for continuity.
If you don't find continuity between the three yellow cables going to the regulator rectifier, you're basically &/$""$%&()=??=)(/%$"!. So you can swear, cuss, cry and consider terminal options and such. Or you can breathe deeply and continue on with the other tests indicated, because it can still be a wiring problem... It seems.
If you find continuity among the three yellow cables as I did, you can be at peace with the world. Now you need to carefully do the tests on the regulator/rectifier. I made a little table and did all the multimeter measurements on a desk: Most were off range. Ordered the Regulator / Rectifier immediately.
It's a system and it works. You just have to read with care and follow indications.
Forget going to any garage or repair shop before doing these tests, unless you have a mechanic you would trust 100% on a trip to Hawaii all expenses paid alone with your wife for a month. (At least that's my philosophy, ever since some very professional garage "fixed" my front forks and they exploded in my face mid freeway due to excess oil.)
Now I'm waiting for the part and my bike is on hold until it arrives.
Will post results when that's done...
Dr. Rolando Montaño Fraire
Viajes en moto
www.rolandomontano.info
