Electrical Problem - Royal Enfield Interceptor 650

[dinga]

Am hoping some knowledgeable folks here can shed some light on an electrical issue I'm having with my Enfield.

 

The battery light comes on intermittently - often dimly.  On a recent 4 hour spin, the light was off for the 1st 3 hours but then came on for the last.

 

After the battery was recently replaced (it is a 2019 model - purchased in May of that year), I had the bike examined by a RE Dealer down south who advised the "battery charging plate" needed to be replaced.  I had the bike re-examined by the RE Dealer near my home and they said the problem was due to dirt & grit - with the charger plate being fine. 

 

So I don't know who to believe - but more importantly I'm planning another trip down south for a week - and don't much like the possibility of being stranded in the back of nowhere.

 

Any suggestions????? 

[DILLIGAD]

Ask the same question on one of the many Interceptor specific FB pages.

Good Luck!

[papa al]

Thinking M/C no hab 

 "battery charging plate".?

?

 

Suggest addressing the

dirt & grit.?
 

Try a competent mechanic?

 

Maybe take a spare battery on next trip.?

 

Trade for Honda.?

[seedy]

Most electrical problems are caused by a faulty ground.

This can cause all kinds of problems.

Start by looking in the service manual for all the ground points - remove, clean, reattach.

 

[VocalNeal]

1 hour ago, dinga said:

"battery charging plate"

Voltage regulator? Honda make good ones? Yamaha not so much.

[Kwasaki]

3 hours ago, dinga said:

Any suggestions????? 

As said check and clean any electronic connections in vunable positions to outside weathering.

 

If you get the bike jet washed then I strongly recommend you don't.

[dinga]

3 hours ago, papa al said:

Thinking M/C no hab 

 "battery charging plate".?

?

 

Suggest addressing the

dirt & grit.?
 

Try a competent mechanic?

 

Maybe take a spare battery on next trip.?

 

Trade for Honda.?

1.  Am thinking = Voltage Regulator

2.  Already - both by me and two RE Dealers

3.  Already - two RE Mechanics

4.  I want the problem solved - not end up changing batteries whenever the fuel tank is filled

5.  The Enfield is a joy to ride - much better than the Hondas I've owned in the past.

 

Thanks so much for your "help"  

[dinga]

3 hours ago, DILLIGAD said:

Ask the same question on one of the many Interceptor specific FB pages.

Good Luck!

Thanks - have done so!

3 hours ago, seedy said:

Most electrical problems are caused by a faulty ground.

This can cause all kinds of problems.

Start by looking in the service manual for all the ground points - remove, clean, reattach.

 

Thanks - seems the Manual ain't much help.  I'll don the specs and follow your advice

1 hour ago, VocalNeal said:

Voltage regulator? Honda make good ones? Yamaha not so much.

Yep - agree they are probably referring to the Regulator

[dinga]

5 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

As said check and clean any electronic connections in vunable positions to outside weathering.

 

If you get the bike jet washed then I strongly recommend you don't.

Yep - tks again (agree pressure washers are No-Nos)

 

[Sudarut]

Not sure why people are telling you to check electrical connections and ground points, waste of time and you may cause more problems then what you started with. If your battery light is coming on , it means the battery isn't receiving sufficient charge.  Buy a cheap multimeter, can get them for a few hundred baht. Put it in the 20v DCV range. Put the red lead on the positive battery terminal and the black on the negative. Your battery (if good) should read 12.5v. Start the bike and the voltage should go up to 13v at idle and around 13.5v to 14v with revs. If your not getting this then most likely your magneto is faulty.

[VocalNeal]

Just thinking. It is also possible something is awry inside the battery, even though the battery maybe new.

[Kwasaki]

1 hour ago, VocalNeal said:

Just thinking. It is also possible something is awry inside the battery, even though the battery maybe new.

I thought he said it was checked along with the magneto whatever that is Enfields are know for weak electrics somewhere, even washing them can cause trouble with lights with water getting into connections .

Battery and reg/rec and alternator (stator) can or be checked easy fling me it's not a Goldwing.????

Edited January 25, 2022 by Kwasaki

[papa al]

4 hours ago, dinga said:

Thank so much for your "help"  

"You're welcome"

4 hours ago, dinga said:

3.  Already - two RE Mechanics

So the bike has been checked by competent mechanics.

So surely it has been fixed.?

No ?

... papa so confused.

 

[dinga]

9 minutes ago, papa al said:

"You're welcome"

So the bike has been checked by competent mechanics.

So surely it has been fixed.?

No ?

... papa so confused.

 

Not surprised

 

[MartinL]

I've got an RE 650 too. Completely trouble free.

 

On the RE Forum I hang out in occasionally, it seems to be a common opinion that the OEM Exide battery is rubbish and should be changed. Must say that mine's fine though.

 

If you've got a battery charger and multimeter, top your battery up until 'full', leave it overnight and check voltage at the terminals again. A good battery should have about 12.8 volts after that time. Less than about 12.4 volts, think about changing it.

 

 

 

Edited January 25, 2022 by MartinL

[dinga]

19 hours ago, MartinL said:

I've got an RE 650 too. Completely trouble free.

 

On the RE Forum I hang out in occasionally, it seems to be a common opinion that the OEM Exide battery is rubbish and should be changed. Must say that mine's fine though.

 

If you've got a battery charger and multimeter, top your battery up until 'full', leave it overnight and check voltage at the terminals again. A good battery should have about 12.8 volts after that time. Less than about 12.4 volts, think about changing it.

 

 

 

Have tried a couple of FB sites - but my inquiry hasn't been approved by the Admins (presumably RE folks).

 

Appreciate if you could either stick my circumstances on the website you use, or PM me with the address so I can ask directly.

 

Tks & BRs 

[MikeyIdea]

Join the Thai re 650 Facebook group, I post in Thai but answer mostly in English, they're a good bunch. What you describe is a rather common problem, most cases are fixed by just thoroughly cleaning up connections and ground cable. Battery charging plate / voltage regulator? Doubt that. 

 

You should check voltage like the poster above suggested. Problem is that Thai mechanics generally have little knowledge about electrics, could be tricky to find one experienced in that area. Could always do it yourself, I'd be too lazy for that though ????

Edited January 28, 2022 by MikeyIdea

[Kwasaki]

10 hours ago, MikeyIdea said:

Join the Thai re 650 Facebook group, I post in Thai but answer mostly in English, they're a good bunch. What you describe is a rather common problem, most cases are fixed by just thoroughly cleaning up connections and ground cable. Battery charging plate / voltage regulator? Doubt that. 

 

You should check voltage like the poster above suggested. Problem is that Thai mechanics generally have little knowledge about electrics, could be tricky to find one experienced in that area. Could always do it yourself, I'd be too lazy for that though ????

Well hope he listens to you, its hard to get through to some non-mechanical DIY people.

[dinga]

1 hour ago, Kwasaki said:

Well hope he listens to you, its hard to get through to some non-mechanical DIY people.

I'm self-confessed clueless when it comes to electrics, so I certainly do listen to all helpful posters [not to imbeciles who don't need to pretend to be so].

 

RE Rayong said the problem is down to dirt/dust as suggested - however, RE Hat Yai said earlier the Rectifier/Regulator (which my wife translated as 'battery charging plate'...) was faulty and needed to be replaced.  MartinL very helpfully provided a UK forum where 2 folks said they had experienced similar problems to me which were fixed by replacement of the Rectifier/Regulator.     The bike is currently back with RE Rayong so lets see what they come back with (the good news is that RE Pattaya has a spare R/R on hand so hopefully there won't be a long delay if that is replaced [which is the outcome I expect].

 

Thanks to all - will post any conclusions....  

[Kwasaki]

27 minutes ago, dinga said:

I'm self-confessed clueless when it comes to electrics, so I certainly do listen to all helpful posters [not to imbeciles who don't need to pretend to be so].

 

RE Rayong said the problem is down to dirt/dust as suggested - however, RE Hat Yai said earlier the Rectifier/Regulator (which my wife translated as 'battery charging plate'...) was faulty and needed to be replaced.  MartinL very helpfully provided a UK forum where 2 folks said they had experienced similar problems to me which were fixed by replacement of the Rectifier/Regulator.     The bike is currently back with RE Rayong so lets see what they come back with (the good news is that RE Pattaya has a spare R/R on hand so hopefully there won't be a long delay if that is replaced [which is the outcome I expect].

 

Thanks to all - will post any conclusions....  

R/R's are easily tested on a simple multimeter can't see what the shop you take your bike to has much of a problem.

There's many aftermarket Reg/Rec available to order that are far superior to OEM ones.

On my old Honda R/R's were weak I replaced my buying from a RR shop in UK. 

 

Edited January 29, 2022 by Kwasaki

[dinga]

On 1/29/2022 at 10:28 AM, Kwasaki said:

R/R's are easily tested on a simple multimeter can't see what the shop you take your bike to has much of a problem.

There's many aftermarket Reg/Rec available to order that are far superior to OEM ones.

On my old Honda R/R's were weak I replaced my buying from a RR shop in UK. 

 

Looks like RE Rayong now agree the R/R needs to be replaced - that will take 2 months under warranty.  Better I buy a new one myself.  Appreciate contact details for me to buy the aftermarket superior R/Rs you refer to

 

Tks 

[Kwasaki]

8 minutes ago, dinga said:

Looks like RE Rayong now agree the R/R needs to be replaced - that will take 2 months under warranty.  Better I buy a new one myself.  Appreciate contact details for me to buy the aftermarket superior R/Rs you refer to

 

Tks 

I sorted it 2 years ago from the UK a electronic company that supplies MotoGP.

I keep invoices so I'll have a look in the morning for ya and see if I  can find there web address. ????

 

[Kwasaki]

4 hours ago, dinga said:

Looks like RE Rayong now agree the R/R needs to be replaced - that will take 2 months under warranty.  Better I buy a new one myself.  Appreciate contact details for me to buy the aftermarket superior R/Rs you refer to

 

Tks 

Can't find the invoice of some 2years ago so I contacted my son in UK he gave me the name of these guys and said this company is highly recommended.

 

https://www.electrexworld.co.uk/cgi-bin/ss000001.pl?page=search&SS=Royal+enfield+&PR=-1&TB=O&ACTION=Go!

 

Electrex World has been manufacturing motorcycle electrical components in the UK for over 25 years.

99% of our products are manufactured by Electrex World in the UK using state of the art equipment. Our products use high quality components and have proven to be very reliable.

We are proud to be Original Equipment Manufacturers for several companies and we sell to many distributors throughout the UK as well as exporting to Europe, Canada and America.

All of our products are competitively priced and many are cheaper than brand name parts.

How to contact us

Business Hours:
Monday - Friday 9.00am - 5.00pm
Please note that orders received after 3pm will not be sent out till the next working day.

Click here for Sales Enquiries
Click here for Technical Enquiries

Tel: +44( 0 )1491 682369
Fax: +44( 0 )1491 682286

 

Hope it helps there not cheap but what I paid was 50 or 60 something pounds from memory.

 

Edited January 31, 2022 by Kwasaki

[dinga]

Thanks again for all the helpful advice (which I've followed as far as my limited electrical abilities have allowed).

 

Yesterday (after confirmation by RE Rayong of the diagnosis initially provided by RE Hat Yai), I had the R/R replaced at a cost of some 2,400 baht.  Had I been prepared to wait the estimated 2 months, the R/R would have been replaced under warranty.  I'm going down south for a week's ride, and such a delay would have meant putting the Interceptor in mothballs until the end of the hottest/wettest months. 

 

Such a "Warranty" delay is a joke and effectively voids there being any real warranty at all. 

 

Must lift your game Royal Enfield !!!  NOT ACCEPTABLE 

 

 

[papa al]

39 minutes ago, dinga said:

 

 

Must lift your game Royal Enfield !!!  NOT ACCEPTABLE 

 

 

You tell 'em buddy !!

[dinga]

7 minutes ago, papa al said:

You tell 'em buddy !!

Noted and forgotten

 

[cliveshep]

Don't know about Enfields - made in India now aren't they? Used to the older British bikes, Douglas, Sun, Ambassador, Panther - had one of each of those, did have a Honda too. Now here in LOS we got a Yamaha Mio scooter which is ideal as it has a floor to stack shopping bags and with a padded back-rest and top box our dog that sits between us (she's a big hairy wolf-look-alike of similar size) cannot push my wife off the back. We only use the Yammie these days to take dogs up t5he rice fields for a daily walk.

 

I digress - sorry. My comment might be to view any Thai motorbike mechanic's electrical skills with great scepticism. Sent the Yammie in for a service, change drive belt and roller clutches, fit new master cylinder, change out duff bulb in side light. Warned the guy that if for any reason he removed the battery please put back non-standard additional wiring connections the same way around as they feed a charger socket I added.

 

The socket is fused and previously the mechanic reversed the polarity and it took some time and effort on my part to resolve the problem involving stripping down much of the bikes plastic casing both front and under seat to correct polarity and replace the extra fuse. I have also fitted a bleeper on the indicators, a single unit with a blocking diode in circuit so it bleeps loudly on either left or right indicator as an aide memoire to turn the bloody thing off.

 

The reason for the comment on Thai motorbike mechanic's electrical skills was that because of these two simple additions he wanted to employ me to sort out customers electrical problems. Bonkers!

[seedy]

7 hours ago, dinga said:

 Such a "Warranty" delay is a joke and effectively voids there being any real warranty at all.

Make a copy of the repair bill, showing you paid for what should be a warranty issue, send to Royal Enfield head office.

If they do not honor it - Social Media

[dinga]

On 2/4/2022 at 8:02 AM, dinga said:

Thanks again for all the helpful advice (which I've followed as far as my limited electrical abilities have allowed).

 

Yesterday (after confirmation by RE Rayong of the diagnosis initially provided by RE Hat Yai), I had the R/R replaced at a cost of some 2,400 baht.  Had I been prepared to wait the estimated 2 months, the R/R would have been replaced under warranty.  I'm going down south for a week's ride, and such a delay would have meant putting the Interceptor in mothballs until the end of the hottest/wettest months. 

 

Such a "Warranty" delay is a joke and effectively voids there being any real warranty at all. 

 

Must lift your game Royal Enfield !!!  NOT ACCEPTABLE 

 

 

WELL DONE RE  -  game well and truly lifted!!!

 

This morning, I collected a full cash refund for the cost of the Rectifer/regulator -  replaced FOC under Warranty.  RE found the way - thanks! 

[siam dreamers]

Time to get back to enjoying the bike. Glad you got sorted out.