Dead battery!

[Dark Horse]

This is my second post. Went to start The Dark Horse this morning to ride to work. Dead battery! I had noticed that this past weekend that my signal lights were flashing slower and slower. Battery is new this year (April). I have had it on the charger all day. I'll hook it all back up when I get home for work and search for what's draining it.

Ride safe all.

[Mike Hart]

Re: 2nd post - dead battery

That's a raw deal, Bob, crummy way to start the day.
Do you have an ammeter to check for current flow on
the fused circuits?

Went to start The Dark Horse this morning to ride to work. Dead battery!

[Bill__Woods]

When you get it running make certain you check the charging system. Hopefully with a digital volt/ohm meter (DVOM). You can also disconnect the negative battery cable, attach a test light to the cable and touch the negative post on the battery. this will test for parasitic draw. If the ignition switch and everything else is turned off, the test light should not light at all. If it does light up, you have a current draw. If a draw is found remove the fuses one at a time and see if you can isolate it to a circuit.
good luck

[sixtysix]

The battery went dead while you were riding it? (blinkers got dimmer and dimmer).........if that is the case you probably are not charging. With the bike running about 3k rpm you should have 13.5-14.5 volts across the battery, if not you need to check connections, voltage regulator, and sator.....do you have aux lights, with 55W aux lights my battery would not charge at all even at 4000rpm, I was only getting 12.3 volts across battery.

Gary

[Dark Horse]

Originally posted by sixtysix
The battery went dead while you were riding it? (blinkers got dimmer and dimmer).........if that is the case you probably are not charging. With the bike running about 3k rpm you should have 13.5-14.5 volts across the battery, if not you need to check connections, voltage regulator, and sator.....do you have aux lights, with 55W aux lights my battery would not charge at all even at 4000rpm, I was only getting 12.3 volts across battery.

Gary

Checked everything with my VOM last night. Could not find anything drawing current. Charging system gives me almost 15 volts above 3k rpm. I was running my 55W auxiliary lights Saturday night while riding around town. These could be the problem. I usually have used them only on the interstate while running 5K+ rpm and never had this problem.

Thanks to you and everyone else who responded to my post.

[Bill__Woods]

Bob and Gary,
do you guys remember the headlights for bicycles that generated the electricity from the roller on the front wheel. Maybe we need a new and improved version for our XS's. That would solve all tiny charging system woes. LOL
ride safe, ride tonight

[Dark Horse]

Dead Battery

Bill,

I like dual driving lights on the front. Does that mean I will need to mount two of those little generators? Maybe one on each side of the tire!

Ride safe!

[REFFI]

Tire Rollers

This is apropos of nothing, but I saw what I believe to be the ultimate roller application on a 750 Honda Sabre a number of years ago. The roller was the width of the rear tire and drove a refrigeration compressor. The guy had two lines of duct hose running alongside his engine/tank turned up at the windshield. His bike was air-conditioned for desert riding.