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Jul 19, 2012 | 04:22 PM

#21

Rog48

Elite HDF Member

Joined: Aug 2011

Posts: 3,932

Likes: 45

From: Stockbridge GA

Quote:

Originally Posted by cHarley

The voltage really has little to do with it. Go back and read the link in my post above. Harley's use (old tech) shunt type regulators, not electronic regulators. The regulator on the Sporty is only designed to handle ~35 amps and it does so by shunting excess current to ground. If you hit it with 100+ amps from a running cage, the 35 amp regulator is going to cook itself trying to sink to ground, more current than it was designed to handle.

I only have the schematic which is only a representative of whats going on. If I had a wiring diagram of the bike and the internals of the voltage regulator I could say for sure but.......I have a hard time believing they made the regulator to work in reverse. It looks like it regulates power from the stator, sends power to the battery and shunts excess to ground. Your saying that if too much amperage is applied to the battery the regulator will try to shunt excess amperage coming IN from its OUTPUT lead. Im not saying a huge influx of current on its output lead wouldnt fry the regulator, but it wouldnt fry it because its trying to regulate whats coming from the battery......thats not its job, its job is to regulate whats coming from the stator before it sends it to the battery.

Jul 19, 2012 | 05:38 PM

#22

Zenmervolt

Road Captain

Joined: Jan 2009

Posts: 566

Likes: 7

From: Seattle, WA

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rog48

Even though the battery is wired in parallel, if there is 14.5 volts at the battery from the jumping vehicle, there will also be 14.5 volts in the rest of the system. And if the regulator is trying to bring the system to 14.1 volts, the bike's regulator will attempt to shunt every last bit of excess current to ground.

The regulator just dumps excess voltage regardless of where it's coming from. If you apply excess voltage at the battery, the extra voltage will show up at all points in the circuit, and the regulator will be trying to dump it to ground.

Jul 19, 2012 | 05:51 PM

#23

Zenmervolt

Road Captain

Joined: Jan 2009

Posts: 566

Likes: 7

From: Seattle, WA

Quote:

Originally Posted by Krowbar

Older vehicles without voltage regulators could cause some serious issues. Remember when we were kids and we would "rev" our vehicles to make the other vehicle charge faster? That doesn't apply any longer.

Vehicles have had voltage regulators since the days of 6-volt, positive-ground electrical systems. Just how old of vehicles are you talking about? The old generators from back in the '50s and '60s still used voltage regulators, they were just electromechnical units that were essentially glorified relays.

The reason that revving the engine above idle is useful (and it's still useful) is that generators (and alternators) do not produce rated amperage until well above idle. Most stock alternators are sized to only just barely exceed their own vehicle's needs at idle and hooking up a dead vehicle will ultimately just mean you're drawing from the good car's battery because the alternator isn't putting out enough current to both run both engines.

Jul 19, 2012 | 09:24 PM

#24

colorado ridein

Thread Starter

1st Gear

Joined: Jun 2012

Posts: 5

Likes: 0

From: fort collins

Ok so I'm not getting a new battery. It tested at 12.42 volts and 337 cca. I took it out for the test to get to the ground on the battery. It seems to be ok but now I go to start and the check engine light comes on for about a min. So what's up now Guy's!? (This is starting to get fun! NOT!)

Jul 20, 2012 | 12:30 AM

#25

Zenmervolt

Road Captain

Joined: Jan 2009

Posts: 566

Likes: 7

From: Seattle, WA

Quote:

Originally Posted by colorado ridein

The engine light should come on for several seconds when you first turn the key to the "run" position. That's just the ECU going through its self-check routine. As long as the light goes out after a bit, you're fine. The owner's manual says the light should only stay on for 4 seconds, but mine sure seems to stay on longer than that (though I've never timed it).

12.4 volts without a load on it is a bit low for the battery though. No-load voltage across the terminals should be 12.7 volts.