I'm having the same problem starting yesterday. Here's a link to my thread (unfortunately no suggestions though...just symptoms).

Another symptom I'll add is that with a volt meter hooked up I'd get 13V at the battery. With the engine running above idle I'd get 14.5V. When the tach and lights start freaking out, so do the volts...bouncing from 14.5 down to 8 or so. Kill the engine and it reads 13V again.

After a couple hour cool down I go back out and read 13V. Turn on the ignition and nothing...not a light, flicker, twitch of a guage, click of a selenoid...and the voltage drops to pretty much zero on the meter. Turn the ignition off...back to 13V.

Is yours doing the same pt?

 

Short somewhere, or a bad battery, mtnlvr.

 

To be clear, I'm not trying to hijack your thread pt, just trying to help us both I guess.

Dr., not sure if you read anything from my above linked post, but I also go zero ohms across the stator plug. The 2005 vintage battery is at the shop to get load tested...pretty sure it's toast. I'd just like to know if it's toast from age / vibration or the charging system.

 

At 2500 rpms, your stator should be putting out 42 volts AC. If you are only getting 28 volts @ 2000rpms, I would say replace your stator.

 

Yes, I read your thread, that's why I said short or the battery. Your further information that the battery is 5 years old means that should be replaced regardless. 0 ohms across the stator is difficult to measure. You need a pretty good meter to determine if the resistance between the pins is within factory spec. Open is pretty self explanatory.

 

As suspected, battery shot. Got a new battery in and checked stator while running, 40-45V at or just above 2k rpm. I'd road test it, but I need new rear wheel bearings. Hopefully tomorrow night or Saturday night.

 

mtnlvr
Glad you got yours figured out. I just got a package in today with a new stator ,rotor and regulator. I'm just going to go through the complete system and hope that will fix it.I tried a new bat with no luck.. I will post results when finished Hopefully tomorrow.

 

Got new parts installed today and It charges better then it ever has
The only thing that I could find was the rotor had been rubbing on the stator, There was some pretty harsh looking marks on the rotor and the stator had two of the fields shined up from the contact. I guess this would explain the noise I was hearing .

 

Very nice. Now get out on the road and hit some twisties!

 

Dimes to dollars it's your voltage regulator. I'm on my second after market one in 22k miles or so. It tested fine in the garage but my new Die Hard battery gradually ran down on the road until I lost turn signals and headlights. New voltage regulator and problem gone. Also ran a ground wire from the regulator body direct to the neg. battery terminal and rubber mounted the regulator per one blogger on here. Just used old barrel gasket rubber to do it. Also installed a neat little voltage monitor next to my console so now with a glance I can see the progressive colored leds that tell me what the charging system is doing. Got it at JP Cycle for about $40 and it is very cool to be able to glance down and see electrical system operation.