Wire heated grips to igintion- how easy?

[Stu]

Yeah that should be fine

[Foxy Stoat seeks Pig]

Yeah that should be fine

 

Excellent thanks, will try and make a trip in tomorrow or failing that after work on Monday

[Stu]

the problem is if you are only getting 11v now then going out on the bike will cause a flat battery again!

[Guest]

any multimeter will do for now

you can pick them up for peanuts

Must be a hull thing, they only take cash when i buy one

the problem is if you are only getting 11v now then going out on the bike will cause a flat battery again!

11v might have just been because the battery was cream buggered flat. After its run 2 mins and caught up it may well be at 13/14 volts. If he got home a jump for a flat battery wouldn't last long.

[Stu]

the problem is if you are only getting 11v now then going out on the bike will cause a flat battery again!

11v might have just been because the battery was cream buggered flat. After its run 2 mins and caught up it may well be at 13/14 volts. If he got home a jump for a flat battery wouldn't last long.

 

Maybe but I would have expected the RAC guy to check it properly

any multimeter will do for now

you can pick them up for peanuts

Must be a hull thing, they only take cash when i buy one

 

Pay for anything with chips here

[Foxy Stoat seeks Pig]

the problem is if you are only getting 11v now then going out on the bike will cause a flat battery again!

 

Ah crap, I probably shouldn't have got out on it today then

[Stu]

so you have been out on it today? how far did you go? how long was you out?

If it wasn't charging at at least 12 volts then your battery would go flat and the bike would soon come to a halt

It may be as DRZ has said!

[Foxy Stoat seeks Pig]

so you have been out on it today? how far did you go? how long was you out?

If it wasn't charging at at least 12 volts then your battery would go flat and the bike would soon come to a halt

It may be as DRZ has said!

Was out for probably 45 mins or so. Not sure how many miles covered though. Just riding about aimlessly really.

[Foxy Stoat seeks Pig]

Also a 20min ride home last night

[Stu]

sounds like the bike is charging to me

does Mr RAC man know what he is doing?

[Guest]

does Mr RAC man know what he is doing?

They're sales men now

Thats how they sell you a battery at inflated prices

[Foxy Stoat seeks Pig]

sounds like the bike is charging to me

does Mr RAC man know what he is doing?

 

Not sure but I'm taking the car to screwfix just in case.

[Guest]

sounds like the bike is charging to me

does Mr RAC man know what he is doing?

 

Not sure but I'm taking the car to screwfix just in case.

Was going to suggest greggs but you have a plan

[Foxy Stoat seeks Pig]

Got one!! no idea how to use it though.about 20 different settings and 3 ports but only two leads

[Guest]

20dc on the dial

Common should be in middle port, possibly black. The one labled 10a is not used in this test so use the other

[Stu]

20dc on the dial

Common should be in middle port, possibly black. The one labled 10a is not used in this test so use the other

 

Then start the bike put the red probe on the positive on the battery and the black on the negative and read the voltage

Then raise the revs to around 5k and take a reading and make a not of both

You could also take a reading before you start the bike too with ignition off

Post the readings

[Foxy Stoat seeks Pig]

Ok here goes:

Key out - 12.14

Key in(ignition on) - 11.84

When starting - 9.88

After start - 12.69 - 14.01

5k revs - 14.01

Idle speed - 12.81 - 14.01

[Stu]

All looks fine from here

although the idle should really be steady and not jumping from 12.81 - 14.01

[Foxy Stoat seeks Pig]

All looks fine from here

although the idle should really be steady and not jumping from 12.81 - 14.01

 

Thanks, well that could be me I guess, I need more hands so the probes might have been moving. I will check idle speed again to see if it's constant. Other than that does it all look ok and not too low. Just trying to eliminate why I had a dead battery. May have been the heated grips being switched on.

If it is I need to sort that relay but I want to iron this out first.

[Stu]

All looks pretty good to me

the voltage can jump around a bit but I haven't seen it that bad at idle its usually fairly steady but at the end of the day you have good voltage all the time

[Foxy Stoat seeks Pig]

so idle starts at 14.01 but steadily drops to about 12.30 which is a constant. if I put full beam on (RAC guy did this) its drops to a constant of 11.89. this is all with no revs. increase the revs and the voltage increases.

[Guest]

9.8 cranking suggests the battery isn't going to work well next year. Possibly why voltages are up and down

[Chrissb6]

I susspect that the RAC man checked the battery whilst the engine was not running. A 125 will not have a bunch of electrical power but enough to work the grips whilst the engine is running. Easy enough test to do, lift the seat and gain access to the battery terminal. Get the multi meter put the red lead into the volts DC terminal and the black into negertive or common terminal set the meter dial to 0 to 20 volts DC important. Put the back lead on the -- terminal and the red to + pos and check the voltage. If the battery is charged you should get a reading of 12volts. If this so all good, next step start the motor and again test acrosss the battery as before and note the voltage this time it should should be higher 13 volts or higher. This will indicate that the charging system is working. Next step is to test the electric charge withe the electric loaded. So now switch on the lights heated grips and check the charge voltage again, you might notice the voltage has dropped below 12volts if the motor is on tick over secure the test leads to the battery and increase the revs and see if the voltage increases if it does all well and good just take note if your trip keeps you for long times in standing traffic you might need to give the battery a top up chage at home now and to compensate

[Foxy Stoat seeks Pig]

I susspect that the RAC man checked the battery whilst the engine was not running. A 125 will not have a bunch of electrical power but enough to work the grips whilst the engine is running. Easy enough test to do, lift the seat and gain access to the battery terminal. Get the multi meter put the red lead into the volts DC terminal and the black into negertive or common terminal set the meter dial to 0 to 20 volts DC important. Put the back lead on the -- terminal and the red to + pos and check the voltage. If the battery is charged you should get a reading of 12volts. If this so all good, next step start the motor and again test acrosss the battery as before and note the voltage this time it should should be higher 13 volts or higher. This will indicate that the charging system is working. Next step is to test the electric charge withe the electric loaded. So now switch on the lights heated grips and check the charge voltage again, you might notice the voltage has dropped below 12volts if the motor is on tick over secure the test leads to the battery and increase the revs and see if the voltage increases if it does all well and good just take note if your trip keeps you for long times in standing traffic you might need to give the battery a top up chage at home now and to compensate

 

The voltage numbers do correspond with what you have said and it does just drop below 12v with full beam on but over 12v with dipped beam, I wouldn't say I really sit in traffic for a great deal of time. Would using an Optimate be an idea? something I was looking at getting anyway.

[Foxy Stoat seeks Pig]

9.8 cranking suggests the battery isn't going to work well next year. Possibly why voltages are up and down

 

Right, I thought on Friday night I will just buy a new battery and be done with it but then there was the question of the charging system so didn't know if that would be a cure or not.