my regulator ??

[dougi]

Hi,
i think i have a problem with my voltage regulator, i have just replaced the battery with a new battery and indercator relay on my 1978 3-1/2 sport because the deriction indercators were flashing to slow (one flash per two seconds) when the engine was not running and flashing to fast ( three flashes per second)at 70 mph .the battery voltage is 12.4v not running and no head light on, 14.24v at tickover 1200 rpm no head light on ! and 14.42 at 6000 rpm again with no head light on . do you think the voltage regulator is faulty

[Alan Thomson]

Dougi

Can’t help with the problem but can sympathise with your dilemma I too am useless with electrics.

Whilst out riding my freshly restored 3, 1/2 sport yesterday now with 500 hundred trouble free miles well up to yesterday that is. I noticed the rev counter gradually reading lower and lower wasn’t too worried at the time although I was surprised initially at doing 70 mph at 3500 rpm.

Having filled up with fuel and a cursory look at the wiring to the rev counter nothing seemed amiss so fired up and off I went. Ten miles down the road and 25 miles from home the engine started to miss fire quickly realised fuel station but I’d just filled up! Manual tap on and off we went again.

Whilst making my way home it occurred to me the solenoid to the tap had closed and all remaining electrics with the exception of the ignition circuit were nonexistent.

Back in the garage the wiring and battery were checked with only 7.45v reading across the terminals. With the battery recharged charged all systems were resumed. It’s now obvious the charging system isn’t!! So out with the manual and multi meter it is. This has taken some time to transpire as all the miles have been in day light with the demand on the battery low.

I love this bike to bits it is the best handling I have owned and I’ve had 30 odd in my time from sports mopeds to Laverdas etc. its high priority this is fixed so off to the garage now with the multi meter.

Good luck
Alan T

[dougi]

thanks alan i have also had 30+ bikes over the years.this morini is the best handeling bike i have had but the electrics are doing my head in it starts first kick every time its funny my wife wendy and i rode to carter bar in the scottish english borders (near jedburgh) to meet other morini riders and wendys honda would not start because of a flat battery it has allways been a very relayable bike until today and my morini was perfect even with a faulty voltage regulator

[EVguru]

Hi,
i think i have a problem with my voltage regulator, i have just replaced the battery with a new battery and indercator relay on my 1978 3-1/2 sport because the deriction indercators were flashing to slow (one flash per two seconds) when the engine was not running and flashing to fast ( three flashes per second)at 70 mph .the battery voltage is 12.4v not running and no head light on, 14.24v at tickover 1200 rpm no head light on ! and 14.42 at 6000 rpm again with no head light on . do you think the voltage regulator is faulty

Those look like perfectly sensible charge voltages, although the resting voltage looks a little low for a new battery. Did you give it a conditioning charge first?

The indicators flashing too slowly could be down to the flasher relay, a low battery resting voltage (tired battery), or a poor earth circuit. Flashing too fast usually indicates an indicator not working. It sounds like you may have a poor connection that's showing up at higher speed due to vibration.

I seem to say this over and over again.

If the battery voltage is too low, it will NOT charge.

If you have a couple of weak rotor magnets in the wrong place, it will NOT charge.

If the regulator isn't seeing battery voltage on the brown wire with the igntion on, it will NOT charge.

The Morini regulator system is different to most bikes, but completely logical.

[dougi]

thanks, i have just checked all the earth connections with a multi meter and i think they are ok ! but i may looking for perfection from a 30 year old bike

[Alan Thomson]

Hi all

Checked the generator today and the output was very healthy so that’s ok starting is good so the rotor magnetism is good if the problem persists it’s probably the voltage regulator.

I have a “Boyer power boxâ€￾ fitted at the moment which came with the bike so when the bike was renovated it was best guess. All information I have found on this devise since is different to the one I have fitted.
I think the best solution is to get hold of a regulator of known compatibility.

In the meantime I will carry on riding and monitor the battery voltage as it was 500 plus miles from re-commissioning when the problem occurred.

On returning from a 60 mile ride today everything was bright and loud so hopefully disconnecting and reconnecting has fixed a loose joint.

Ride safe

Alan T

[EVguru]

thanks, i have just checked all the earth connections with a multi meter and i think they are ok ! but i may looking for perfection from a 30 year old bike

Checking for continuity with a multimeter can be very misleading. It's better to measure the voltage across a connection whilst it's carrying current. A 'perfect' connection would have no resistance and therefore no voltage difference across it. All 'real' connections have some resistance and a small voltage drop.