Headlights keep burning out

[p2r]

Im curious to know if a dying battery will cause my headlight to keep burning out? I have to charge e battery before I ride the bike because it will die in a couple of days. I havent ridden over the winter so far but today I took the bike out and while I was riding the headlight burnt out. Any thoughts on this? I know I need to just get a new battery anyways but I'm starting to wonder if there is another issue. Thank you.

[user_deleted]

you should think about installing one of my volt gauges on your lightning. fun to watch and cheap to buy. a bit confused on your post. you state "bulbs keep burning out" but then continue with "headlight burned out". if it happened to just 1 bulb just 1 time i would tend to think it is merely coincidental. but if your charging system is over-charging one of first signs of this problem is both cooked battery and bulbs blowing, particularly the headlight H-7 bulb as they are sensitive to voltage surges. and a battery with a shorted cell will also do this. just for the hell of it prior to installing new battery i would give your present battery a full charge at like 3 amps over-nite, start bike in the morning, and check across the battery terminals for voltage. you should see approx. 13.8-14.5 volts at about 2500rpm....something in that ballpark. DC VOLTS that is.

[p2r]

At the end of last year I burnt one out too before I had the battery issue.

[p2r]

I should say before I noticed the battery issue.

[user_deleted]

then i would, assuming you have a lightning, at least remove the headlight bulb plugs, clean them if any signs of corrosion or significant dirt, and move onto checking voltage at battery terminals as i outlined above. you want to correctly diagnose this prior to throwing alot of wasted money at new bulbs. the voltage diagnosis as i outlined above is what i'd be checking. you can always remove your headlight fuse or unplug the headlights during this process to save the bulbs.

[p2r]

I checked the voltage, it is at 11.6v while the bike is running. It will go over 12 if I rev it but then right back to 11.6. Is this a stator issue then?

[stellio78]

There is some info here how to do the test http://www.buellxb.com/Buell-XB-Foru...e-Reg-test-How

[Lando]

I had a problem last season where I was blowing out headlights. Ended up being my voltage regulator. I know because i got a check engine light. Later in the season, my battery also started giving me problems ( hesitation, choking on acceleration and missfireing), had to change that also. Now it runs good as new.
Let me know if you have any questions.

[p2r]

I bought a new battery because I was at work with my bike and was low on options, put it in and had no problems getting home. Today I started working on it and pulled out the service manual. I ran every check in there and I can't find any problems with the stator or the voltage regulator. The thing that gets me is my new battery is only reading 11.9 volts at rest and 12.3 while the bike is running. I'm going to let it sit there for a few day ( it got cold again where I can't ride) and check the battery in a few days.

[user_deleted]

do the simplest things first. is your volt gauge you're using for diagnostics known to be accurate? a fully charged good battery...you said yours is new...should read something in the area of 12.3-12.5 volts. and again, if you're only seeing 11.5 to 12 volts with the bike running at 2500 rpm or so, it is not charging. use your manual and check both stator and VR. easy to check, manual will walk you thru it. and don't forget that the stator output is AC VOLTS.....NOT dc volts.