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Thread: voltage issue

  1. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by bigrig View Post
    so i did all the steps that lunaticfringe outlined above EXCEPT: fully charging battery and having it load tested.
    i purchased a new voltage regulator and installed it, but the problem still exists-but much less frequent.
    i did a trip a couple of days ago, about 500 miles and this i what i've learned:
    when the voltage drops and the yellow check engine light comes on, if i back the throttle off to "0" (no throttle) the voltage immediately climbs back to the 14.2 and the check engine light goes off.
    so apparently, this is an on-throttle condition that can be remedied by completely closing the throttle application.
    any ideas of what could be causing this?
    are you saying that on a 500 mile trip all was fine? battery stayed charged? volt meter readings consistently good? and now at steady speed cruising you start to lose charge but when you allow the motor to drop down towards idle....NOT specifically idling....but decelerating towards idle....the volt reading goes back up and stays there? are these the correct symptoms i'm describing? if so you've just described loss of current flow. contrary to popular thinking and ancient myths....a negative ground system has the current flowing from positive source to ground....NOT the other way around. your symptoms if i described them reasonably accurately are classic "ground fault" symptoms. before you do anything else carefully go thru all your grounds by removing, checking, cleaning, cleaning ground platform, reattaching. they are as follows: your 4-wire cluster at steering neck/lower steering triple clamp.....large braided dog-bone under rear of airbox base plate, 2-wire ground cluster at battery box area....negative battery cable to frame point.
    lastly....and it costs 10 cents....remove fusebox lid...view schematic...find battery fuse...replace same. common auto style mini-blade fuse.
    Last edited by user_deleted; 01-03-2017 at 02:14 AM.

  2. #12
    are you saying that on a 500 mile trip all was fine? NO
    battery stayed charged? YES
    volt meter readings consistently good? NO
    and now at steady speed cruising you start to lose charge but when you allow the motor to drop down towards idle....NOT specifically idling....but decelerating towards idle....the volt reading goes back up and stays there? are these the correct symptoms i'm describing?NO


    on the 500 mile trip the problem popped up randomly and often enough that i had time to play with the troubleshooting.
    i would be giving constant throttle(maintaining speed on highway) then give a little more throttle to pass or adjust speed, the voltage would drop to as low as 9.89 and then i could close the throttle (and lose speed ) and the voltage would right away start going back up to the 14.2 as normal.
    it never gave trouble starting or gave any indication that there was low power in the battery

  3. #13
    bumping this to the top, in hopes of help

  4. #14
    Senior Member Chicknstripn's Avatar
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    How old is the battery?
    And have you had the battery tested yet?
    As Lunatic had stated, twice I believe, your issue is either your battery itself or a loose ground somewhere.
    Start with battery and then start the fun of inspecting your grounds, connectors and wiring.
    Good luck
    Last edited by Chicknstripn; 01-06-2017 at 01:22 PM.

  5. #15
    Senior Member BuellyBagger's Avatar
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    /\ this. And wouldn't hurt to just take the 20 mins or so to pull the inner airbox assembly off and inspect the motor harness. Maybe a short somewhere effected by throttle position or engine movement? If you test your battery, then charging system, then check grounds, then inspect wiring for rubs or pintches, then check all connectors making sure they are secure and clean. You will eventually find the problem.
    There is a reason diagnosis has an order. You start at the source and work your way out eliminating causes along the way until you find the issue. It's not like these bikes are huge or have 30 miles of wiring. Don't get frustrated you'll find it.

  6. #16
    Sorry, i never updated this post.
    I switched out the voltage regulator and everything has been perfect.
    bike now has almost 15k miles and just came across a new problem:

    -after a short ride voltmeter starts reading 11.4 constantly
    -yellow check engine light comes on and stays on
    -i ride about 25-30 miles and stop for gas
    -try to start, bike can't, not enough power to crank
    -go get my car and jump start the bike
    -i am able to ride the bike home
    -buy a new battery, take it for a ride
    -yellow check engine light and voltage at a steady 11.9

    my next step will be to replace the stator unless someone suggests otherwise?

  7. #17
    Senior Member GregoXB's Avatar
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    Probably the stator... I just had to swap mine out... but don't change it based on a hunch.

    2 things you can do that I learned:
    1. Take off the primary inspection cover and smell inside the case. If it has a burned nutty smell to it, could be a bad stator.

    2. Put a volt meter on the stator and test the draws at 2k, 3k and 4k. I think spec should be between .1 and .3, a draw of .8 or greater would be a red flag.


    My bike is an 09 too.... supposedly there is a known issue with the stator on our year...
    Last edited by GregoXB; 09-20-2017 at 02:38 PM.

  8. #18
    Senior Member Cooter's Avatar
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    I wouldn't just replace parts without diagnosing whats wrong.

    Your charging system seems to be inop right now.
    I would check the fuses first, maybe the VR isn't getting the signal and turning on.
    Re-read and re-do Lunatics list completely.
    Even though you just replaced the VR, don't assume it's good.
    There are a couple different ways to check the stator, read the manual. You can ohm check it while off, and you can check for output (A/C voltage) while running.

    If you don't have a manual you can got a free download at Buellmods.com or Buelltooth.com

    All these checks are done with a DVOM, you can get one for cheap (or free with a coupon from Harbor Freight!)

  9. #19
    Senior Member Silverrider's Avatar
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    Wow ! I like that bike , I tried to buy it, But couldn't bring it in to CA, miles were below 7.5 K

  10. #20
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    Check stator and VR first according electric manual. It could be VR. I had same symptoms and it was bad VR. Since you system does not charge at all, after this check you will know exactly what is happening.


    Last edited by TPEHAK; 09-20-2017 at 08:12 PM.

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