Forum

[p]

Thanks for help folks, I am currently (sorry, that is not intended to be a pun!) using a smart charger to try and rejuvenate the battery, I ran bike today and found that it is charging at around 15.5 volts maximum at higher revs leveling at this despite increasing revs more, is this too much, and if so, what needs changing please?
Any pros/cons in buying a 12v alarm type battery instead of standard bike one as a replacement?
By the way, at tickover, whatever lights are on pulsate, and flashers tend to go double speed until throttle opened, is this normal too? Perhaps it is a sympton of my shot battery......

[jaffa90]

As said your overcharging at 15.5 volts,your voltage regulator is faulty and frying all your batteries.My 2004/2008reg 535cc kick start only is 14.5 volts max,i suggest a normal top up 5 amp battery like mine (yuasa)for once a week riding,you don`t need a remote charger.Some members on here will advise what regulater/rectifier.Joe

[Alan R]

Hi guys------- P, have a look at our hosts "Technical" section in the column on this pages L/H side--- klik on the electrical section for advice etc....... 15.5 volts is WAY TOO MUCH..

[Frank]

Interesting, so I've checked my own Electra X system. Battery is 5 years old but as far as I know in good health.Always starts on electric start even if left for a few weeks and only topped up about once a year. Measuring across the battery 12.6v at tickover, levelling off at 14.3v medium to high revs. Under load, i.e with lights on, tickover falls to 11.95v, medium 14.3v and high revs 15.3v dropping immediately back to 14.3v if lights are turned off. No tacho so not sure what the high revs are, perhaps under normal riding it never gets that far. It would seem therefore that 15v is attainable unless of course my reg/rectifier is also faulty.

[Norm]

Frank, much better alternator in the Electra because it is a 3 phase unit

[p]

I've found a newish 12v combined rectifier/regulator unit which has 4 terminals...... am I correct in thinking 2 wires from alt./ 1 positive and one neg to battery?? I think it is from a Jap bike, maybe Honda.

[Alan (Lancashire)]

yes connecting it like that would indeed charge the battery , however doing it that was has implications , your ammeter would show a discharge as your lights were used etc , but not a charge. by going directly to the battery you have omitted the ammeter from the circit . simply connect it in to the loom in the smame place as the old one was removed from

[p]

Thanks Alan, I see what you mean, I had thought that there were more wires on the Bullet, but the extra ones join the rectifier to the regulator, so in fact those are the four that go elsewhere - and hence one to battery via ammeter.

[Alan (Lancashire)]

sorry not got diagram here , but tech notes on charging show that the imput is 2 x violet going to the rectifier then to the regulator then out via a black and red/yellow

hope that helps