INTERMITTEN CHARGING?

[rainycity]

I`m kind of afraid to take my 81 650 special on long trips because I`m just not sure if its charging properly all the time. All the tests say it is but then after I ride for a hour or so give or take and I put it on the tender it never says it has a full charge and even the 80 percent charged indicator light doesnt come on for while.
Think it could be charging than not charging or is this fluctuation normal for them?
I would hate to take it on a 200 mile ride then be stuck so I tend to stay pretty local.
I have it put away for the winter right now but after sitting for a couple of few months I went out and put the tender on it and the battery was over 80 percent (I just put it in last July).
I actually fired it up just to kind of double check and let it run a bit, I was suprised how much cranking power there was beings how it was only 22 degrees at the time. Actually fired up pretty quick.

 

[littlebill31]

Do you have a multimeter or only relying on the battery tender for your readings?

 

[MaxPete]

It sounds as though your bike is working pretty well to me - but why don't you just wire-in one of those cheapo cigarette lighter battery checkers? They may not be super accurate, but they are robust, simple and I think one of them on your bike would let you know if your system is dead or alive.

These things are available all over the place for little cash and you can simply connect them directly to the battery (get the polarity correct) or wire-in a lighter socket with a pigtail to the battery terminals and then plug this thingy in to get a reading.

 

[XSLeo]

The best way to check your charging system is with a volt meter. All multi-meters have one.
Harbor freight has them for not much money and are plenty accurate for testing anything on your bike.
A lot of us have installed voltmeters permanently on our bikes. This lets us monitor battery voltage at all times.
This can serve as an early warning system for your charging system. If you notice your battery voltage dropping you can get home before the battery goes dead.
I like analog meters. Others like digital meters.
If you look around you will find pics of how a lot of us have installed them.
Leo

 

[MaxPete]

....yup - even better.

 

[5twins]

I would test your charging output. You may be charging some (seems so) but maybe not at the highest rate possible. It may be enough to keep the battery from going dead or getting really low but not enough to bring it back up to a full charge. Clip a voltmeter to the battery right after electric starting and rev the motor up to about 3K. It's best you see about low 14's to 14.5 volts output. After a bit of a ride so the battery has had a chance to be replenished from that electric start, the output will taper off and drop down into the mid to high 13's.

The first few years on mine, with the original reg and rec, all I ever got was mid to high 13's. The battery never went dead but I don't think it ever got fully replenished either. Now, with an automotive regulator replacement, I get the consistent higher numbers mentioned above.

 

[retiredgentleman]

Disregard what the battery tender says. Cheap chinese product, its lights mean nothing.
Don't leave your battery in the bike over the winter. For the winter season, take the battery into house where it can be warm. Maybe once every 3 or 4 weeks, charge your battery for 4 to 6 hours to keep it charged.
There's no need to run the bikes engine during the winter period. Short engine running accomplishes nothing. Over the winter, all I do is pump the kickstarter by hand, (I have the plugs removed for the winter) to turn over the engine a few rotations.

Good advice from Leo as usual. Install a permanent voltmeter on your bike. I prefer an analog meter. The voltmeter will tell you what is going on with your electrical system. You should not fear going on long trips, once you get used to glancing at the voltmeter as you ride.

In the spring, give the battery a final charge, and then install it into the bike. From then on just keep an eye on the voltmeter. Everytime you start the engine, with it idling at 1200 rpm, you should see about 13 to 13.5 volts. As you leave you home, and drive down the road at 3000+ rpm, you should see about 14.0 to 14.5 volts. If you don't see 14.0 to 14.5 volts then you have to find out why, as something is abnormal. The voltmeter is your best friend on these older bikes.

The 1981 has 2 bulbs in the tail light. They draw a lot of current. I highly recommend you replace the whole tail light unit with an LED unit. That will help keep your voltage in the correct range.

When your charging system is working correctly, there is never any need to use a battery tender during the summer riding season. Even if you only ride your bike once per week, the battery will be fully charged at all times.

 

[gggGary]

there are some pretty slick voltmeter usb chargers around now for pennies.

http://www.banggood.com/12V-3_1A-Wa...cycle-ATV-Scooter-p-1038041.html?rmmds=search

And many other types. I just replaced the headlight failure light on my 77 with a voltmeter. slick as can be. check grounds, check brush length, check the fuse holders they tend to crumble on the later models. Everything that you check and confirm good is one less "could be".

 

[MaxPete]

there are some pretty slick voltmeter usb chargers around now for pennies.

http://www.banggood.com/12V-3_1A-Wa...cycle-ATV-Scooter-p-1038041.html?rmmds=search

And many other types. I just replaced the headlight failure light on my 77 with a voltmeter. slick as can be. check grounds, check brush length, check the fuse holders they tend to crumble on the later models. Everything that you check and confirm good is one less "could be".

Dang - that little Banggood unit is really nice! The only wrinkle is that I cannot seem to order it (something about a minimum quantity....- but even if I ask for 10, it won't place the order).

Hmmmm.

 

[gggGary]

Hmm It's letting me order one at time, did you click on wholesale quatity by mistake? I have ordered quite a bit from them, deli very can be spotty. Recent shipments have come from Saychelles!!! Some items took 6 weeks to arrive.

 

[MaxPete]

Hmm It's letting me order one at time, did you click on wholesale quatity by mistake? I have ordered quite a bit from them, deli very can be spotty. Recent shipments have come from Saychelles!!! Some items took 6 weeks to arrive.

Odd. Ok, I'll check again.

Can you post a picture of your install?

P

 

[gggGary]

Haven't used that one, I have put in several of the hard wire USB ports.

 

[rainycity]

Okay, I just ordered one of those banggood volt meters to install on there but it looks like I`m going to have to get another multi-meter.
I have one but I cant seem to find it. I cant anything anymore since my daughter moved all her crap into my garage until spring. *lol*
I`ll get around to doing all these great ideas this weekend. Thanks a bunch

 

[MaxPete]

OK - very odd - now it let me order. Hmmmm. I am a little uncomfortable - except that Gary and a number of other people have confirmed that BangGood is OK to deal with.

Well, we will see I guess.....

The Seychelles?

Pete

 

[gggGary]

Yeah what a weird shipping location. Must have some incredible tax advantage.
I envision something like this.

To the OP add ignition switch contacts often a dirty corroded mess inside, rain goes straight down to the contacts, but an easy overhaul.

 

[5twins]

We need a separate voltmeter/voltmeter install thread. Gary, in particular, I'd like to see how you went about installing that unit in place of the headlight failure light. I have a couple of those little waterproof rectangular units on their way to me right now, probably the same ones you used. There's a ton of them available on eBay .....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/38145613206...49&var=650602509821&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

 

[mrtwowheel]

I have a couple of those digital voltmeters that 5twins linked on a couple of bikes, very pleased with them. I cut off those mounting ears and glue an ABS plastic bracket to the bottom or side of them with ABS plumbing glue. On one bike it alarmed me to a regulator going bad.

A good source of black ABS plastic for mounting brackets is old TVs that people put out by the road.

Scott

 

[queenslegs]

I've found those digital LED voltmeters impossible to read in sunlight. Found this daylight readable one but it's not cheap!
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Systems-Mini-Voltmeter/dp/B01CZ2ZXKM

 

[MaxPete]

Interesting - that is a nice looking unit. I might get one for my ST1300 - but I'll have to save my allowance for several months to do so.

P

 

[CoconutPete]

For us that like the minimalist look, there are small ones too. This is not a fancy "daytime readable" one, but it does the job. You're bound to end up in the shadow of something every now and then.