[NickXEdge]

So I'm having some electrical issues with my bike. It's a '75 Honda CB360T. Started roughly 4-5 months ago, I didn't turn my key all the way off and it drained my battery. Since then, I've taken the battery to Advanced Auto Parts and they recharged it. I haven't had a chance to ride it since probably late October/early November due to my headlight, taillight and gauges all not turning on for anything. The bike itself still starts up first or second kick (it's kick start only, the electric start was broken when I bought it and I don't really care to have it fixed).

Now, when I first got the bike my buddy and I hooked a wire up to something and it started and I don't know what that wire is coming from or to, but it ran and everything worked just fine. Ever since the battery was recharged however the lights have seized to work. It's not a fuse or anything blown, they sorta just gradually dimmed down and out in the span of less than a month. Could it be a dead cell in the battery and I should just replace that to see if it works? Is it potentially something more? None of the switches on my bars work (turn signals {I don't even have any hooked up on the bike}, horn, electric starter, low/high beams), they were all not working when I purchased the bike, but the taillight, headlight and gauges all were working.

I'm horrible with electrics so any input is taken with open arms and ears on this one. I'm stumped.

 

[goldy]

It is hard to diagnose problems over the internet, but if you left the key on for that long, I am surprised the battery took a charge at all. It has probably lost its capacity...start with a new one and turn the key off this time!

 

[crazypj]

Battery is probably screwed, if it was 'flat' for more than day or so it will never hold a proper charge. You turned ignition the wrong way and switched on parking lights

 

[NickXEdge]

Yeah, I don't know how I managed to do that one. Rookie error for sure! I talked to one of my friends as well who has done a lot of work on old cafe bikes and he said maybe to check the regulator rec. and that could be the cause, too. I'm really hoping it's just a battery issue instead however. So with that being said, does anybody know of any 'better' batteries than another or to stay away from certain brands, etc.? I'd like to stay away from water filled if possible, but not going to be picky with it.

 

[The Chief]

Once you eliminate the battery and operator error, I would address the electric start that you said was broken. If your opting out of using it make sure the wires are properly capped or removed. My suggestion is to consider just repairing it. Troubleshooting electrical issues is easy, but I do it every day. For a battery, I like the sealed gel batteries. For my bike it ran me about a bill from Advance Auto Parts.

 

[NickXEdge]

Yeah I hear that. I'm going to get a new battery today regardless cos the one on it now is 3 years old. If that doesn't do it I'm going to bring it to a shop

 

[NickXEdge]

So new battery and new fuses didn't do shit for me except get me new fuses and a new battery. The way the lights dimmed out I feel like it wouldn't be a wiring issue because they didn't just cut off all of a sudden, it was more a gradual dimming over a few weeks like I previously stated.

Not positive, but I've heard that these older CB's lights are run off of a generator of some sorts, I guess like an alternator but different. Is this true? Cos that is exactly what it seems like has happened was they're just not getting the power they should be from that and it's failed.

 

[crazypj]

Your buddy who works on cafe bikes probably asks a lot of questions on DTT?
I answer most CB360 questions because I'm the damn expert on them (except for stuff I've already posted a few times, then one of the previous askers will usually answer).
If the lights dim over a few weeks, there is nothing wrong with battery.
What rpm are you running it? It should be close to red=line most of the time, they don't charge for shit until 3,000rpm (and don't charge at all until 2,000)
The wiring is really simple, connect things of the same colour together, except for the indicator ground leads, they go to green not black
You don't use the orange with white tracer or the blue with white tracer, they are for running lights that were never fitted on any CB360 I've ever seen.
You could have any number of issues but you need to get a service manual or two before going any further

 

[bmartin]

I'm thinking your battery is so discharged that it doesn't have enough battery power to trip the starter relay for button starting. This will not effect the kicker start method. As far as your lights go - they are all run by the battery, again your battery many not have the 12vdc to power them. Given your battery is 3 years old I'd recommend change it out with a new battery.

 

[Geeto67]

this is one of those times where a multi meter is a wise investment. With it you can test the battery's standing voltage, the voltage with the bike running, and the amps the charging system is putting out. knowing these three things are essential to diagnostic. Of course that means buying a tool and learning how to use it.

 

[The Chief]

this is one of those times where a multi meter is a wise investment. With it you can test the battery's standing voltage, the voltage with the bike running, and the amps the charging system is putting out. knowing these three things are essential to diagnostic. Of course that means buying a tool and learning how to use it.

Most definitely! A multi-meter and a good understanding on how to use it to test voltage and continuity is a must, once you have eliminated components and are moving in to wiring.....

 

[NickXEdge]

Your buddy who works on cafe bikes probably asks a lot of questions on DTT?
I answer most CB360 questions because I'm the damn expert on them (except for stuff I've already posted a few times, then one of the previous askers will usually answer).
If the lights dim over a few weeks, there is nothing wrong with battery.
What rpm are you running it? It should be close to red=line most of the time, they don't charge for shit until 3,000rpm (and don't charge at all until 2,000)
The wiring is really simple, connect things of the same colour together, except for the indicator ground leads, they go to green not black
You don't use the orange with white tracer or the blue with white tracer, they are for running lights that were never fitted on any CB360 I've ever seen.
You could have any number of issues but you need to get a service manual or two before going any further

Idle around 1200-1400 RPM. I replaced the battery and fuses the other day so that's not the issue. I'm gonna probably replace the regulator/rectifier soon and see if that helps and if I can find somebody to help me with replacing the entire wire harness, I have a spare sitting in my closet. I have a Clymers manual to look through and a friend of mine sent me an old 175 page shop manual for the bike too I can check with

 

[crazypj]

Wasn't impressed with the Clymer manual and the genuine Honda is designed for people with working knowledge or training.
You probably need to get the Haynes as well to cover all the bases.
I would just re-wire it with a more modern regulator/rectifier unit (in fact, I almost always do)
I still like the 1978~8*CB/CM400/450 reg/rectifier, works well and is probably the most reliable part of the 3 valve CB
I've also used Suzuki and Kawasaki reg/rect on 360's though
Personally I use 3 outputs as 3 outputs instead of connecting white and yellow together and using a 2 input wire aftermarket R/R

 

[Geeto67]

Idle around 1200-1400 RPM. I replaced the battery and fuses the other day so that's not the issue. I'm gonna probably replace the regulator/rectifier soon and see if that helps and if I can find somebody to help me with replacing the entire wire harness, I have a spare sitting in my closet. I have a Clymers manual to look through and a friend of mine sent me an old 175 page shop manual for the bike too I can check with

Again I am going to recommend a multimeter and a continuity tester. You are just throwing money and parts are a problem you aren't diagnosing. Replacing the entire electrical system is not the way to fix things. Measuring the input and output of the regulator and rectifier can tell you if they are functioning properly.

Honestly it could be something as simple as a bad ground wire and an hour with a continuity tester going through the harness could figure that out for literally no money....well you will have to spend the money to buy the tool, but then you will have the tool for the next time it happens (and it will happen again).

If you can't fathom how to use tools properly and diganose problems in a motorcycle and are unwilling to learn maybe you should find another hobby or a shop you can pay to fix things for you.

 

[NickXEdge]

Again I am going to recommend a multimeter and a continuity tester. You are just throwing money and parts are a problem you aren't diagnosing. Replacing the entire electrical system is not the way to fix things. Measuring the input and output of the regulator and rectifier can tell you if they are functioning properly.

Honestly it could be something as simple as a bad ground wire and an hour with a continuity tester going through the harness could figure that out for literally no money....well you will have to spend the money to buy the tool, but then you will have the tool for the next time it happens (and it will happen again).

If you can't fathom how to use tools properly and diganose problems in a motorcycle and are unwilling to learn maybe you should find another hobby or a shop you can pay to fix things for you.

Can certainly 'fathom' how to properly use tools. Sorry I did not respond to your earlier post with your input, doesn't mean I didn't take it into consideration, though. I'll shop around for one and see what comes of it. Chances are it probably is a bad ground because they owner of the bike before me had taken a lot of stuff off the bike and I have no clue what/where he connected the wires to on the bike, I'd assume not the correct spots or just capped them off or something of the sorts.

 

[Geeto67]

I'm not trying (very hard) to be a dick here, but I have been down this path. My first street bike was a norton commando and I did the same thing you are planning to do - spent $100s of dollars just replacing anything I had a notion was a problem instead of taking the time and figuring out what was wrong. After I ruined my second NOS generator (and had completely rewired the bike using an NOS harness) my father bought me a multimeter and showed me a few basics. Saved me a lot of headache and walletache and I felt like a fool as the generators kept blowing because of a short that took 15 min to finally fix. Old hondas can seem intimidating in the wiring because that headlight bucket looks like it contains a bowl of spagetti, and they do weird things like use the headlight mounting bolts as grounds (not as weird as english positive ground though), but take your time, study a manual and wiring diagram and attack the problem starting from the bulb and going back and you'll get it. It could be something as simple as a bad headlight switch in the bar control and then you would have rewired your bike and still had the issue.

My father and his friends always used to say: anybody can be a parts changer that's just bolting and unbolting shit, but a mechanic understands the system and diagnoses the problem. It is an intellectual problem, like a puzzle.

 

[NickXEdge]

I completely understand that, then! I'm definitely going to go pick a MM up today when I get off work though just to have regardless, it does seem like a very worthy investment to just have on hand. As for the wiring on this thing, like I said in one of my first posts that practically everything on the bars don't work at all and I don't know if that's because of the kid before me messing with them or if they're just shitty so if possible I would like to take all of that off anyways and just have the bare-minimum up there.

I've got a few wiring diagrams from different manuals for it so I'll look at those and just go through the bike anyways. Thanks for the input!

 

[The Chief]

I completely understand that, then! I'm definitely going to go pick a MM up today when I get off work though just to have regardless, it does seem like a very worthy investment to just have on hand. As for the wiring on this thing, like I said in one of my first posts that practically everything on the bars don't work at all and I don't know if that's because of the kid before me messing with them or if they're just shitty so if possible I would like to take all of that off anyways and just have the bare-minimum up there.

I've got a few wiring diagrams from different manuals for it so I'll look at those and just go through the bike anyways. Thanks for the input!

Start looking for shorts in the wires! I dont know anything about the wiring on the Hondas but if nothing works i think it would be easy to find the common denominator...

 

[The Chief]

Sorry if im asking a question thats already been asked, but do you have a wiring schematic for your bike? This will make it a lot easier for you. Crazypj already mentioned the colors of the wires on these bikes but a visual showing where every wire goes will be worth a lot also. The forum has a link to some wiring schematics, I couldnt ever get the link to work but maybe it will for you. Im sure crazypj has one he could share as well if he is feeling generous.....

 

[crazypj]

If nothing is/was working on bars, that's probably the problem.
Original wiring was run inside the bars, I've seen all sorts of butchery because of laziness and stupidity when 're-wiring'
If light switch isn't switching in the yellow wire from alternator, battery will always go flat running with lights on.
Do you have stock 35w headlight or 'upgrade' to 60/55w halogen?