Let me start off with saying I'm completely retarded when it comes to electrical problems (hence why I'm a mechanical engineer...lol). Anyway, a few months ago my started to turn over very slowly, once it started it was running perfectly fine. I thought my battery was going bad so i bought a new ballistic battery ( one of those batteries that is very small and weighs only 2.5lbs)

The new battery didn't help. So, the next thing i did was test the stator-tested Volts (AC), resistance between each of the plugs, and continuity. Everything checked out fine. I figured this due to me be able to ride around all day without my battery draining.

The next thing i went to was the voltage regulator. I unplugged the stator from the voltage regulator to do the bleed down test. I know you are suppose to use a test light for this but i used a voltage meter instead. I test each prong(3 of them) and all of them showed 11-12 volts!! bingo, problem solved right? nope, i bought a new voltage regulator and installed it today and did a bleed down test. To my surprise i still get 11-12 volts! i do have the plug that goes from the voltage regulator to the battery plugged in when i do this

I'm stumped at this point. I thought that if you got any voltage on the stator side of the voltage regulator it was bad, but that doesn't make any sense since my new one shows votage too!

The bike still runs fine when it gets started. I have a dakota digital gauge that shows battery voltage-its right around 13.8-14.0V while running and stays right around there when cruising around town.

Another important piece of info- when i turn the engine over i looked at the volts of the battery and it only shows around 5v. and the gauge dims pretty bad. this is only when i first hit the start button and the starter is trying to turn the bike over. That seems low, but i don't know what that means in terms of going bad.

My engine is totally re-done but i'm only running 9.7:1 compression so its' not that much higher than stock

sorry for the long post, but I NEED HELP!!!! thanks to anyone that can point me in the right direction

 

You have a voltage drain somewhere in the starting system.
Check all of your cables, clean the post make sure they are ends are good then start up the cable checking the voltage with a volt meter as you crank the motor.
Then you need to put a ampmeter on the starter to check the draw.

 

sounds like you've tested all the difficult stuff. Have you looked at the battery cable connections on both ends? Take a real good look at your battery cables also. What looks good on the outside doesn't necessarily mean good on the inside.

 

Both the cables and posts are in very good condition- no signs of corrosion anywhere. Could it possibly be my starter? what causes the starter to "pull too many amps"? Because considering the very low voltage when i first attempt to turn the engine over that could be the cause.

 

my experience with starters has been they either work or they dont. Have you checked the solenoid and the wires at the solenoid?

 

The wire that i have checked is the positive one going from the battery to the starter, thats it though

 

ok do this.

PUT BIKE IN NEUTRAL!

the small wire going to the solenoid disconnect it
take a piece of wire and touch one end to the solenoid, the other to the battery.

does the starter spin over normally? If it does your problem is either the starter relay or the wiring going from start button to solenoid.

 

Ok, i will try it..thanks for the suggestion

 

A lot of things can cause excessive amperage draw. Like has been said poor connections or a wire that is half broke restricks the current and the wire acts like a heater.
Take the connections off to check, don't just look at them. Use dielectric grease.
Next is the starter.
A bad brush, a short in the windings.
Best test is a ampmeter.
If you don't have one a starter shop can do that.
This is typical symptoms for a bad starter.

 

I have removed the connections to the battery and the postive cable that goes down to the starter...no corrosion at all. I still have to test the starter relay