charging problem, please help
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Tourer
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 356
Likes: 3
From: VB, Virginia
charging problem, please help
i got into a car accident in the beginning of may, unable to ride since then and thebike was neglected (87 sportster). tried to start it today and the battery was very week and would barely turn it over and start.
even when the battery was weak the lights and gauges were strong. i jumped it with my little jumppack and it started right up and ran great,wenton a 20 minute cruise.
started noticing that my indicator lights were very dim for turn signals, hi beam, nuetral, etc....head light was barely noticible and signals wouldn't blink andbarely lit up and horn wasvery weak. this is all while running.
shut bike down and itwas completely dead.
any ideas on what to look for?
even when the battery was weak the lights and gauges were strong. i jumped it with my little jumppack and it started right up and ran great,wenton a 20 minute cruise.
started noticing that my indicator lights were very dim for turn signals, hi beam, nuetral, etc....head light was barely noticible and signals wouldn't blink andbarely lit up and horn wasvery weak. this is all while running.
shut bike down and itwas completely dead.
any ideas on what to look for?
Club Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 16,320
Likes: 306
From: Boynton Beach, FloriDuh
RE: charging problem, please help
Before buying a battery, make sure that you have between 13.5 & 14.8 VDC across the battery with the engine running and reved up to about 2000 RPM. If you measure less than 12.5 VDC, your charging system isn't working.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 3,146
Likes: 50
From: A barrier island in NJ
RE: charging problem, please help
You might also want to make sure ALL of your battery cables have good, clean contact with no corrosion. Batteries are stronger and longer lasting than a lot of people give them credit for and a new one could just be a waste of money without cleaning ALL of your contacts and checking your charging system. Also, once you've done all that and they check out OK, check your acid level if not asealed battery. Add distilled water if indicated. Then, put a battery tender on it for a day or two. Sounds to me like you may have been running on dead loss, and if so, where did time for a 20-minute cruise come from if the battery is "shot"?
Cruiser
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 147
Likes: 0
From: Southwest Missouri
RE: charging problem, please help
I don't know what an '87 is but I had an old iron head at one time on which the hot wire from the voltage regulator was placed along the bottom of the frame to the point where the swing arm attached and then turned up the frame toward the battery. I had a ghost that for months would run the battery down while I was using the bike. The system tested fine. Turned out that hot lead had been pinched between the swing arm and the frame keeping the battery from charging. The insulation on the wire was fine, but the wire itself was broke. Took me forever to find that. i.e. don't forget to check the continuity on all wiring.
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Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 40
Likes: 0
From:
RE: charging problem, please help
mines an 88 and I had the same situation and Not saying this is what you need to do, It was my stater and the battery, which the battery was 4 years old.. I replaced the stater and battery which is an interstate..And the voltage regulator,, It is a known problem for our year sportsters to have the rotor go bad which is behind the clutch hub, they are all one piece with the cliutch housingand the vibration and heat can make the adhesive on the magnets fail and break loose from the hub.. hope this helps....
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