Battery???

[kelticsol]

I was riding after finally getting the thing to run. (Clean Carbs, etc, etc.) So I was riding and then it suddenly died on me. Forcing me to push it home. (Not fun)

ANyway a friend suggested that it may be the battery not holding enough charge. We tried the 'pop the clutch' method to get it to start to no avail.

So we broke out the VOM. I had 12.7VDC on the battery. We then tried to turn over the bike and the voltage dropped to 7VDC but immediately came back up to 12VDC. THis didn't seem quite right to me and I think it confirmed what he was saying. It seems the bike has voltage but no current(Amps). We cal it phantom voltage in my line of work.

Is it normal for the bike not to run if the battery is no good? Even off a push start?

Honestly I just got the bike so the newness of the battery is suspect.

Thanks.

[Nessism]

You might want to try jumping the bike (engine off on the car) and then checking the voltage across the battery with the engine reving to 3000 rpm or so. You should see in the range of 14-15.5 volts other wise the charging system is not working. If the charging is working and the battery doesn't come up, the battery is junk.

[kelticsol]

You might want to try jumping the bike (engine off on the car) and then checking the voltage across the battery with the engine reving to 3000 rpm or so. You should see in the range of 14-15.5 volts other wise the charging system is not working. If the charging is working and the battery doesn't come up, the battery is junk.

Thank you, sir. I am going to do this tonight. I just wanted to get a jump start on it while I am out at work. There is a batteriesplus store in the area I work in and there is not one near the house.

Hopefully, I'll get this all sorted out. Yesterday was my first day of riding. Albeit, it was only in a parking lot and in 1st and 2nd gear. But I was grinning for hours after.

I was a reluctant GS owner but after finding this forum, and the great people in it. I realize this bike is a hobby. And I love it. I haven't had to wrench on nothing since my early 20's. Being only 32 now, it's nice to have something that I want to wrench on and not something that I have to wrench on.

[Larry D]

Check out the Stator Papers too. It will explain the charging system and give some tests to perform.

http://www.thegsresources.com/garage/gs_statorfacts.htm

[kelticsol]

Check out the Stator Papers too. It will explain the charging system and give some tests to perform.

http://www.thegsresources.com/garage/gs_statorfacts.htm

Yes sir. I've got the VOM ready. I just really hope it's not that. I would have to wait to fix it. (Funds come but bike fund is pretty much empty right now)

I've read through them but must admit I am reluctant to find that it is something with the charging system due to the bike fund being so bare right now.