Fluctuating Voltage to battery

[Penguin74]

So you think maybe my ground connection is no good then? I get what you're saying, doesn't make sense to me how voltage is dropping past 12.

[Tattooo]

I've got another battery I was going to try and see if its possibly a battery issue, but the battery checks fine on the bench, reading over 12 volts

Tell us exactly what it is like 12. what ever it is..... After it has been sitting for at least 2 hours....... Then check it with a load on it if you can........

[Penguin74]

Tell us exactly what it is like 12. what ever it is..... After it has been sitting for at least 2 hours....... Then check it with a load on it if you can........

I get 13.57 on the bench after its been sitting all night and then 13.07 under load.

[Penguin74]

I just did a few more checks. Swapped out the battery with a known good one, and got the same results. I then disconnected the line coming back from the regulator and checked the voltage while running and got a constant reading (slowly decreasing obviously but not bouncing all around like before). This seems to point to the regulator I guess unless someone has other thoughts or checks to try.

[Tattooo]

I get 13.57 on the bench after its been sitting all night and then 13.07 under load.

That is a very good battery............ You have charging/grounding problems........

[Penguin74]

That is a very good battery............ You have charging/grounding problems........

Yes I agree, gonna try and get in touch with cycle electric.

[pansshovelsandknucks]

If it were me, I'd go to a vehicle that I knew charged properly and check it running with my meter. That way I'd know how the meter responded to a charging system. Then I'd check the bike again. If it's going from 1 to 14 v or close to that, I'd make sure the negative battery terminal is grounded to the frame solidly. Then check with wire from the battery to the generator... I'd prob just put a new wire with new connections there. Check voltage again with engine running. If it's still doing the same thing and the battery is good, I would suspect the coils in the generator are touching the frame slightly, therefore giving the frame a positive charge and causing the low voltage reading on the meter.

Electrical shit is hard to predict. You just have to start chasing shit and see where you end up. Eventually you will find it if you keep looking.

[farmall]

Your local auto electric shop can bench test the assembly. Since HD generators lack pulleys one way to spin them is by drill which most rebuilders already know.