[Herm]

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New to the forums and have researched my issues through earlier posts. My battery has discharged twice after one week of riding back and forth to work, a distance of 18 miles each way. I removed the infamous burnt plug, tested the stator (good) and am at a roadblock on what to do next. The bike starts on a jump, but will not run with jumper cables removed. The dash doesn't even light up. When trying to start with a jump, all lights on dash dim, the solenoid clicks, and the starter turns slowly and intermittently until the bike starts. Any suggestions on what to test for next? Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[93Bluewing]

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How many volts at battery while running?

Battery been load tested?

 

[Herm]

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Battery has not been load tested and I have not gotten a volt reading. I've put two new batteries in and each one discharged within a week. I'll get the volt reading and post it soon. Thank you for your quick response.

 

[Bike...and Dennis]

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Welcome to the forum Herm.
Have you gone through all of the connections? If the battery is good and the charging system is working, maybe they aren't hooked together correctly.
Something could be loose, or dirty...and I mean electrical...not like my loose morals and dirty mind.

 

[Herm]

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Thanks for the reply. I'll certainly check all connections. I removed the ground cable and wired brushed the triangular frame piece it is attached to. I'll trace the rest of the wire connections and check them as well. Does anyone know if the battery is beyond charging at this point?

 

[neoracer]

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first thing you need to do is charge up battery before you can make any tests,once bike is started you need to check the voltage,should be in the 13.5/14.5 area,if not the reg is suspect,but its possible there is wiring issues also
more info needed,has the rectifier connector and the solenoid connector been rewired

if a battery is weak an 18 mile trip will not recharge a battery

 

[Herm]

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I have a charger on the battery. When the last battery discharged I thought is was from sitting too long between rides. After that I bought a new battery. It was a brand new battery that lost it's charge within one week of riding. After searching the forums, I discovered the burnt plug, which I cut out. The rectifier and solenoid connectors have not been rewired by me. I'm not sure about previous owners. Once the battery is charged I'll run through all the tests that have been suggested and report back to the forum. Thanks for the help so far!

 

[wingsam41]

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Herm-you'll need to get a volt meter if you don't have one already to solve this. Also if you've tested the stator and it tests good you are looking at a wire connection or a faulty voltage regulator or both. You've indicated that you have corrected the faulty connector at the battery. Next step is to remove the shelter (false gas tank) and have a look at the voltage regulator connections. Additionally you will want to check the 4 wire plug at the starter solenoid just aft of the battery and the dogbone fuse located within it. Either way you need a volt meter to tell whats going on though an inexpensive one will do just fine. Charge battery and fix any additional connectors that show signs of damage. Next record voltage under the following conditions...
1. Key Off Engine off nothing turned on.
2. While cranking(starting bike) should stay above 10V
3. At Idle - should be above static voltage.
4. Volts at 3000 RPM
Record your findings here when finished.

 

[JerryH]

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You will DEFINITELY need a decent multimeter (volts, amps, and ohms) if you are going to troubleshoot electrical problems. No way to do it without one, you would just be guessing. You can get a dirt cheap one from Harbor Freight, they seem to be accurate while they work, but they don't last long. If you are going to own a Goldwing, get a decent one. You will use it more than once.