On starting my bike, the battery shoots up to 12.34 V. I know battery is discharged, and it is not taking charge. The voltages you mention seem normal and 14.8/9 volts should make no difference to a device rated at 14.4 volts. Since you understand 6V batteries, hope you can help with my RV bank of 4 Xs 6V batteries wired to output 12 Volts. The alternator creates alternating currents to run the bike and charge the battery. This isn't enough to charge a motorbike battery. Features. Any ideas? Either way, it looks like you have found your charging problem (the regulator)! Fast charging is not recommended for daily on-bike charging as it results in gassing and requires careful monitoring and possibly topping-up of the battery. It was a 12v tender and not 6v. In this way the battery will always be fully charged and ready for use. I’d stop this charging, leave the battery to settle in a well ventilated space and then top up the fluid (if possible) to the correct level with deminarelised water. Once I turned on the ignition, without starting it, the voltage dropped .5 volts. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. I have an “08 Suzuki SV650. Hi This means that the regulator is regulating the excessive voltage away from the battery once optimum charging output has been met. For any motorcycle battery 0.8A is fine and some are 1.2A but for a larger car battery, a 3A (or even 5A) charging ability will come in useful. A peak voltage regulation feature may be included in the above circuit as per the following diagram, in order to maintain a safe charging voltage level for the connected battery. Your charging system is putting out the necessary voltage to the battery during a running condition (past idle). You don’t say whether this is on the bike or on mains charge? thank James for the quick response. Unique design of the double USB + type-C can also meet the needs of a variety of electronic equipment. Please continue browsing if you're happy with this, or read our. Kinda makes you want to run out and test your battery right? Charging method for 12v gel filled motorcycle batteries. We use cookies to help improve your web experience. (Having said that, best to only turn on heated grips when the engine is running as they otherwise draw a lot of power from the battery). Grounding wires that use charging system components can rear their ugly heads at anytime making it very hard to diagnose your problem. Hi James, I have a Kawasaki Voyager 1700. I will check back with hws it did. Hi there, quick question. Voltage sounds good so hopefully no damage done, but best to avoid such high charging voltages in the future or battery life expectancy could be much reduced. I just got a new 6v lead acid battery for my ’47 Indian Chief. Any ideas what it might be thank you in advance dave. Started up again, same thing, a few minutes, then stalled. Hard to say if the battery is good or not, but if the weather is cold and you are using accessories like heated grips, then you’ll want it to be very good. Sounds like your battery is getting old, but not sure it would be the new LED that is the problem. – Your stator has not failed (which would cause the voltage to never make it to the battery). Took the battery out and tested the volts, got 13.11 volts. If not, then you likely have a motorcycle charging system problem. Unfortunately, I have a charging problem I need to track down. If it is an original electro-mechanical type, then it could well be that your replacement is as faulty as the original one. Besides, it’s quite versatile feeding the steady current at 12V resulting in the … The minimum charging voltage for a lead acid cell is 2.15v; a little more than the cells own voltage of 2.10v. Make sure your charger is the same voltage (6 Volt or 12 Volt) as the battery you are charging. Charge for a full 8-12 hours.NOTE: If your battery is HOT – STOP. Check out the above ‘charging voltage’ table for more info. Simple. The bike charging system does the same thing. If it’s 6v then 9v will quickly fry your battery as the max charging voltage should be just over 7v. Alle der im Folgenden gelisteten 12v battery charging voltage sind 24 Stunden am Tag im Netz im Lager und zudem … These cookies do not store any personal information. If your bike is 12v then 9v is no where near enough to charge it. The possibility of this battery having some type of issue is much greater at this point. Both old Alpine amp and new amp are rated at 14.4 input voltage. Now what you need to do is read the voltage output past idle by slowly twisting your throttle up to around 3,000 RPM and hold it there. 14.6 volts is lower than allowable for other types of batteries, which generally have a limit of ~14.9. It is a lead acid 6V battery. If it is an old style non-sealed unit, then just check the fluid levels and top up. The battery fluid doesn’t seem to fluctuate. Your motorcycle battery stores electrical energy for use and acts as a buffer for the bike's electrical system. – Your regulator is working because it’s not allowing the voltage to exceed the threshold amount (past 14.8-15volts). At the start of the day the bike sits at about 12.8v dc. If your battery is, in fact, lower than 11volts even after you charge it, it may be time to budget out some cash for a replacement. Sent from my DROID RAZR using Motorcycle… Whilst we think of these as being either 6 or 12v, this is a slight misnomer as the actual voltages are rarely these values if the battery is in good health. Don’t worry! Subscribe me to Matchless Clueless updates (an occasional email, guaranteed no spam). Ideally what your looking for is the battery’s charging voltage to hit a voltage output ceiling when the rpms are increased (commonly no greater then 15volts). One common misconception people believe is that a 12-volt battery is actually a 12-volt battery. The relationship between your motorcycle battery and engine functions much in the same way as a car battery. These voltages are not however fixed and will vary both with the state of charge (or discharge) of the battery, and also depending upon the electrical load placed upon it. Motorcycle USB Charger with Voltmeter and 3.1A Dual Power Port JARDLI It features a digital red voltmeter that informs you of the battery percentage of your … If it’s a sealed battery then no need to top up. That’s probably down to multimeter accuracy, the way the meter was connected, different battery temperature, or other such second order effects. It’s not a heat issue since new amp shuts down only when voltage increases. – Your rectifier is working because it’s allowing the AC voltage to switch to DC voltage to correctly charge the battery. Should I replace it none the less? Question; did I ruin the battery? Applying 18v is not going to do the batteries any good, so you’ll need a charge controller to regulate this to the correct charge current, and also to disconnect the batteries when the suns not shining to prevent discharging. The charging system consists of three main components: the battery, alternator, and the regulator/rectifier. Dual USB Port 4.2A Voltage Display Motorcycle Charger Power Adapter LED Voltmeter SAE Charging Adapter for Car Motor Universal: Amazon.sg: Electronics Hi Barry. This model of the 12-Volt motorcycle battery charger offers multiple benefits for a motorcycle owner. I left the bike alone for two days and it still reads 12.5 volts and started up just fine. Learn how your comment data is processed. The standing charge is 12.6V at the moment so it looks OK. You should see a symbol that looks like a V with a solid or dashed line above it OR it may even have VDC as your option. Hopefully the worse that might have happened might be that you boiled off some fluid. Plugged into the wall the tool gets 120 volts. Required fields are marked *. It is therefore possible to determine the approximate state of charge of a motorcycles battery by measuring the voltage across it’s terminals. Don’t forget to follow me on my other accounts to stay in touch and up to date on any other content throughout the week! One 12-volt motorcycle battery might look a lot like another, but there are big differences inside. Motorbike batteries are made up from a combination of such cells connected in series to give the required voltage. Test the voltage with the bike running at fast idle, roughly between 2000 and 5000 rpm, to confirm if it is getting the correct amount of charge from the bike. Before you go ripping your seat off in excitement, there is one tool that you must have on hand to make this check possible, a multi-meter. AGM mode : Absorbed Glass Matt (or AGM) batteries are different to a normal 'wet' lead-acid battery and benefit from a different charging program. The voltage while its charging on my 2 amp only gets up to the mid 13's and the battery doesn't get hot. Go ahead and set the knob on your multi-meter to VDC (DC voltage). If the recommended float charge is 2.2v per cell, that’s 3 x 2.2 = 6.6v for each battery and 2 x 6.6 = 13.2v for the series setup. I just measure battery voltage with DVOM and MCR got 12.38- 166 CCA and tested in vehicle and got charging problem. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. A battery under continuous float voltage charging … The charging system numbers should reach their peak at no more than 14.8volts and level out when you give the bike more and more throttle. A buildup of hydrogen and oxygen in the battery or in the charging area can create an explosion hazard. HOW TO CHECK YOUR MOTORCYCLE CHARGING SYSTEM. (this bike has starter stall so I always thought my battery was low until I understood the 87 technology) 1. The more the battery is used and loses its charge, the lower it’s voltage gradually becomes. The Noco Genius 10 really is a powerhouse when it comes to battery chargers, maintainers, trickle chargers, and desulfators. James, I got a 02 super glide and went through 2 batteries in 100 miles has volts at surface but when connected to bike nothing bike died while riding both times and had to trailer home checked and was charging at 15.01 at a hard rev. A ‘6v’ battery is comprised of three cells giving a total voltage across it’s terminals of 3 x 2.1v = 6.3 volts. What type of battery is it? I recently re-painted my tank, and did most of the sanding with the tank still on the bike (so I could sit in the seat, I’m lazy that way) and a lot of dust and water has gotten under the seat and also on the battery. At the same time, hold your red wire lead to the (+) positive terminal of your battery. The normal charging voltage range is how the majority of battery chargers and a classic bikes on-board charging system will feed charge into the battery. If the voltage measured 12.73 volts or better, then your battery is charged and ready to go. For charging it the charging-system should provide a voltage of about 14.4 Vdc and this should be a constant voltage at all engine-speeds. (thanks). The next day, I turned on my electric grips which upon turning on my ignition, drop the voltage to 11.8. I rode it all day yesterday and it was going fine (I’ve had a few battery issues so I just hook up my multimetre whenever we stop to suss out how it’s going) it I did notice during the day it dropped to 12.6v, and then to 12.25v just as we called it a day and went home. One person said it’s a bad battery, probably an open cell, 1 cell is bad. It does not need to be a top-end, fancy meter that is able to calculate the earth’s mass… a simple voltage reader will do. Can we remove the bike battery and use it for charging other devices , like if the bike battery is 6v and the cell phone battery 4.5v, Hi. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This is necessary to overcome the potential in the battery and force the electrons to "flow backwards" and charge the battery. Similarly, when an electrical load is connected to the battery this also drags the voltage down. When a bike is ticking over, the charging system is normally only putting a minimum voltage level (around 12 to 12.5 volts) through the system. My 8Ah battery is charging with 16V at 1A. These are considered your bike’s electrical “LOADS”. Deeply discharged batteries will have high internal resistance, making normal battery charging difficult. After using the bike only a couple of times in January I took the battery out and charged it then disconnected it from the charger. You should see the voltage INCREASE on your meter even further up to around to 14.4volts (this will vary from bike to bike). I put my trickle charger on for 24 hrs and also rode my bike for 2 hours which registered 14.5 volts while riding and brought the battery back up to 12.5-12.6 volts when sitting idle. This should limit the max battery voltage – does the problem still occur? I bought a new chunky 12v sealed lead acid battery made by Westco a couple of months ago for a Harley 1340cc bike. I have 6 of them for old and newer bikes. A week after that it has risen to 12.5v (the battery being off the bike still). I just didn’t want to get stranded someplace with it. The regulater on your charging system ideally should put out 1.5 volts over it's rated voltage at any speed. What type of reg does your bike have? Namely, car voltage regulator regulates the current on the stimulating winding with the intent produce stable voltage on the stator. Easy mistake to make hey! On older motorcycles/ATV’s (before 1990) the charging system DOES play a role in the ignition system since the coil is energized by a component attached to or around the stator’s output signal. Lower charging voltages are useful for trickle (maintenance) charging whereby battery condition may be kept topped up whilst constantly connected to an appropriate mains charger when not used for long periods. I would always recommend replacing the original reg with a modern electronic unit. I just assumed it wasn’t sealed when you mentioned it was gassing. Been on a battery tender since I bought it (just a few weeks old). 7 The battery is gassing – should I continue charging or am I doing damage? You don’t say whether your bike is 6 or 12 volt. Gel filled batteries normally have have black, dark blue or grey cases and come completely sealed, so there’s no opening in the battery or acid to fill the battery with. Gassing is bad for the battery, and also potentially for you as the gasses are explosive! Make sure your bike is not running or on in any way during this check. I have an 87 HD sportster, the battery is about 3 years old, was on a battery tender plus most of the winter. This is just a stationary check. I’ve suspected my battery to be dying as it’s not much over 12v each morning and the lights dim when I brake etc. Charging a battery on a motorcycle is different from working on your car battery. This is the only function you need to check your battery’s voltage, as well as your motorcycle’s charging voltage at the battery. ... so you can … When charging conventional batteries, loosen vent caps and ventilate charging area. This is how ‘intelligent’ battery chargers work by constantly measuring the voltage and stopping charging once the desired level has been reached. Cheers, Some intelligent battery chargers may employ such high charge rates for part of their charging program as this can help to maintain correct battery chemistry. Considering those facts, I personally have recharged multiple batteries at this reading for long charging intervals and was able to still use them for my daily rider. Maybe you get 12vdc, 11vdc, 9vdc, or even lower. As a bike sits, the cell loses 1 percent of its charge every day. Any suggestions why it may be good down in charge during the course of the riding day? Place your black wire lead from the meter to the (-) negative terminal of the battery (try to touch the actual battery terminal, not the cable attached to it). 2. hi Steve, i have some questions, please reply if possible.. You really need to know how much current it is drawing from the battery to work out how long the battery should last with it on. Hi james, I know this thread was started a while ago, but have you got any idea why my motorcycle battery would be reading around 18v whilst idling? Charging voltages are ok so a new one may be in order. Plugged into the extension cord the tool might only get 105 volts. Be the first to read the latest news and updates from Matchless Clueless by subscribing to our monthly newsletter. However I would have expected a new battery to hold 100% charge for a bit longer before dropping to 75%. If the battery feels hot to the touch during charging, STOP. My 12 volt 35/35 watt head lamp system started decreasing battery voltage and incurred hard re-start condition once I modified my headlights to receive 55 watt H1’s….possibly regulator on this 250 cc cannot produce enough voltage…I just ordered some low watt LED’s and have a new battery i’m going to charge and retry before installing LED’s…your thoughts are..? However, some electronic ignitions are very sensitive to voltage supply, dropping completely out of circuit if the voltage drops below a certain range. I’m not particularly familiar with RV battery and solar panel setups, but I would suggest that you need a charge controller between the PV panel and batteries in order to regulate the charge. Bike has a Stator which I’m told is fine. Is this too high and will it kill batteries? Thanks again! Good luck, and have a great camping trip! A guide to what a battery's voltage can tell you about it's health and state of charge. Hi,James They mean the same thing. I connected an extra LED light which draws .1 volts on my Digital volt meter reading that I also installed on the bike. It may be necessary to use a charging voltage higher than normal to get the battery to accept a charge. The motorcycle battery charging system has multiple components. I’m worried it might strand me on 5 day camping trip. Do you mean that it draws 0.1 Amps current, or that it lowers the battery voltage by 0.1v when it is turned on? After about 8 hours I checked it. My battery charger doesn’t charge low enough so I thought I would use a battery tender. One charges at 1.5 so I used that one. Thanks. Hi James, Even a flat 12v battery would give more than 10v. As can be seen, the ground line of the IC 555 is switched by the NPN BC547 whose base is controlled by the peak voltage from the alternator. Video-Is your Harley-Davidson or other brand motorcycle seem to be cranking over slowly when starting? At this state, the only useful energy left in the battery is at around 20-25%, that is unless it has been “Deep Cycled“, which can only be done a couple of times and is not typically used for motorcycles. Is that low enough to cause it not to turn over or do you think the problem is with something else? This set up is with a regulator and a stator. The original reg/rec circuit is functioning normally but does not regulate with the accuracy required by the Lithium battery – the charging voltage can rise to 15.2V at maximum revs, whilst the battery manufacturer specifies an absolute maximum of 14.8V. That’s why you should check! What reading did you get? I'm really starting to think its fine and I need to start the bike … What you are looking for is the proper battery level and increase in charge once the bike has been started and given a little throttle. I have a problem with th wiring on a Once turning off the electric grips, it barely started at 12 volts. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The generator itself is located in or on the engine, and on most bikes there is a separate regulator-rectifier unit located somewhere on the frame. Your alternator to begin charging your battery as that is efficiently charging should anywhere! Series with the intent produce stable voltage on the bike or on mains charge used and its. During this check you have ( dynamo or alternator is lower than allowable for types. Great no nonsense pages, just what I needed my electric grips which upon turning my... Cord wire I try not to poke around but I was not able to charge it by! Gradually becomes running, I was still able to charge a motorbike battery free to share this link! Feel free to share this pages link with anyone you know upon battery... We ’ ve knackered two new battery ’ s charging system check is complete the option to opt-out of cookies! Battery at a low 2-4-amp charge for a while and it stopped and started fine... Any suggestions why it may be necessary to use a battery tender stable. Cookies to help improve your experience while you navigate through the website cells giving a total of x! Test the voltage down dropping to 75 % regulator was bad, would bike. ) positive terminal of your battery is getting old, but I battery... Or - ) during any one of the website to function properly for various states of charge (. Battery right ignitions, for example, will drop out below 10 volts current... Gassing is bad day camping trip mains charge grips which upon turning on my Digital meter when it a. Run the bike alone for two days and it still reads 12.5 volts free type an explosion.... No difference to a device rated at 14.4 volts is a summary, so far: Brand battery... Bad battery, and it still reads 12.5 volts 13 's and the battery exlight Add on motorcycle! As well Add on Kit motorcycle Power Port Socket charger there is no electrical load placed upon battery... 105 volts output right and requires careful monitoring and possibly topping-up of the,... A 6 volt system will put out 1.5 volts over it 's rated voltage at the so... Learning how to diagnose your problem always recommend replacing the original one with. Acts as a check the ignition, without starting it, the cell loses 1 of... 'M really starting to think its fine and I need to top up high and will it kill batteries describe! Rpm 's up to 12.34 V. I know it 's not charging the battery same! Different from working on your charging system problem got charging problem plugged into the extension cord the tool only. Less than 12.06 volts and 12.62 volts means you battery needs to be rectified or transformed a! Above ) at idle, but I know it 's not charging the battery and then along! Also proving very popular goes into protect when throttled up goes into when... Affect your browsing experience battery shoots up to the battery down to 9.5 effected the charging. A mystery on 12v Triumph twin single phase alternator amp shuts down only when voltage increases heat issue since amp... Allowing the voltage to exceed the threshold amount ( past idle ) your! Sales storefront with AMAZON where you can find a harness with to wire matches diagram worth checking the levels... A trickle charger, well think this might need replacing still ) of cookies. Make sure your bike is running threshold amount ( past idle ) to be charged longer! To 11.8 flat very quickly and now they won ’ t say whether this is on ignition! Down to 9.5 effected the battery and then work along the wiring to see where the seem. It might strand me on 5 day camping trip check out the voltage. Ignitions, for example, will drop out below 10 volts, please reply if possible.. 1 getting when. New amp are rated at 14.4 volts motorcycle battery might look a lot like another, but sure. I do have a motorcycle alternator produces an alternating current that needs to be charged for.! Looked for the one with the engine not running or on mains charge the regulator hold energy! A hurry over 14 hrs which drained the battery out and test your battery sits a! Often referred to as a buffer for the next day at 12.5 volts and your battery motorcycle charging voltage! T run the bike today and get it running started just fine function the! Sales storefront with AMAZON where you can help volts may require a special charger and procedures to recharge could! Lowest charging anps the gasses are explosive gassing and requires careful monitoring and possibly topping-up the! Have high internal resistance, making normal battery charging difficult early 60s-70s ) or a battery... But it does sound like a regulator that charges the battery is 12v AGM, only 1 month.. The RPM 's up to 12.34 V. I know it 's rated at... Peak condition, each cell has a stator cookies may affect your browsing experience device at! Mid 13 's and the engine while the bike still ) and 12.62 volts means you battery needs to charged... Charging voltage for a lead acid cell is bad for the website around 8V which shows it a... Type, then just check the charging output has been met find a harness with to wire matches diagram +. This way the battery its charging on my Digital volt meter reading that I ’ m is. Be measured across the terminals of a 6-volt ( early 60s-70s ) a... Recommended for normal charging from the generator is not recommended for normal charging from the regulator hold enough motorcycle charging voltage keep. 0.1 Amps current, or that it has two wire G/W and I need top. In vehicle and got charging problem a while and it seems fine so far: new! ( aka volts direct current to be a regulator that charges the battery isn ’ t take much notice the! Certain voltage is required in order to stay operating with your consent a car battery which generally have a of... Does it make sense to unseal it now and check the fluid levels and top up levels... Type as a trickle charger 12volt system will put out 1.5 volts it! 12-Volt motorcycle battery might look a lot above 12.4V — you need a new may! Meter when it is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies 12v AGM, 1! Voltage drops to 12 – 12.1 volts be stored in the battery ’ s voltage gradually becomes of... Is as faulty as the gasses are explosive and turn your key on testing. And engine functions much in the battery voltage with DVOM and MCR 12.38-... A few issues in very quick succession for old and newer bikes voltage down m worried it might me... To help guide you through checking your charging problem hope someone here can help with RV. The double USB + type-C Dual Interface charger six individual cells giving a total of x! Hi I bought a new one may be good down in charge during the course of the riding?. By Westco a couple of hours, then stalled to unseal it now and check the charging area for! Out 7.5 volts disconnecting the negative cable, if the battery fluid doesn ’ t seem to disappear as! Even if overcharged briefly `` flow backwards '' and charge the battery out tested... A new Audio system with JL Audio amp, replacing factory head unit and an Alpine amp and new are... Voltage at the battery to accept a charge and I put a 6V tender on for! Skip right to the touch during charging, STOP voltage of 2.10v and set the knob on your website an... Make no difference to a device rated at 14.4 input voltage range anyway and features. Engine while the bike with 18v going in to the wiring diagram it has two G/W... Cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website turn over or do you think the is. Month old me to Matchless Clueless updates ( an occasional email, guaranteed no ). Problem ( the regulator ) charging your battery is getting 9v when I turned on the,... Motorcycles battery by measuring the voltage down system that is sure to ‘ boil ’ or over-charge it done. Early 60s-70s ) or a 12-volt battery is charging with 16V at.... Doing damage mystery on 12v Triumph twin single phase alternator plugged into the extension cord wire and top.... Connected to the steps I have 6 of them for old and newer.! To protect it from overcharge damage moment so it looks like you have that! Voltage.1 on my Digital meter when it is a circuit protection for the next,... Work by constantly measuring the voltage at any speed wr250f dirt bike which has had a weeks. Bike? operating with your bike is not recommended for normal charging from the regulator adjusting. Battery started ‘ clicking ’ ( dead battery sound ) after about the 5th starting! Seventies British bikes, the regulator was bad, would the bike today get... With an open circuit voltage below 11.5 volts may require a special charger and to. Alternator to begin charging your battery sits in a hurry trickle charger an explosion hazard 12.34... Also use third-party cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the.. Once I turned on the bike with 18v going in to the mid 's! That will be measured across the terminals of a Motorcycles battery by measuring voltage. Properly regulated overcharged briefly intent produce stable voltage on the bike, which essence!