pjvenda

Makes sense. Note taken. I've measured the voltages and I am not sure if it looks good... maybe the reg/rec is not very good? So just after starting it measures 13.5-14V at idle with the lights on. If I turn off the lights it jumps to 16-17V. Over idle, the lights make no difference - voltage is 16-17V (stabilises at 16.5V). After it warmed up a bit, idle voltage was more on the 15.5-16V range with lights on and 16.5V with lights off. It seems that the reg/rec is regulating at 16.5V. Is this excessive? Meanwhile the bike has been starting and running fine! Cheers, Pedro. p.s.: is it just me or is the forum a bit sluggish now?

Ugh, didn't like to hear that! But I will measure it again as soon as I can! May very well be the case. I bought it bike this February, and I know for a fact (MOT certificates) that it did only 400 miles over a period of two years... The fact is I have no idea of how old the battery or if there was any issue with the electrical system before I bought it. If there was, it is a bit weird that it took 6 months to reveal itself... But the battery was dry and that may have been provoked by something else. Good suggestions, keep'em coming! Cheers, Pedro.

Not saying I won't. Just saying, for the record, that I've sorted my situation by adding water to the battery, and that I found no mention by googling that this battery should need topping-up (I did find the opposite, though) but it does. Cheers, Pedro.

Thanks again for the replies. Short version: Topped-up with "battery water", tried again, and it worked! The bike fired up cold at first attempt. Longer version: I've taken the battery off again, verified that it was bone-dry (did not even drip when turned upside-down) and topped it up with "battery water" which I expect to be distilled and de-ionised. Anyway, the max/min markings on the outside are utterly useless because the plastic is completely opaque - without looking through the (tiny) holes, you have no idea of how full or empty it is. This also means that without taking it off the bike, it is very hard to check the fluid level. On with it: Put it back and the bike started cold at first attempt. Before that, I measured voltages again: Unloaded, off the bike: ~12.8V Unloaded (ign off) but plugged to the bike: 12.76V Loaded (ign on, lights off, bike off): 12.56V After topping up: Unloaded, off the bike: ~12.3V Unloaded (ign off), plugged to the bike: ~12.3V Loaded (ign on, lights off, bike off): 12.1V Little difference, I know. But the lack of fluid was literally stopping the current from flowing. Morale of the story (lessons learnt): Yuasa Yumicron YB12AL-A2 and similar batteries [with lids and spill hose - not sealed] need the proper fluid level to work well; Don't rely on outer markings to check your fluid level. In my case the plastic was so opaque (I don't know how old the battery is) that it is impossible to see the top-of-fluid line from the outside. It is necessary to peek through the little holes on top, which means the battery should come off for this purpose. (It should be off the bike anyway if it needs topping-up); When putting the battery back on the bike, be sure to check that the spill hose is attached, not bent nor obstructed by squeezing and routed directly to the floor. The hose will have to go through a couple of tight places where there are plenty of things around to trap and squeeze it. Mine dripped a lot at the first run immediately after topping up. This was because I had to fill it over the MAX line. You don't want that mix around your plastics and inside the bike where it will dry and corrode and/or eat stuff; Thanks to all that replied. I will try and re-check voltages with the bike running at idle and with a few revs. Also I will get the smart charger and keep an eye on it. Soon I will take it off again to re-check fluid levels. Cheers, Pedro.

@Ttaskmaster: Connections seem OK. I've undone them, they were/are not corroded and look shiny in general. Still I gave them a little cleaning with contact cleaner, just to be sure. @fosdyke: Thanks dude, I will eventually buy one. Heck I would have already if halfords would sell more than "pink accessories" and snow chains... Thanks for the advice people. But before buying a new battery, I would like to know how to diagnose this one. If this happens again, I will know what to do. And because my charger will come next year or later, when I really won't need it, all I've left is to think about what I can do :] So anyone knows if I should top up this particular model of battery with de-ionised water? Also, what is the tension that should be measured at the battery terminals when the bike is running? I measured mine at about 18V at idle and a little less (17.25V) when revving... sounds good? Cheers, Pedro.

Hi everyone, My virago 535 does not start. - I can't ride!!! On to the facts. One beautiful day it did not start. The starer cranked the engine a few (1 or 2) times and then stopped. Now it just does half-turns and the neutral light fades. Seems obvious: it's the battery. So I jump-started it with another bike and later with my car. Started perfectly both times. So I've ordered an intelligent charger which I'm waiting for for the last two weeks. Meanwhile I took off the battery to find it completely dry - no (liquid) electrolite in there [t's an yumicron YB12AL-A2]. Measuring the beast with no load yields 13.0V. Question: Is 13V indicative of a good battery? or a bad battery? Or is it irrelevant because there's no load in it? Question: Should I top it up with distilled/de-ionised water? The battery case has got some electrolite level lines (max and min) painted outside, but I read somewhere that this battery has one of those "absorving" plates that soak up the acid mix to prevent spilling... I'm confused! To make matters worse, this weekend is supposed to be sunny, my bike does not run and I'm off to Snowdonia - to the rain. Argh! Thanks in advance, Pedro.

Makes every bit of sense to me! Funny - I keep thinking I'm the only one to check the steering, lights, horn, indicators, etc, before setting off... :] Thanks for the assurance! Cheers, Pedro.

Hi people, When my XV535 is cold, gear changes from 1st to 2nd feel very soft or spongy. There's no audible noise or hardly any mechanical feedback. The gear engages alright, but it's not the same. After the bike warms up, all comes back to normal - roughly similar noise and mechanical feedback between all gear changes. Should I be worried at all? Cheers, Pedro.

Sorry to hijack this a little bit... Very nice set of tips there. My 535 is a 1993 model and has a little over 8000 miles on it. It does vibrate a good bit at around 65mph but seems to get better at about 75. But, even though I don't try it often, I don't believe it will go far over 80mph. Should it top the 95mph mark as I've read around? With ease? Cheers, Pedro.

Thanks. You're right, silly me. I checked where they describe overhauling the carbs, not the electrical section - DUH! Cheers! Pedro.

Hi everyone, [first post] I was wondering if anyone would know why are some 4 wires connected to my 1993 Virago 535's caburetors? I'm attaching a photo which very clearly shows two of them - the other two are on the other carb in a similar position. The Haynes manual makes no mention of these anywhere [that I've found, of course]... What are these for? Thanks in advance. Cheers, Pedro.