CB350 overcharging battery?

[TonUpSoldier]

My 450 still had the switch to turn off the headlights. They just put a different thumb piece on the switch with a nub on the underside that made the switch immovable. I pulled the thumb piece off and took the nub off with a Dremel. Now I can turn my headlights off! Leaves extra power available for starting.

Yeah, some of the older GSes ive had have been like that, just a nub or even a screw stopping it. The later ones i wired a relay into that cut the headlamp when you thumbed the starter button, or if i got even fancier, didnt kick the headlamp on at all until there was enough voltage to open the relay. That and the coil relay mod helped greatly.

 

[TonUpSoldier]

I know Yamaha, Suzuki and Honda just used a jumper inside handlebar switch when DOT mandated lights on all the time so the 'bodge' isn't confined to one manufacturer (I think Kawasaki did the same but can't remember?)
Early Kawasaki and many Yamaha's had wiring worse than Suzuki but they did use a better R/R (70's~80's)

Indeed.... the connectors and wiring were made of Kawasakium or Yamahanium. Rare earth metals with very very short half lives.... They're on the periodic table. As in they worked, periodically.

 

[crazypj]

LOL ;D

 

[AlphaDogChoppers]

wired a relay into that cut the headlamp when you thumbed the starter button

A good feature that a lot of modern metrics have. I have thought about doing something like that on my daughter's GZ250. The poor little thing has such a small battery that it is hard to start in cold weather. It will crank, but it pulls the voltage down so low that it won't fire. Have to push it to get it going.

 

[TonUpSoldier]

Not hard to do. If you'd like i can scavenge a wiring schem from the GSR for you. Obviously the colour code wouldnt match likely, but the principle would be same.

Also another worth while mod as its your daughters bike and im sure she's "daddy's girl" and you'd like to keep her as safe as possible (if it doesnt have this already) would be an ignition interupt if the bike is put in gear with the side stand down.

Cant tell you how many buddies ive either had to scream at as we pulled away from a petrol station or ive watched superman over the bars when tipping into a tight left hander because they forgot to check their side stand...

Ive got into the habit: When my ass hit the seat, the stand goes up..

 

[AlphaDogChoppers]

Her bike already has a kickstand interlock.

Wiring should be simple enough. I have a couple years of electronics tech school under my belt. <G>

 

[crazypj]

Suzuki have had side stand switch since 1979and a clutch switch since 78 (obviously only on electric start bikes )

 

[AlphaDogChoppers]

I did away with the clutch interlock on my '81 GS450 just so there would be 2 fewer wires to stuff into those little 7/8" handlebars.

Here are a few shots of when I was wiring it:

 

[crazypj]

Double pole relays are great, I'm going to fit one on my Katana to switch off headlight while starting
I used a couple when I modified my XS650, the milliamps it takes to run are worth it for better lights
I also fitted LED tail/brake light which has lower draw than 5w bulb ;D

 

[AlphaDogChoppers]

These old metrics need all the help they can get with the power budget, especially when you start improving the head light illumination. I may end up going with some sort of HID on my XS650. Even better if I can make it look like a carbide lamp. That would work with the steampunk look I am going for.

 

[crazypj]

How well does HID cope with vibration? (XS 'shakes' a bit )

 

[AlphaDogChoppers]

excellent question! I will have to look into that.

I am going to try and get a couple large carbide lamps and fashion them into headlights to go with my steam punk theme.

 

[TonUpSoldier]

Suzuki have had side stand switch since 1979and a clutch switch since 78 (obviously only on electric start bikes )

Yeah but all they do is light a light. They dont interupt spark or anything. And the clutch switch is retarded. Thats the first thing that gets eliminated on my GSes. While trying to tune a bike it pisses me off to have to have the clutch pulled in to start it.

The idea was there. But the execution was lame.

 

[donaldpeter28]

The CB350 like my 1975 CL360K1 has a regulator that starts conducting at 15.0+/-0.5 . The recommended battery is 12N12A-4A Yuasa (Shop Manual Honda CB250 360 and CL360) . I bench tested my regulator and the regulator (SCR) turned on at 15.3 volts and conducted. So it seams 15.0 VDC is the way the CB350 and CL360 regulators work. If your clipping to 15.0+/-0.5 VDC at 5000 rpm at the battery it seems to me the regulator/bullet connector are working. If over 15.5 VDC then I suspect the connections are corroded open and need Deoxiit D5 or you need a used working regulator. Oregon Motorcycle Parts are selling a regulator/ rectifiers for the 350 CC engine that clip at 14.5 VDC which is more typical, are more efficient thus produce higher voltage at lower RPM, and should allow our batteries to last longer. Cheers Pete