Intruders-Alert

I have gone through 4 batteries in about a year and a half. I know the roads are bad where I live but.. come on. I got a new battery, rode it once then rode it to work the next day (no problems occurring), when I try to drive it home it didn't even think about starting. All I got was clicking noise from solenoid. I didn't leave any lights on or anything when I went into work. I got it jumped and rode home. At home I checked the voltage with a multimeter which read: 12.15V running, 12.17 with key in off position, 12.12 with key in "on" position, tried starting it and it read 4.95V. I know the battery is bad but this is the fourth battery to do this.
Is there something on the bike killing my battery?

12.15 is a totally flat batt. you should be seeing over 12 .5 and over 14v when running.

Its not charging,--- all your batts are prob good after a charge.

Fixing this depends on how good you are with a meter. You gotta check output to the reg if that checks out you swap the reg.

First off trace the cables from the alternator to the regulator, you should find a plastic connector, this sometimes gets overheated and melts screwing everything up. If this is OK, get the meter out and start checking.
Take your batteries and have them charged then load tested, like Fred said, they will probably be OK.
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Edit:
A little while back I had a problem with no charge on my 800, turned out that 2 of the yellow cables from the alternator had broken where they came out of the alternator cover transit block. I replaced all as they were quite brittle, been running fine since then.

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I ran into this same problem with my 2005 s83. She would just eat up batteries. First time it happened I trouble shot my bike thinking it had a short somewhere etc. Drove me crazy. Tested battery it read just like you said 12.15 volts. Finally brought my bike to my local moto mech. He said the battery was shorting out under-load. Bought a new battery bike worked great. 2 months later battery died again while driving right after a long 500 mile trip. I Knew right away i had to buy a new battery. Bought new battery.... Again during a long trip after 500 long miles battery died. I was in a pinch had to buy a small battery at a local napa. The battery was so small that i had to prop it up on rags to make it sit right..... 3 Years latter the battery still worked. Only after a long cold Colorado winter did I replace this little battery. I bought a new battery stock size. Folded up a rag and placed it underneath. I have now logged 6000 miles No issues. In conclusion Our bikes are very Battery dependent-considering both cyl spark at the same time etc. After Long rides the battery gets hot, there liquid boils off and vibration Kills em. Place a rag like i did or some type of foam to help protect the battery from vibration. Worked for me.

Pegdragger wrote:I ran into this same problem with my 2005 s83. She would just eat up batteries. First time it happened I trouble shot my bike thinking it had a short somewhere etc. Drove me crazy. Tested battery it read just like you said 12.15 volts. Finally brought my bike to my local moto mech. He said the battery was shorting out under-load. Bought a new battery bike worked great. 2 months later battery died again while driving right after a long 500 mile trip. I Knew right away i had to buy a new battery. Bought new battery.... Again during a long trip after 500 long miles battery died. I was in a pinch had to buy a small battery at a local napa. The battery was so small that i had to prop it up on rags to make it sit right..... 3 Years latter the battery still worked. Only after a long cold Colorado winter did I replace this little battery. I bought a new battery stock size. Folded up a rag and placed it underneath. I have now logged 6000 miles No issues. In conclusion Our bikes are very Battery dependent-considering both cyl spark at the same time etc. After Long rides the battery gets hot, there liquid boils off and vibration Kills em. Place a rag like i did or some type of foam to help protect the battery from vibration. Worked for me.

The rotor of a bike makes up to 60v + ac like a car,--. This is what the Regulator does. it will take that 60v + and reduce itt o about 13.8 14.2 v
DCit does this by having a sensor wire that just gives it a sense of what the batt voltage is and adjust it.

Unlike a car where the regulator cuts back on the exiter circuit in the altenator to lower output the bike reg just leaks excess power off into the frame hence it is called a heat sinc and needs to be bolted on to the frame very secuerey in a cool place. Not so the 1400 as they have had them in many places and some right next to the exhaust---- move it--.

They can fail and over charge without you feeling a thing, the batt will boil and when it get real dry can short out inside---thats plate to pate.

It is a simple matter to put a voltage guage on pos and neg and start the bike, you will read 13.8 ish put the lights on and it should acommodate for that and keep it at 13.8. over 14.2 is a bit high 15 is no.

The power generation from the alternator is more than 65 volts AC and should be checked by setting the meter to AC volts and connecting to 2 of the yellow wires coming from the alternator at around 5000 rpm, the power is then rectified in the voltage regulator/rectifier through SCR pucks, voltage regulation is by means of an IC switch integrated in the regulator unit.
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Lechy wrote:The power generation from the alternator is more than 65 volts AC and should be checked by setting the meter to AC volts and connecting to 2 of the yellow wires coming from the alternator at around 5000 rpm, the power is then rectified in the voltage regulator/rectifier through SCR pucks, voltage regulation is by means of an IC switch integrated in the regulator unit.
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Yes that right I have my AC and Dc mixed up --changed it now. Wasnt thinking

Hey Fred, you certainly don't want to get your AC & DC mixed up down in the Pook Bar.



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Going there ---right now.