SOOOOO, for those that are wondering……..
About what Jump Packs can do...........

07 Ultra, 70k miles

Today I went for a ride and about 25miles out, started seeing the voltage fluctuating and going down a bit. (on my POWERVISION)

Kept my eye on it……..kept creeping in the down direction.

Shut off the radio, running lights and headed home.

Got on the highway and was watching the voltage gradually going down from 12…then to 11……then to 10…….then……..

Got off the highway on to some side roads and pulled into a supermarket parking lot……..coasted right into a parking spot.

Dead!!!

LUCKILY, I had my GB40 jump pack.

Now there has a been a lot of talk about using them lately and there’s been pros and cons mentioned.

I have a power distribution block just behind the rear cylinder on that sloped part of the frame.

I pulled out the jump pack and connected the red to the distro block and the black to the rear passenger floorboard mount.

Turned it on and it started doing its thing with the lights breathing………

Then it stopped….hmmm……..

Pressed the override button and it started up again.

Didn’t know if it was going to charge the battery enough to make it home the last 5 miles.
As far I know there aren't made to CHARGE a battery but only to JUMP start it.

Waiting about 20 minutes and tried turning on the bike to see what was happening.

It came on showing about 12 volts.

Didn’t think it was enough seeing it was on the CHARGE at the time.

Came up with a stupid idea………..

The jump pack was sitting on the right passenger floorboard and connected to the distro block and the floorboard frame.

If I could just secure the jump pack somehow to the floorboard and leave it connected electrically, MAYBE I can make it home!!!
BTW, the battery I have in the bike is a BRAILLE LIFEpo4.

I didn’t have anything on the bike that I could use to secure the jump pack.

BUT I did have a handkerchief in my back pocket and a Do rag on my head, (crossthread points for the Pirate reference).

Tied the jump pack down with both as best I could, pretty tight actually.

The jump pack lights were still doing their thing and I saddled up and gave it a try.

Turned it on, shows 12V on powervision screen.

Hit the button and it started right up!!!

Didn’t take any chances and started right out, keeping watch the whole time on the lights on the jump pack as all I had to do to see them was look down at the passenger floorboard.

The last 5 miles with traffic were a pucker factor I’ll tell ya that.

Kept an eye on the voltage and it never went below 10v.

Made it home, removed the jump pack, took out the battery to charge it and I’ll dig into it this weekend.
Between the battery and the jump pack it had enough to get me home.......WOW!!

It’s either the Stator or Voltage Regulator (which I replaced 8 years ago with a Cycle Electric one)

Luck O’ the Irish!!

Slainte

Murph

 

That's great information! Definitely sounds like a charging system issue. I recall someone told me years ago that EFI won't operate below 11 volts or so. IDK.

John

 

...and now you know you can ride without wearing a doo rag. Winning!

 

But that keeps my helmet from stinking up!
I can WASH the Doo rag, cant really wash the helmet insides.

BUT again, I might need to tie something down again.............

 

From experience, my VR went out on my RK about 10 miles from the house and I tried to milk it home, bike spit and sputtered and backfired for about a mile and that was it, left me walking. I ended up buying a new one from cycle electric that was still going strong when I sold the bike about 6 months back.

rk classic.

 

While on the highway I saw it down to 8v occasionally.
Had to keep the revs up.

REALLY hoping its the VR!!!
Dont want to get into the stator bs.

 

Great write-up and thanks for sharing. Good old ingenuity got you home. Well done, McGyver! 😀👍

 

Prepare yourself. When he finds this thread, he won't be able to control himself.

Glad you made it home! My GB40 is always with me.

 

oh damn.....you just jinxed us!!
Is there a way to keep out certain people from posting on your own thread?

 

Having to keep revs up makes me wonder about stator. But it could be volt reg Hell could be loose battery cable.