Slowly fading voltage while riding

[Gorminrider]

BY the way, if anybody wanted to lower their charge voltage, a great big diode, (alternator size) between a self-regulating R/R and the battery should lower the voltage by 1/2 volt...the R/R still thinks it is doing the right thing but a half volt gets eaten by the diode. This diode would want a heat sink though.

[LAB3]

This time I sprung for the top-of-the-line MotoBatt battery. More than likely the battery doesn't communicate with the regulator, my thinking was that the regulator may somehow sense the AGM.

[Skinner]

...another thing, seeing as the R/R is so far away in the tail, would be voltage drop in the connecting wires themselves. I trust that these are a nice healthy gauge with their own perfect connections to the battery? + and -/ground? a Voltage drop across either path when the trouble appears would indicate trouble here...perhaps the R/R thinks it's putting out 14v+ if it is sensing regulation voltage point internally...(These don't have external sense wires like Honda shunt r/rs, do they?)

Or just in case you might be connecting R/R output to nearby wires of the tail-light or whatever -it would not be what I would do ...it theoretically would work but this is a seperately-fused circuit and some of Suzuki's wire gauges seem a little thin to me anyways ...

The + from R/R is connected to the stock harness terminal with 14ga. wire. The ground from the R/R is connected to my SPG, which is at one of the battery tray mounting bolts, also with 14ga wire. There is no sense wire like Honda R/R's.

Sheer distance may be a factor, but I'm not concerned about the terminal connections on the new wiring. All were ratchet crimped with terminals from Vintage Connections, then soldered and covered with shrink tubing. If this is indeed a resistance issue then my original thought about the harness connection would be the first place I'd check. I'm also going to check for a voltage drop from the R/R to the harness connection as well, to rule that out. I'll also check the harness to fuse box connection, but that fuse box is quite clean.

[Gorminrider]

Sure -it's a shot in the dark...usually frayed conductors or bad connection would not take very long to "fade" as you are describing... It may be a coil getting hot or something really peculiar like an ebay cheapo led light, so, you might try an ammeter while you are riding, if you have one. It's a bit of a pain to cobble up connections to multimeters as ammeters to suit your fusebox or bullet connectors. You don't want them to offer misleading data through their own faults ....but, if you are in the mood...

firstly, in series with the R/R output to see what it's doing amperage wise...this will tell you if the stator and r/r are running at max all the time or actually dropping in output later. ......this test might even show that it's idling along fine with less than max output until "something" begins to cause it to try putting more out until it overheats and shuts itself down


secondly, if the output of stator and R/R is not "keeping up" when the bike is warm, take out a fuse and bridge the gap with ammeter leads. Or insert between bullet connectors. This should tell you if particular fused circuit's demand is changing . If you know if a circuit is the "problem" you can look harder at it.

(a random idea- try disconnecting your headlight )

[Gorminrider]

I found the actual Shindengen SH775 on an old spec sheet. Apparently it does not have "overheat" protection...
specs775.jpg

[Skinner]

Well, I just got back from a ride. The usual voltage readings: 14.2 to start, down to 13.6 by the end. Battery fully charged upon return. The R/R was just warm to the touch.

I’m going to leave it alone and stop chasing a problem that in all likelihood does not exist. Thanks for all the replies.

[Steve]

..., so, you might try an ammeter while you are riding, if you have one. It's a bit of a pain to cobble up connections to multimeters as ammeters to suit your fusebox or bullet connectors. You don't want them to offer misleading data through their own faults ....but, if you are in the mood...

An ammeter is a useful tool, but you have to be able to interpret what it's telling you.

There are three logical locations for an ammeter on a GS. Fortunately, with the stock wiring layout, it's easy to describe them. The stock R/R output wire joins the main harness between the fusebox and the ignition switch, forming "T". An ammeter can be installed on any one of those three legs. Let's call them "top left", "top right" and "bottom".

If you install the meter on the top left leg, you are measuring what the bike is actually using and will only read negative numbers.

If you install the meter on the bottom leg, you are measuring what the R/R is putting out and will only read positive numbers.

If you install the meter on the top right leg, you are measuring what is going into or leaving the battery, so you will see positive and negative numbers that are related to whether the battery is being charged.

I have had more than one vehicle with both, an ammeter and a voltmeter. I have found the voltmeter to but MUCH more useful.

.

[LAB3]

Well, I just got back from a ride. The usual voltage readings: 14.2 to start, down to 13.6 by the end. Battery fully charged upon return. The R/R was just warm to the touch.

I’m going to leave it alone and stop chasing a problem that in all likelihood does not exist. Thanks for all the replies.

It sounds like you're a lot like me, something isn't QUITE right and stays on your mind but not really worth chasing down. The guy who took me under his wing in the garage when I was a young biker punk used to say "If your bikes making a strange noise but still still running OK, just pull your helmet strap a little tighter" Another good saying comes from a crusty old engineer I once worked with when discussing a need for accuracy "There's no sense of measuring a log down to the nearest 1/64th of an inch so you can mark it with a lumber crayon and cut it with an axe"

[Gorminrider]

I’m going to leave it alone and stop chasing a problem that in all likelihood does not exist. Thanks for all the replies.

Another dead-end thread! Darn! and now that I'm curious, too... oh well...Ride on. If it does "mean anything", you'll find out sooner or later anyways.