Bike isn't charging

I assume the charging system gave up on my 1977 KZ1000. I was out riding tonight, I stopped for a bit and when I went to start the bike the battery was dead. I kick started it and it started fine. The problem is when I turn the head light on the bike dies. The battery is new and checks out fine. I have very little experience with electrical stuff.

How do I check the stater and how do I check the reg/rec.

If I discover that one of them is no good, is there an aftermarket stater or reg/rec that's better than a stock unit?

SeattleKZ wrote: I assume the charging system gave up on my 1977 KZ1000. I was out riding tonight, I stopped for a bit and when I went to start the bike the battery was dead. I kick started it and it started fine. The problem is when I turn the head light on the bike dies. The battery is new and checks out fine. I have very little experience with electrical stuff.

How do I check the stater and how do I check the reg/rec.

If I discover that one of them is no good, is there an aftermarket stater or reg/rec that's better than a stock unit?

battery is new and checks out fine.-- with a truly good fully charged battery, the bike should start and perform perfectly fine for many miles, without any charging system whatever.

Would remove the battery, assure the fluid levels are correct (if applicable), charge it overnight, and have it load-tested.

If the battery passes the load test, would reinstall it in the bike, being sure the terminal posts and connections are clean and snug.
And also making sure of having a good connection where the negative battery cable attaches to rear of the engine.

When the above items are up to snuff, then the charging system may be validly tested.
But until then, efforts to test the charging system with a weak battery or imperfect connections will likely be futile.

Good Fortune!

Take a look in the FSM. It shows how to test each charging component. It could be some thing simple like your rectifier; that happened to mine last year and was easy to check and to replace. Ed

FSM?

The battery is fine.

SeattleKZ wrote: FSM?

The Kawasaki Service Manual (factory service manual = FSM). If you don't have one you really should pick one up; they are worth their weight in gold. eBay usually has them, just be sure to get one for your bike's exact year/model. In the mean time you might be able to find an electronic copy. Some folks on this site may be able to point to one; I'm not sure of the links. Ed

Yeah, I don't have one. I'll go look for one.

SeattleKZ wrote: The battery is fine.

If so, the bike should start and perform perfectly fine for many miles, without any charging system whatever, in which event turning the headlight ON won't cause the engine to die.

A near-dead new battery will often allow the bike to be kick-started and run, but then die when the head light is turned ON. This phenomenon is simply because there's insufficient power in the weak new battery to operate the ignition system while the headlight is also drawing power from the battery.

...stopped for a bit and when I went to start the bike the battery was dead. I kick started it and it started fine -- battery wasn't completely dead, because it contained enough power to operate the bike's ignition system, but obviously not enough power to also operate the headlight and the ignition system.

Whatever caused the battery to become discharged while riding (so that it thereafter was reported dead -- but not dead enough to prevent kick-starting and running the engine, until the headlight was turned ON) could result from other things besides charging system failure.

Has the battery been load-tested? And if so, what were the results.
Load-testing is usually a free service provided at most auto-supply stores and many shops.

Good Fortune!

I just had a problem with harness ground. Check your main batt ground and harness ground to batt.

Do a stator check for an open circuit. Unplug blue plug....set your multi meter to 200 ohms.....put one probe on a yellow wire and with the other probe ck the two other yellow wires....if its ok you should get 0.9 ohms to 1.0 ohms on the other two yellow.....if you have a reading of infinity or 0.00 you have a bad stator.

If you dont set ohm scale right you will get infinity 0.00 which means you have open circuit in stator and its bad. This happened to me....LOL.....but figured it out.

Do you have the combo recti/regulator unit? if you do, unplug it and see if it helps.... try to unplug it and see how lights do then. Also this unit should be grounded at main batt ground on engine. if you dont have the combo unit pass this step.

This step not recommended......but If you think starter is bad.....you can jump the posts on the starter relay to see if it spins....dont do it alot and just short spins....it will spark and spit sparks so have a fire suppression unit handy in case of fire.

I road many miles without problems. Stopped for a but and the battery didn't have enough power to turn the starter. The kick worked. My symptoms are exactly what you described as a good battery that isnt getting a charge. The battery is good and has been tested.

Thank you for answering my question I appreciate it very much 4TheKZ1000,
I will perform these and get back to you. I have the stock Reg/Rec in it now but was thinking of putting in one of these.
VRRPM3
www.oregonmotorcycleparts.com/VRRPM.html

SeattleKZ wrote: I road many miles without problems. Stopped for a but and the battery didn't have enough power to turn the starter. The kick worked. My symptoms are exactly what you described as a good battery that isnt getting a charge. The battery is good and has been tested.

Presumably, the earlier reported near-dead new battery has since been re-charged.

Question -- Is the battery now good enough whereby the electric starter may be used to get the engine running, and keep running when the headlight is turned ON?

Good Fortune!