Looks like I may have an alternator problem...

I am having some similar probs on my '771000. After reading this last post I went out and tested. I disconnected the (+) and set the multimeter to milliamps. I touched the red to the terminal and the black to the just disconected (+) battery wire and it peeged it? So I reset the multimeter to 50 and tried again. It goes up to the exact charge of the battery? Did I misunderstand the test method for a constant pull in the previous post?

kzmason wrote:

I am having some similar probs on my '771000. After reading this last post I went out and tested. I disconnected the (+) and set the multimeter to milliamps. I touched the red to the terminal and the black to the just disconected (+) battery wire and it peeged it? So I reset the multimeter to 50 and tried again. It goes up to the exact charge of the battery? Did I misunderstand the test method for a constant pull in the previous post?

It sounds like you have the meter connected to the bike correctly. The bike should be turned completely off when you do this test. There should be almost no current. Did you get an actual reading in milliamps or amps?

Usually on an ammeter, you have to plug the red test lead into a different port on the meter. Be very careful when it is in that port. If you hook it up to a power source the wrong way, you can blow the meter. In other words, when in the current measuring port, don't hook up the leads such that one goes to a positive and the other goes to the negative of a battery or any other power source.

This is what I am trying to use. I think that is milliamps it is set to? It pegs it at that setting. When I move it to 50 V AV/ V DC it goes up to just between the "bad" and the "?". The key is in the off position.

One of my friends had the same problem with his bike. One thing that finally told me that it was the stator is after a good long ride and the stator was good and hot it would not charge. Take a nice long ride and when the bike is good and hot test the 3 wires that come out of the staor. Also you can test the voltage comeing out of the stator with the 3 wires. Set your meter on AC volts. The kaw manual tells you how to do this.

That isn't really an option for me yet. The thing barely runs as is. I am in the process of chasing the bugs out one at a time. Right now I want to rule out electrical.

kzmason wrote:

That isn't really an option for me yet. The thing barely runs as is. I am in the process of chasing the bugs out one at a time. Right now I want to rule out electrical.

Ok, you seem to be doing it right. Stick to the 250ma setting and don't connect the test leads any other way than you described. (Red to the battery post, black to the disconnected battery wire.)

I'm looking at a 77 LTD diagram and it says you should have what looks like 2 wires to the battery, but maybe they are pressed together in one connector?

Do not turn the key on when the meter is connected. (Best to mot even have the key in the bike.) Do the same test again, but this time remove all three fuses. Let me know what you got.

Pulled the fuses and still pegs the needle. I also pulled the front sprocket cover and and checked all the wires. There were a couple bare ones. They must not have been the prob cuz it is still pegging the needle with the wires cleared out.

Pulled the fuses and still pegs the needle. I also pulled the front sprocket cover and and checked all the wires. There were a couple bare ones. They must not have been the prob cuz it is still pegging the needle with the wires cleared out.

Pulled the fuses and still pegs the needle. I also pulled the front sprocket cover and and checked all the wires. There were a couple bare ones. They must not have been the prob cuz it is still pegging the needle with the wires cleared out.

kzmason wrote:

Pulled the fuses and still pegs the needle. I also pulled the front sprocket cover and and checked all the wires. There were a couple bare ones. They must not have been the prob cuz it is still pegging the needle with the wires cleared out.

Ok, I was sort of expecting that result.

Next is to disconnect the positive output of the rectifier. On the diagram I am looking at, this will be a white wire with a bullet connector going into a female connector that has a black wire attached. There will also be another (possibly white) wire going into that connector. In other words it's 3 wires connected together, 2 white and 1 black. Unfortunately, the colors sometime vary. If it's not white, the wires may be red with a white stripe or white with a red stripe. Either way, you are looking for a junction of three wires which may be near the fuse box or the rectifier.

Disconnect all three wires and run the same test. (As always, leave the ignition off).

Ok, new info, if I unplug the blue connecter that has the stator, the neutral light (I think), and the oil pressure light (I think), it no longer does it, not even a single m Amp. I will start testing wires, not that I really know what to look for, any ideas?

One of your stator wires is actually blue. So is the oil-pressure-switch wire.

If your rectifier is bad, disconnecting a stator wire may eliminate the drain as you have found.

The tests we are doing are because I'm suspecting the rectifier is bad.

But before we get too far ahead, try the 3-wire connector I mentioned earlier. (With that blue wire connected.)