Headlight bulbs - charging
 

My Tenere (3AJ) keeps losing charge when I ride with the headlights on. David Lambeth flogged me two 35/55 headlight bulbs as he reckons the generator is not up to powering the normal 55/60s - what are you guys using, and anyone else have the same problem?

In the last year I've had a new battery & regulator and the mechanic at my local bike shop says everything else seems OK.

TIA

I don't recall the model number of my 1985 Tenere, but the only charging trouble I had was as the stator started to fail and then broke down completely. ie I'd expect that there is a charging problem. what voltage do you get with the engine off? (should be 12V) and the engine running? (should be 14-15V)
Richard

Getting a charging voltage (13.8V IIRC) at 3000 rpm with both headlights on, it's OK from idle with them off & about 1200 rpm if I disconnect one of them. Haven't tried it with the lower output bulbs but it makes sense that that will be able to charge from a lower rpm - but is this usual?

13.8v sounds good, but what does the voltage fall to at idle with the lights on? maybe Dave Lambeth's right (he knows a lot more about Teneres than I do) and Yamaha missed something in their design, but most charging circuits are designed to make 14ish volts from idle(ish). above idle, the regulator limits the peak voltage so that it doesn't exceed 14ish and boil the battery. maybe another approach would be to rewind the stator with a few more turns.
Richard

Hi

On my 3AJ I have trouble keeping the battery charged to. In summer I have ussualy no problem starting the engine, but in winter (just under 0 degrees celcius) I often ended up push-starting: the starter engine would go around ten times at most probably leaving not enough power to spark the plug. New battery didnt help. Voltage seemed to be ok.
I now fitted a kickstarter which off course always works.
Headlights are a problem too. Even on the highway one 55Watt bulb gives more light than two so I always ride with only one light. Never tried 35Watt bulbs.
I use handgrip heating.... It works, but not as good as on my friends Diversion and my headlight dims a little when I turn the heating on :-)
Funny thing I noticed is that when idling or near idling the headlight goes brighter when you use the break.... maybe something wrong with the regulator?
For myself I accepted all of this thinking that the original XT600 design never was intended for elektric starters en twin headlights. The fact that it coms with 35 Watt bulbs says it all. But if somebody thinks this is not normal and knows a sollution.....

Peter

I had the same symptoms.

Long journeys (2-3 hrs) done with headlights on would kill the battery.

New regulator (little silver metal box screwed to battery box) solved the problem.

Now is fine with 2x 55/60W bulbs.

I *think* the regulator was replaced last year - no improvement. Still I'll check, thanks.

Haven't checked the voltages yet, will do it tomorrow if it doesn't rain again.

I have an XTZ660 and a 100W headlight bulb.
No problems at all. Even with the standard voltage regulator [which only lasts for about 1,5 year] it was ok, now I'm using a new version regulator from Termaat in Nijmegen.

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Fred, XTZ660, Holland.

Hi.
the 660 uses the later 3TB type altenator which cannot be fitted (without alot of other parts)
I will try to get round this problem by rewinding some 1VJ/3AJ stators in a different way - will let you know the outcome.If 35watt halogen bulbs were easier to get hold of this would not be such a problem. (some 3AJs use the Bosch type bulbs and the standard altenator will run two 45 watt bulbs ok.)
You can sometimes just about run one 35 and one 60 if all is good.