Slowly fading voltage while riding

[Guest]

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. :-k

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.