Honda H100 electric gremlins

eunos20b · Borekit Bruiser Joined: 15 Aug 2016 Karma :

Hi all, back again. Mad

I want to try and understand but it just won't go into my thick skull I guess.

I've had this bike since September and in that time I've had the headlight work consistently for one journey. I'll start from the top:

I removed the indicators in September because the rear ones didn't work. Removed them all. Went through several headlight bulbs - they kept blowing at like 4-5k rpm.

In January, I chucked in a new battery and headlight bulb. Hey presto, it all worked brilliantly, went out for a ride to a mate's, high beams and all, everything was perfect.

Didn't use bike for about 2 weeks and it sat under a cover. Got it out and went to start it and at some point I'd knocked the throttle cable so she was revving up on startup. Had to adjust that. When I finally got it settled and running, I checked all the lights. The TAIL light and DIPPED beam don't work, but the brake light and HIGH beam did. How that works I don't know, as they share bulbs!

Got it out again today and it blew the high beam on startup so now I just have a brake light (no tailight) and a front sidelight. I checked the battery fuse and that's been blown as well at some point unknown to me.

It is literally driving me nuts - i love riding but I'm very lucky it's just a hobby for the love and not my sole form of transportation...
____________________
'90 Honda H100SII (SJ)
Learning something new everyday

chris-red · Have you considered a TDM? Joined: 21 Sep 2005 Karma :

Look at the charging system, Put a multimeter across the battery when it's revving and see what voltage you get.
____________________
Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

Popping headlamp bulbs is nothing at all to do with the battery or charging system.

Your bike has direct lighting. The headlight and tail light are powered directly from the generator coil when the engine is running.

The brake light, side lights, flashers and instrument lights are powered from the battery.

Your bulbs need to be the correct wattage or chaos and cascade bulb failures will ensue.

So you need a 25/25w headlight bulb and a 21w/5w stop and tail. There should also be a ballast resistor on the bottom yoke behind the little plastic trim. It should have a good contact with earth, the cable running into it is prone to corrosion.

Check the earth for the taillight cluster (usually on the rear mudguards central mounting bolt.

The lighting system for these bikes is very rudimentary and not very good but should be very reliable. If it's not, something is wrong.

Unfortunately, they get messed about with a lot by inept 17 year olds in an attempt to be able to see where you're going using the headlight. You can't. The headlight is to be seen by, not to see with. Accept this and move on with your life.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

eunos20b · Borekit Bruiser Joined: 15 Aug 2016 Karma :

eunos20b · Borekit Bruiser Joined: 15 Aug 2016 Karma :

cb1rocket · World Chat Champion Joined: 30 Jan 2010 Karma :

eunos20b · Borekit Bruiser Joined: 15 Aug 2016 Karma :

cb1rocket · World Chat Champion Joined: 30 Jan 2010 Karma :

still goes back have had no time of late to play with it Sad

____________________
Honda H100S2 Rebuild - https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=253852

eunos20b · Borekit Bruiser Joined: 15 Aug 2016 Karma :

Piercee100 · Trackday Trickster Joined: 07 Mar 2011 Karma :

Hiya,

I own an early H100a with its own electrical gemlins, mostly caused by the direct lighting system. The answer is to always ride with the dipped beam switched on as without this it overcharges the system and starts blowing bulbs although I usually do two or three a year. If the headlight bulb blows, it usually starts blwing others in the system, speedo backlight first then brake / tailight followed by indicators. When at idle the headlight is just a candle glow and the indicators wont flash, but as soon as you start moving then all is good.
____________________
Rides: Honda H100a (Retired), VT500e (Sold), Kawasaki ZX400 (sold), Kawasaki GT550 (Sold), Suzuki Inazuma (Daily), Honda CD185t (Broken), LML Star 2t (Last run edition).

eunos20b · Borekit Bruiser Joined: 15 Aug 2016 Karma :

stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

eunos20b · Borekit Bruiser Joined: 15 Aug 2016 Karma :

Petemate · Trackday Trickster Joined: 13 Nov 2015 Karma :

All very interesting, and my heart goes out to all with similar systems. I do accept that if they are all as per manufacturers' specs, there should be no problems.
Years ago I had a 1972 CB125S, great little bike, owned by me for about 3 years, bought new, which I used mainly for commuting 3 miles to and from work. I never in all that 3 years experienced any electrical problems whatever, at the time of trading it in it still had all the original bulbs in and working. Memory fade means I can't recall what system it had, not even the voltage lol. The only problem I had was after a couple of years it shat some teeth on one of the 4th gear wheels. I replaced only the bad gear (I know, silly but no ill after effects)
I digress. My current bike has an abysmal headlight of 35/35. I intend to replace this with one of my stocks of 60/55. I have checked the charge rate with dip on and pass button pressed to simulate the higher wattage demand, and the charge rate at 3000 rpm is about 13.6 and rises with higher revs. The bike specs show the alternator has a 190 watt output. Hopefully it will all be OK but we will see.
____________________
82 not out....1983 Honda LA250 Custom
2008 Saab 9-3 1.9 Tid 150 Vector Sport estate
2005 Stirling Eccles Topaz 2-berth

cb1rocket · World Chat Champion Joined: 30 Jan 2010 Karma :

stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

Petemate · Trackday Trickster Joined: 13 Nov 2015 Karma :

chris-red · Have you considered a TDM? Joined: 21 Sep 2005 Karma :

What type of bulb is it? You can get get more efficient bulbs now. LED Halogen etc.

I have replaced my RXS headlight with a Halogen one and it was much bright with out using more power. I also replaced my Indicators with LED's to free up more watts. I feel like working on the lighting of a 6v bike is like a shit Apollo 13. Laughing

____________________
Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

eunos20b · Borekit Bruiser Joined: 15 Aug 2016 Karma :

chris-red · Have you considered a TDM? Joined: 21 Sep 2005 Karma :

eunos20b · Borekit Bruiser Joined: 15 Aug 2016 Karma :

That's pukka. Cheap upgrade too! At work, but I'd like to see if there's any of those tiny LED indicators with 6v. Like the little bullet ones. I've got the big originals square originals and once they've been off the bike long enough you realise how big they are and how small they could be whilst providing the same purpose.
____________________
'90 Honda H100SII (SJ)
Learning something new everyday