Electrical issues, headlight, turn signals and battery

[immolate5]

Hey guys I have a 83' Suzuki gs550e, here is a picture for reference http://www.borked.us/albums/GS550E/84GS550E_5.jpg

Anyways, I'm having a problem with the electrical system, basically everything was fine until I laid the bike down pretty hard. First off the battery wouldn't stay charged so I bought a new battery.

Then the new battery wouldn't stay charged, so I decided to just trickle charge it every night. Then all of a sudden the headlight and turn signal solinoid both went out.

Bought new ones of those and everything was fine for a week now the brand new headlight and the solenoid burnt out a week later, and the battery still won't charge on it's own.

I'm so confused...I don't know anything really about the electircals on my bike, but could it be some sort of voltage regulator issue?

[Steve]

Definitely sounds like a charging/regulating issue to me.

First of all, make sure there is water in the battery. Connect a voltmeter across the battery to check the voltage. It sould be above 12.5. Start the bike, check the voltage, It might be around 12.5-13.0 at idle, then rise to over 14 at about 2000 rpm. It might drop a couple of tenths as you go higher. All normal. If you don't get these readings, check back in for further instructions.


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[49er]

Hey guys I have a 83' Suzuki gs550e, here is a picture for reference http://www.borked.us/albums/GS550E/84GS550E_5.jpg

Anyways, I'm having a problem with the electrical system, basically everything was fine until I laid the bike down pretty hard. First off the battery wouldn't stay charged so I bought a new battery.

Then the new battery wouldn't stay charged, so I decided to just trickle charge it every night. Then all of a sudden the headlight and turn signal solinoid both went out.

Bought new ones of those and everything was fine for a week now the brand new headlight and the solenoid burnt out a week later, and the battery still won't charge on it's own.

I'm so confused...I don't know anything really about the electircals on my bike, but could it be some sort of voltage regulator issue?

You say that this issue has only occured since you dropped your bike heavily.
Check all your wiring in the areas where it may have been pinched, ie around the handle bars, head light and between the frame and tank. You may have an exposed wire that is shorting intermitently. This is a potentially dangerous, so get someone with electrical experience to check the bike over for you.

[immolate5]

Definitely sounds like a charging/regulating issue to me.

First of all, make sure there is water in the battery. Connect a voltmeter across the battery to check the voltage. It sould be above 12.5. Start the bike, check the voltage, It might be around 12.5-13.0 at idle, then rise to over 14 at about 2000 rpm. It might drop a couple of tenths as you go higher. All normal. If you don't get these readings, check back in for further instructions.
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The battery is new as of march so I know it's not that.

Ok here are the readings.

10V at off
13V at idle
14V at 2000RPM

The reason I think it's some sort of regulating issue is because it keeps burning out all the lights and turn signal solenoid in about a week after I put new ones in.

You say that this issue has only occured since you dropped your bike heavily.
Check all your wiring in the areas where it may have been pinched, ie around the handle bars, head light and between the frame and tank. You may have an exposed wire that is shorting intermitently. This is a potentially dangerous, so get someone with electrical experience to check the bike over for you.

That probably sounds like the problem, but I want to try everything else before pulling the tank off.