Weak charging system or mechanic with weak skills?

[YamadudeXS650C]

I installed the same digital voltmeter as Kevin's on all four of my XS650's and it's one of the best additions I've made to them.
Rather than finding a positive switched lead in the headlight bucket, I wired them directly to the battery and then wired in a mini toggle switch in a convenient place just forward of the tank to turn it off; the gauge is much more responsive with it wired this way.

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[Melnic]

I decided to jump on the volt meter and chose this one
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07F8M5HSQ/
I made a Y bullet cable and tapped into the brown going to the brake switch up front.
Voltage is about .6v below battery w/ it off and not sure yet how it compares with it running. I plan to change the wiring eventually.
I do have a relay I can use to turn this on but get its feed more directly from the battery (will put a ring terminal at the solenoid so I'm not adding a terminal at the battery I have to always remember to hook up). Meter does show above 14V during the ride. Its fused , comes with spare fuse and has power switch on the back. Just cut off about 1" of the white wrap to fit on the 7/8" bars.

 

[Kevin Werner]

I decided to jump on the volt meter and chose this one
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07F8M5HSQ/
I made a Y bullet cable and tapped into the brown going to the brake switch up front.
Voltage is about .6v below battery w/ it off and not sure yet how it compares with it running. I plan to change the wiring eventually.
I do have a relay I can use to turn this on but get its feed more directly from the battery (will put a ring terminal at the solenoid so I'm not adding a terminal at the battery I have to always remember to hook up). Meter does show above 14V during the ride. Its fused , comes with spare fuse and has power switch on the back. Just cut off about 1" of the white wrap to fit on the 7/8" bars.


View attachment 258140

I think you will see that 0.6v drop across the rev range. Easy enough to check. I like it wired into the brown in the head light shell because I tells me what my iggy system is seeing after voltage drop and I don't have to turn it off. Different means to the same end.

 

[Jim]

One of the best locations I've found to wire a voltmeter is at the horn... the brown wire. It's switched and there's no need to wrastle the spaghetti monster inside the headlight bucket. Hell, you don't even have to pull the tank off. Makes it easier, but it can be done with the bike fully assembled.

https://www.xs650.com/threads/voltmeter-installation.58336/