update #2

went to bed last night...static battery read across posts said 13.8vdc (was on charge the night before). Woke up this AM, read 13.5vdc....so I would assume I can rule out a parasitic drain/short.

however...back to the charge a battery on short rides... I guess if you have a weak battery to start with (not fully charged) I may be able to see this happening....but from what I saw...while holding the meter on the battery terms while reving the bike at different RPM's...I saw the voltage go from 12.54vdc at idle to over 13-14 while ramping up RPM's. So, maybe the key is...you have to have a full charged battery.

Also, my stator was putting out AC to specs (gatherd from forum threads)...so maybe my culpret was (i hope) the corroded battery cable ends...we will find out I guess...I have since put a battery tender lead on the battery...I will carry a meter with me to see what happens on the next ride . Thanks for the help...and always...I welcome any advice!

 

Bad or poor battery connections in combination with a bike that's been sitting for a while will kill it faster than you think.
The voltages your getting now with a fully charged battery at idle and higher RPM's are good numbers, so the charging system is working properly.

My guess is that your buddy was exactly right and the battery was just a hair too low to start with and starting it pushed it low enough to compromise the charging system and running it with the lights on for those 10 or so miles just drained it.

If you had started off with a fully charged battery even those short 10 miles would have been more than enough to top off the battery.

As far as a tender goes, its not something that's absolutely necessary if your running the bike regularly/daily.
But if you leave it laying around in the garage for a week or so at a time making a habit of plugging it nto one while it sits is not a bad idea at all.

The batteries in our bikes are not all that big so it doesn't take all that long for it to lose enough power to end up in a situation similar to what you experienced.

A battery will drain all by itself if it sits too long so even a carbed bike sitting with nothing turned on will eventually die.

The battery in a bike with electronic fuel injection will die slightly faster because the ECM is ALWAYS using a tiny bit of power for its memory even when the bike is turned off.

 

yes...I am guessing it was the poor connections that was my demise....we shall see! thanks...

 

One way to ensure you never have that kind of problem again is to pull off the connections.
Clean them thoroughly (I know you did that, but this is also for anyone else who might be reading this) then thoroughly cover the wire terminal ends and the battery terminals and bolts with a generous coating of dielectric grease.
Dielectric grease is made of 100% silicone, is non conductive, immune to the effects of both water and fuel and never dries out.
So it will keep the connections clean and corrosion free for a very long time while insulating them from any chance of shorting through any water that may get on them.
A tube of the stuff costing less than $5 in virtually any auto parts store will last for years.
I use it on every electrical connection and have never had a problem related to corrosion in any of my vehicles.
To me the stuff is just cheap insurance against anything like this ever happening.

 

update #3.
battery reading 13.1 at rest....fired it up...read 12.5 at idle. rode 10 miles....stopped for gas.....battery read 12.5 at rest.....rode 16 miles home...battery read 12.2 at rest..... i have no clue...... i am going to take battery for load test tomorrow and clean ground good at frame....

bike is and has ran fine...even on the way home from the dead battery ordeal in the beggining of the post.....no sputtering or backfiring....

 

That sounds like you might have a weak or bad cell in the battery.
A load test should show how bad it is, but I suspect its, at best, a marginal battery.

 

Actually this sortof happened to a friend of mine. he bought a new victory and when they wheeled it for him the battery was dead. So they took it back inside and gave it a quick charge bike started fine but was dead within a couple of days. It was determined that the battery was never fully charged and that it needed to be fully charged. Did that and all is well. I also have a battery tender on mine, plug it in after every ride, you would be surprised at how fast the battery goes down. Also, idleing it in the garage for a bit does not charge the battery, it makes just enough voltage to keep engine running and accesories operating.

 

Had a similar issue with my old bike. It ended up being the charging system. Replaced that and never had another problem. Batteries are always an issue. I keep mine on a battery tender so it stays charged, so when I do short runs the charge isn't an issue. Those short trips will drain your battery, so having a battery tender will prevent that from happening.

 

Update#4

stator was reading to ground.....replaced stator and regulator last night....all is well....not too bad of a job....took about 2.5 hrs...hardest part was getting compensator nut off...after that...its all down hill!

next is an ez pull clutch kit....wife is complaining too much!

thanks all for the advice...this forum and its members are a life saver!!

 

Glad you got it sorted out.
But I'm still a little in the dark why you were getting what " should" have been good voltage reading's with a screwed up regulator and stator.
Oh well another lesson learned, maybe this one will help out the next poor guy with a battery that keeps going dead on him.
Thanks for letting us know what you finally found out.

BTW you'll like the EZ clutch as much as the Mrs. will. especially next time you get stuck in traffic.