1994 Ducati m900
 

Ugh. Electrical. I hate electrical.

This bike has been sitting. Like, for YEARS sitting while it gets redone. It's been one ridiculous thing after another. I'm a little over it.

Then, I rode it last weekend. Charged up the relatively new battery and went for a ride. Damn but I love this bike. It's angry, it's strange, it's LOUD... damn but I love this bike.

But, it has a problem, and I'm hoping y'all have another idea of what is wrong rather than what I suspect is wrong.

Symptom: Battery light stays on the entire ride. If I don't put the Battery Tender on the bike overnight the battery was dead the next morning.

My solution: Get a new battery.

Charged it. Went for a long ride. Battery light still stayed on the entire ride. Put the bike on the Tender after the ride [now a habit, as I don't know when I'm going to get back on it again] - light on Tender is red... takes a while [hours] to go to green.

Problem not fixed.

VERY simple bike on an electrical scale. No turn signals, no fancy schmancy computer, just a simple harness with 1993 Ducati technology.

Ideas?

Seems like the generator/alternator is bad. My batt light stayed on, on my car when my crank pulley flew off and the belt that was supposed to run my alternator wasn't there anymore..

Easy way to check would be get a volt meter on the battery and start the bike.. give it some revs and see if the volts jump up within spec.

Dying stator. Blade has the same thing going on. Always an adventure when I take her to work :lol:

charging system or a short in the wiring

Return it and get something not ducati?


Are there any broken wires? Positive wires that are being grounded? Something is sucking power somewhere

:lol:

I already have others. This is my red-headed step-child. She's the one I love to hate. We've tried selling, and no offer is ever good enough for my husband so I won't sell it.

I've traced, wiring is clean. Unfortunately.

I first thought rectifier, this model requires more than just a parts swap with that, so I was hoping someone had more ideas.

Boo.

Have you pulled all the grounds and given them a once over with a dremel/wire brush? Can have some miraculous effects at times

That was my first thought too.

If the wiring is good, then look at RR or stator. 99% chance it is one of the two.

My first thought was rectifier too, I'd replace that first.

As said before with cars. If the alt isnt putting out enough juicet then the alt light will stay on. I think itll also come on if its overcharging.

I wouldnt think its the rec since its connected after the stator.

If I change out one, I need to change out the other. On later models of this bike they upgraded both. Now, the original part number is VERY hard to come by. And, if I go with an upgraded Alternator I have to upgrade the Regulator.

Poo.

Ducati.

Did you ensure the battery was fully charged before you put it in the bike?

A bad rectifier can drain the battery. But they use the same one on many bikes, hell it's probably a Japanese part shared with CBR's or something.

The vfr community will yse R1's and gsxr recs.

I came over and broke shit. That's what's wrong.

First off, if possible, screw the original part number. Ducati uses Italian made electrics, all of which are complete crap.

There used to be a company called Electrex, who is now called ElectroSport Industries: http://www.electrosport.com/

I've used them in the past, and had no problems with anything the sold me.

They don't show a stator or RR specifically for your bike, but they do have some models that might be compatible. I'd call them up and see if they can sort you out.

JC

FWIW, I bought a higher output rectifier / alternator for the KLR from Electrosport after emailing with them a bit, and as JC noted, they were easy to deal with and I didn't have any problems with the order. I haven't installed the goods yet, but will be soon.

I think they were just afraid of JC. I mean, how much electricity does it take to bring someone back to life? How could they ever feel like they could live up to his expectations?

I do have that effect on people...:lol:

UPDATE: I did some poking around, and it seems that the RR for a 94 888, is the same part number, [esr510] (aftermarket from these guys: http://www.regulatorrectifier.com/ca...ator-Rectifier) as your Monster, http://www.regulatorrectifier.com/ca...ator-Rectifier



JC

UPDATE to the UPDATE:

The part number for the ElectroSport RR for the 94 888, is the same [esr510], as the other site, and the same price, so there you go.

JC

SEE!!! This is why I post here.

I love you, man!