Voltage to Battery

[Bob Falter]

Do I have a problem with my voltage regulator? I put in a new battery today. It was fully charged. After it was installed, I started the motor and measured the voltage across the battery. It goes up to 14.85 volts at 3-4000 rpm. This seems a little high to me, I was expecting 14.3 to 14.5. Is this normal for an XS11?

[sixtysix]

It does seem a little high.....I think mine is like 14.2, manual says 14.2 to 14.8 (14.5 +/- 0.3 volts) so i would not freak out just yet if the battery is not boiling dry on you, than is is likely to be OK, if it creeps up any higher I might start to worry.

[graybird78]

voltage

just charged my battery. after fresh charge my battery voltage checked at 14.75 between 3 & 4 k. that is on a fully charged fresh battery. run the bike for a short run, if you're worried about it, & ck voltage. may show a little bit lower. but i would start to worry if it got any higher than what you cked at. if any higher alt could be over charging. if charging stays high may have possible charging system problem. voltage regulator may not be limiting voltage to battery.

[Jerry]

Old cables often lead to problems...corrosion builds up in the strands and between the strands and crimped connectors.

I find replacements at local lawnmower service shops, athough I'm currently running 2 red cables instead of a red and black. Old cables can cause some weird problems and readings...only a few dollars to replace both and you have eliminated one potential trouble spot.

[Bob Falter]

Thanks guys. I had only ran mine a short time too. I going to take a trip today (300 miles or so). Think I’ll take my meter and check it a few times along the way. Maybe it drops down after it has ran awhile. I would think that holding 14.85 volts on the battery for several hours would boil a lot of water away. I'll keep an eye on the water too.