Condenser and diode pack warranty parts and replacement

[bryanaverill]

I got a call from my dealer that my 2016 250RR has condenser and diode pack warranty parts available. We arranged mailing to my house.

On the 2016 250RR, these parts are between the battery and sub-fender. On my bike, the wiring harness and parts cannot be extracted easily. I had to remove the sub-fender mounting screws and pry the sub-fender back to gain access to the parts. It's a ticklish operation, to be sure. I removed the old parts and removed the black heat shrink tubing covering the electronics which were in perfect condition. The warranty parts are sealed in heat shrink tubing with sealant compound. Nice thought but the warranty diode pack was not fully sealed (I cold blow air through what looked like a sealant gap). I finished the job with some silicone sealant. I then replaced the parts and put the bike back together. The whole adventure was fairly time consuming.

I'm mainly a fair weather rider with a lot of trail water in the Pacific Northwest. My original condenser and diode pack were not corroded in any way but I still replaced them as a matter of preventive maintenance. I suspect guys with corroded parts ride in very wet conditions or deep water crossings.

Just my story in case it helps anyone.

Cheers

[Rob578]

My dealer sent me the parts but for the life of me I can not find these on the bike. Mine's a 2015 300RR. The ECU is mounted under the battery and there is nothing else there. I called and asked and he said the same thing that it's behind the battery next to the fender???????? The wiring diagram for the 2015 doesn't show them anywhere. What am I missing??
Puzzled in ATL

[chrisinflight]

They are to the rear of the battery on top of the inner rear fender. Behind where you see my diode strapped to the sub frame.

[Rob578]

Is yours a 2015 or 2016? The only thing in that little tray behind the battery on my 2015 is a 3 wire connector for the tail and brake lights. There's enough room in there that I coil up my battery tender connector and stick it back there.

[Rob578]

Mystery solved - the 2015's have a different electrical system and don't use the diodes or condenser.

[Ben500RS]

What does the condenser and diode do, anyway?

[Twitch909]

The "condensor" is a capacitor used to smooth out the DC ripple remaining from the regulator rectifier unit to provide a more "smooth" DC supply to the voltage sensitive ECU/OI system.

The Diode Group is used as a "one way Valve" allowing DC current to go to the battery and not from, essentially it can only be used for the starter motor and nothing else.

[Ben500RS]

Thank you.

My 2017 500 RR-S, despite having run great for the past three weeks with a new AGM battery, is having trouble starting.

The problem started on Saturday when my nephew in law left the ignition on and the Motominded/Baja Designs Squadron Pro headlight on/guages/tail light. The bike was left with the ignition on for 30-no more than 45 minutes but it would not start. I was able to kickstart the bike and it ran great for the rest of the day.

I charged the battery all night and it was fully charged by the morning, still, I got nothing but a click-I think from the starter relay, every time I'd push the starter button. I had kicked the bike 4 times then tried the starter button and the bike fired.

Got the bike home and put a jump pack on the battery, the bike started after the second try but afterwards, nothing would get the starter to spin again, even with jumpstarting from a known good/truck battery. Sometimes the bike would turn over and start, other times the starter would weakly and slowly try but not start, other times nothing but the click from the starter solenoid/relay.

I have no idea what might be wrong as all the grounds and connections, and fuse, look good. That the bike tries to turn over and will start with the kickstarter has me perplexed.

[Twitch909]

If it is still Struggling to start utilising a Jump-Pack/Good battery It could either be loose/corroded terminal (On the heavy gauge wiring from battery > starter relay > Starter motor and earths) OR the starter motor brushes could be on the way out.

Im not familier with the 4t's starter motor location, But if its easy to remove it might pay to remove it and have give its brushes and commutator (The copper stripped ring the brushes seat against) a look.

[Ben500RS]

If it is still Struggling to start utilising a Jump-Pack/Good battery It could either be loose/corroded terminal (On the heavy gauge wiring from battery > starter relay > Starter motor and earths) OR the starter motor brushes could be on the way out.

Im not familier with the 4t's starter motor location, But if its easy to remove it might pay to remove it and have give its brushes and commutator (The copper stripped ring the brushes seat against) a look.

Thanks. I have tried everything and I will need to test out the diodes and maybe even the starter relay as I have the new diode and condenser that Beta had "goodwill warrantied"-on the way along with a new starter relay.

I'll be testing the diodes tonight and hoping that one or both of them test faulty or, see if it is the starter relay that could be faulty as I get a click out of the starter relay but no power is getting to the starter itself.