3AJ Charging Question
 

Hi All,

Just acquired a 89 3AJ and having ridden it last Sunday I found that the battery went flat whilst I was out. I had been riding with the headlights on full for perhaps 45 minutes, is this a common problem for this bike?. A quick bump start and riding with the lights off for another 10 minutes charged the battery sufficiently to allow me to start it on the button easily when I got home. Any tips to overcome of fix this?. Previous owner did mention fitting a new rectifier recently. Apart from that, the bike is awesome and in good almost original condition.

Cheers daz

There are no comon problems with the 3AJ like this, its either you battery shagged (most likely) or its not charging.

Have you put a meter across the terminals to see if its charging?

Mezo.

Bulbs too high wattage?
 

Hi Dazm,

The 3AJ originally came with 35W/35W bulbs in each of its headlights. If they are changed for the more common 60W/55W bulb the alternator can't cope and the battery will run down. It would be worth checking if a previous owner has made this mistake, If so, the simple solution is to just unplug one of the bulbs.

Hope it is this simple for you. If not, you need to get hold of a multimeter and check the charging circuit. When one of the three windings went open circuit on my 3AJ it ran fine except if I put my (single 60/55W bulb) headlight on, when the batery went flat over a few hours of riding.

let me know if you need advice on checking for this once you have discounted the bulbs.

Good luck

Mark

If it's the bike I think it is, the battery was replaced at the same time as the regulator/rectifier and hasn't been flattened since.

On a similar track to Marks idea, could be worth checking you're not holding the brake light on and going for a ride with a multimeter connected to the battery terminals to make sure you're getting a nice steady reading.

Ralph

Hello guys,

I have a 2VG model of the Tenere (it is the Brazilian version of 3AJ) and the electrical is almost the same.

Electrical problems, for me, is the weakest part of this bike. Rectifier problems are common and you should always check when you have such problem (no charging current to the battery). At least on 2VG the unit is installed near the battery, in a place where there is no ventilation. On my bike I've installed a mod version made locally that has some cooling fins.

Another problem that we have on the 2VG is the stator. After 70.000km usually you'll need to overhaul it (places that work with electrical motors can help you).

Besides that, it is a very robust bike and you'll have lots of fun with it! :thumbup1: