Alternator output on the 08.

[ionbeam]

...I am going to charge it to it says it is good and on maintain charge. Then I am going to take the charger off and let it sit and get a "at rest" voltage reading...in the late AM will hook it up in the bike with everything connected. Take a reading, turn key to on take reading, start bike and take reading...

When you hook your battery to the charger use the DMM to confirm that you are reading a charging voltage of greater than 13.2 volts. After charging all night at room temperature, if the resting voltage of your battery is below 12.8 volts you have a battery problem. If the resting voltage is 13.2 volts you may have a motorcycle charging problem.

Start your bike then shut it off using the red Run/Stop button, this will keep your headlights on. Leave your bike like this for 15 - 20 seconds then turn the key off (remember to switch the Run/Stop button back on) and immediately measure battery voltage. This represents your battery after a heavy discharge. Now measure your battery voltage around every 10 minutes until the battery voltage stops recovering. This will give you a recovery voltage curve as well as demonstrating your battery's ability to recover. From this we should be able to determine the health of your battery. This test is best done with ambient of 60°F or higher. If it is other than this let us know roughly what ambient is while the battery is recovering.

 

[LAF]

...I am going to charge it to it says it is good and on maintain charge. Then I am going to take the charger off and let it sit and get a "at rest" voltage reading...in the late AM will hook it up in the bike with everything connected. Take a reading, turn key to on take reading, start bike and take reading...

When you hook your battery to the charger use the DMM to confirm that you are reading a charging voltage of greater than 13.2 volts. After charging all night at room temperature, if the resting voltage of your battery is below 12.8 volts you have a battery problem. If the resting voltage is 13.2 volts you may have a motorcycle charging problem.

Start your bike then shut it off using the red Run/Stop button, this will keep your headlights on. Leave your bike like this for 15 - 20 seconds then turn the key off (remember to switch the Run/Stop button back on) and immediately measure battery voltage. This represents your battery after a heavy discharge. Now measure your battery voltage around every 10 minutes until the battery voltage stops recovering. This will give you a recovery voltage curve as well as demonstrating your battery's ability to recover. From this we should be able to determine the health of your battery. This test is best done with ambient of 60°F or higher. If it is other than this let us know roughly what ambient is while the battery is recovering.

Charger went green, had 13.57 flowing connected. I disconnected it and waited 10 mins and it was down to 13.33. I will see in a couple of hours what it says. It is in a basement but is heated but not as hot as the rest of the house probably 60+ though, will set a thermometer with it to know for sure.

 

[ionbeam]

...I disconnected it and waited 10 mins and it was down to 13.33...

For the load test to be valid the battery really should charge for no less than 12 hrs.

 

[LAF]

...I disconnected it and waited 10 mins and it was down to 13.33...

For the load test to be valid the battery really should charge for no less than 12 hrs.

Ok it is back on for 12 or more.

 

[LAF]

Well here is all I know, and did today. It means nothing to me, but hope it can help ionbeam take a guess.

Well .08 difference still stands between the Datel and the Craftsman Volt meters.

The Optimate Charger had it at 13.25 at 6:00 AM. And displayed it was fully charged. Now yesterday before seeking help and wisdom here I had the charger hooked up off and on for maybe 2 1/2 hours then when it was suggested a 12 hour charge I am pretty sure it got that.

Well the term "at rest" as in a battery off charge, I had thought I read 24 hours. Not gonna happen so I decided to bring it outside and set it on the driveway in the sun for a few hours to at rest.

It was 38 degrees here today and the wind chill made it 32.

After 2.15 hours out it measured 13.22

12:00 I had the idea to hook "just" the bike so connected nothing but the two factory terminals.

NO START Duhh need the power commander hooked up and it is in the FuzeBox in the tail so it needs power!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No start dropped it to 12.93

Every thing hooked up again and 13.10

Start Run 14.12

Test with headlights left on 20 seconds after shutdown with kill switch is 12.86 at 1:30 PM.

From 1:30PM until 3:05PM in 10 to 20 min increments,it only went from 12.86 to 13.08 ? And most of that was in the first 10 mins.

At 5:30 PM it was 13.07

Start and while in high idle 14.19

At 2 bars 13.54 and NO throttle while it ran the warm up, hands off.

With respect for my neighbors 2500 RPM run showed 14.06

At 4 bars it only took 2000 RPM to read 14.06, if that means anything?

Shutdown 13.48

Steady drop over 2 mins to 13.38

I stopped watching as I was closing the cycle shell she lives in.

Will check in the AM and see what it says.

It will get ridden tomorrow.

How I spent my day....................

 

[LAF]

21 degrees last night, open the Cycle Shell and the Datel reads 12.92.

Now up to this point I had been taking test with the Datel and the Craftsman. As I said the Craftsman using the test leads, and hitting direct battery terminal was a consistent .08 higher.

So 12.92 to 13.00 either way after all this, on a 2 year old battery seems I should just keep watching it and see what goes on?

Not ready to panic yet.

See, you put a new Farkel on, and all the sudden all this angst over something I never gave a thought to :blink:

I rolled my bike out, it started every time, I ran my Gerbing Jacket and Pant Liners, and a few times their Gloves, oblivious as hell to my impending doom

Since I have a YES warranty I am gonna just ride it :battleaxe:

Ohh, and keep an eye on the Datel :wacko:

 

[ionbeam]

...it was suggested a 12 hour charge I am pretty sure it got that...After 2.15 hours out it measured 13.22...Start Run 14.12

Test with headlights left on 20 seconds after shutdown with kill switch is 12.86...From 1:30PM until 3:05PM in 10 to 20 min increments,it only went from 12.86 to 13.08 ?

Start and while in high idle 14.19...At 2 bars 13.54 and NO throttle while it ran the warm up, hands off.

With respect for my neighbors 2500 RPM run showed 14.06...At 4 bars it only took 2000 RPM to read 14.06, if that means anything?

Shutdown 13.48...Steady drop over 2 mins to 13.38...

The ability of your battery to charge to >12.8 volts and hold that charge over time, to run under load and stay above 12.6 volts and then recover to an even higher value indicates that your battery is GOOD.

It sounds like you have either excessive current draw when your ignition is on or cable/terminal resistance. If you can, it would be fun to know what the voltage is at the voltage regulator, back-probing the red and black wires on the R/R. This will tell you the true output of your charging system. If it is higher than the battery voltage there is a voltage drop someplace in your electrical system. The root cause of the voltage drop could be excess current draw or a cable/terminal resistance problem, both conditions have the same voltage symptoms making diagnosis more difficult.

Your battery is good, and it sounds like your charging system is good. Checking the output of the R/R right at the connector will confirm your charging system is good.