What does this plug connect and why does it smoke when the bike is running?? ?? Three yellow cables , one of them seems to have worked it's way out of the connector. Better to replace plug or get cable pushed back in ?? ? chz
Looks like the plug from your Reg/rec has over heated and the smoke will be the connection about to burst into flames. Well known and documented problem often discussed on here. DO NOT use the bike until it is fixed, at best you will probably boil the battery, at worst you'll be dialling 999 for fire brigade.
I take it by "fix properly" you mean replace the reg/rec rather than fix/replace the plug. High quality replacement available reasonably cheap from M&P. chz
Your reg rec might be OK, fix the plug first and then check, your plug can burn like that because of a loose connection. Steve
From an electronics point of view I cannot see how this would boil the battery, unless it caused the regulator to fail. Until just a few years ago I'd never seen these failures. They are now common. (seen on post 2000 Ducati, Honda and Triumph) The three phase stator is bathed in engine oil inside the engine. Great safe from salt corrosion and cooled by the oil. The downside is the heavy current cable connector is not weather tight. It eventually corrodes and resistance across the connector increases. This leads to heat and failure. I'd recommend joining the cables directly with a crimp and solder joint. This would be cut/removed if you needed a new stator or regulator. The problem with replacing the connector is you need to do both sides. It needs to be able to take the current. It needs to be 100% weather tight. If any one of these three cables becomes open circuit the stator will burn, causing what looks like burnt toast to get into your engine oil. Beware that people have brought bikes to us for repair with copy stators (new to fit)... no issue with the stator, however the seal where the cable leaves the engines can leak. The only difference appears to be the hardness of the rubber... the cheaper non oem appears softer. Please like, agree or disagree. If you disagree can you help me and the OP to explain why you disagree.
IMHO the OP's bike may be ok.... I'd recommend that the connector is removed and the wires are soldered, sleeved and insulated, one by one. Test the regulator output by measuring the battery voltage. DC and 20V range selected. Measuring at the battery with the battery connected. Bike off not running. 11.8 - 12.8V Ignition on tiny drop.... 100-200mV Start and tickover 13 - 13.5V 2000rpm 13 to 14.5V maximum Maximum revs (after it's warmed up) no more than 14.5V 13.8V is ideal...
That will undoubtedly fry the RR. If left unchecked. Its gotten hot as can be seen. Each connection is a point of electrical resistence. That, as can be seen, has an increased resistivity for whatever reason. I removed mine in its entirity from my 916 and have soldered connections. I also had my stator rewound and heavier duty wires installed. Now my RR only fries due to being cooked by the exhaust, however ive replaced much fewer RR's since. It seemed, on mine, to always take the battery with it. So it got expensive. My 916 is an old two WIRE. I keep a spare RR under my seat for her. I can swap in 30mins to get me home whereby I then make good the temp connection with soldered connection and heat shrink insulation. Part of the joys of 916 ownership. Its the only thing that ever goes wrong with her, so I put up with it coz I loves her. Bitch. Never had any issues on my 1198 though and thats very similar to above. (without the burnt out look) EDITED-2 WIRE
Birds suffer from something similar and the usual course of action is as suggested, cut, clean, solder and secure.
AirCon, the reg/rec can fail to low/no voltage or the regulator can fail to high voltage as a result of this plug failing. I have had both on my 748 and the high voltage failure was 19v across the battery at tick over. It boiled and melted a hole in the case of one of the battery cells allowing battery acid to spot the paint and attack the plastic of the battery box. Fortunately an AGM battery so acid loss and resulting damage was minimal. The only indication I got from the bike was a slighly sulphurous smell whilst driving it. Your fix is exactly what I did and strongly recommend. Once soldered the replacement reg rec has not failed (over 4 years) and does not get that hot in normal use. The failure to 19v is the reason I would never fit a lithium battery on a bike not designed for it, I would also never fit a Motobat but that's another story
At a pure guess.... 1.8 to 4 Ohms at (with a basic multimeter)....... all should be exactly the same.
Brilliant ,... thank you for taking the time to write such a full explanation.. Low voltage is probably little or no current and high voltage will be punch through of the diodes/ regulator.
I did loads of MOD and other top shelf stuff back in the 80's .... moved away from solder then.... square posts and wire wound..... Video Reconnaissance, bomb damage reporting etc..... Probably more to do with inspection, vibration, fatigue and fracture rather than current.
(I'm no electrical engineer but) when the wire connection is knackered and hanging off like that you are trying to force a whole load of electricity through too small a wire. It's like putting a hose worth of water through a straw, except instead of busting it open it gets hot and burns out.
I take it that it doesn't matter which wire connects to the other , if I were to solder/connect them together after cutting the offending plug off?? Or should I mark or tape them up with different coloured tape to keep the corresponding wires in order ?? chz
