Hi All,
After about 3 months now I've gotten my new-to-me '71 Commando on the road. In TEst Ride #1 it ran like a champ. Seeps a bit of oil from everywhere but one thing at a time.
After some minor tweeks I put her away for the night. On test ride #2 the bike made it about 6-8 miles from home, about 15' at mixed throttle with no lights on, before blowing the fuse. It was a 30A rather then the 35A called for. I replaced it by the side of the road and the new one blew immediately. I don't recall if I had turned on the key switch or not.
Trucked it home ans started searching for a short. REMOVED the key switch, disconnected the Tympanium Reg/Rec., checked carefully in the headlight shell systematically disconnecting & re-connecting everything... but never found a problem. Fired it up with a new fuse and found no problem except that my %^&* VOM said I was getting 18V to the battery at 3500 RPM. I replaced the regulator (for $70) and the meter said the new one was doing the same thing so I borrowed a quality meter and found the new unit putting out an appropriate 14.2 V± at the battery. Wiggled all the wires and harness segments and tried all the switches but I could find no short.
The odd thing that I can't account for is this: If I put the volt meter in line where the fuse goes, it reads about 4.2V with everything off (and the key switch actually removed). The only thing that cuts it to 0V is disconnecting the Tympanium Requlator/Rectifier. Even odder is that the battery doesn't seem to drain down under that load even after a week.
With everything re-assembled (and leaving the new Tympanium in place) I went on Test ride #3. In about 15' of mixed riding with and without headlight over about 12 miles, everything ran fine and at the end the fuse was cool.
Thus ended the weekend. I am turning to your collective wisdom for guidance or at least a solid guess. Dare I leave the neighborhood? Is there an obvious place or method I've missed?
TIA and I look forward to seeing you on the road.
-Danny
After about 3 months now I've gotten my new-to-me '71 Commando on the road. In TEst Ride #1 it ran like a champ. Seeps a bit of oil from everywhere but one thing at a time.
After some minor tweeks I put her away for the night. On test ride #2 the bike made it about 6-8 miles from home, about 15' at mixed throttle with no lights on, before blowing the fuse. It was a 30A rather then the 35A called for. I replaced it by the side of the road and the new one blew immediately. I don't recall if I had turned on the key switch or not.
Trucked it home ans started searching for a short. REMOVED the key switch, disconnected the Tympanium Reg/Rec., checked carefully in the headlight shell systematically disconnecting & re-connecting everything... but never found a problem. Fired it up with a new fuse and found no problem except that my %^&* VOM said I was getting 18V to the battery at 3500 RPM. I replaced the regulator (for $70) and the meter said the new one was doing the same thing so I borrowed a quality meter and found the new unit putting out an appropriate 14.2 V± at the battery. Wiggled all the wires and harness segments and tried all the switches but I could find no short.
The odd thing that I can't account for is this: If I put the volt meter in line where the fuse goes, it reads about 4.2V with everything off (and the key switch actually removed). The only thing that cuts it to 0V is disconnecting the Tympanium Requlator/Rectifier. Even odder is that the battery doesn't seem to drain down under that load even after a week.
With everything re-assembled (and leaving the new Tympanium in place) I went on Test ride #3. In about 15' of mixed riding with and without headlight over about 12 miles, everything ran fine and at the end the fuse was cool.
Thus ended the weekend. I am turning to your collective wisdom for guidance or at least a solid guess. Dare I leave the neighborhood? Is there an obvious place or method I've missed?
TIA and I look forward to seeing you on the road.
-Danny
