Had a bad experience a few days back that left me all spooked about the condition of my charging system. After a quick stint in the shop, I got to thinking about regularly checking the charging system health....admittedly, something i haven't REGULARLY done.
The voltages are observational and NOT specifically taken from the owner/service manual. Someone please feel free to post specifics if you've got access to them.
Generally acceptable voltages:
12.8v Fully charged battery- engine off
11.4v Measurement while cranking
14.5v Voltage @ 3,000 rpm
Some reading around the forum supports that this indicates a generally healthy system.
Do you have a battery tender? Sure you do. It's easy to check voltage using the battery leads conveniently zip-tied somewhere easy to find on your bike.
If you don't want to break out your voltage meter, here's a doohickey I built today for about $10 using a spare battery tender lead ($6) and a 12v tester from Harbor Freight ($5).
Spare Battery Tender Lead:
Harbor Freight 12v Monitor. Part # 65928
The battery tender lead INSTALLED ON YOUR BIKE has positive (+) at the shielded side & ground on the exposed part of the modular plug. Knowing this, you can use a spare battery tender lead to build a quick connect for the 12v monitor. Just double-check that (+) and (-) are properly mated.
What you end up with is a battery widget that plugs into your battery tender socket. It tells you if you've got 12.3v or more with engine off. It tells you if you've got charging voltage supplied when the engine's running.
Check occasionally with the voltage meter to know your true voltages. This quick doomaflotchey is simple & small enough to stuff into your road kit or under your seat.
***you're working with electrical stuff- do so at your own risk!!!
Linear Mode
