Battery or Stator

[Locomotive]

The battery on my 86 venture stranded me the other day. After i got a jump start i rode home and shut the bike off. I decided to see if the battery had enough juice to start the bike and of course it did. I was able to start the bike many times with a hot engine. After the bike sat for a week i went to start it and it cranked a bit then that was all. I guess i have a weak battery as i do not know how old it is. I have noticed that the volt gauge says around 14 or 16 volts when im riding but i notice a dimming of the lights when i hit the brakes. I guess that the stator puts out more amps at say 3500 rpm's versus 1500 or 2000 rpm's. I will replace the battery next spring but could a weak stator be part of the problem also?

[Dano]

The standard stator puts out full voltage at 2000 rpm, so at a stop you will see a drop in the voltage (1000 rpm). Check the 1st gen tech articles for the test article which will guide you through testing your components. All you need is a 10 dollar meter available at any WallyWorld or parts store. I would suspect a bad connection may be your gremlin. Others will be glad to share their opinion!

Dan

[mother]

when you apply the brakes, you not only have the rear brake llights going on and drawing juice but also there is the front anti dive relays on both front forks that draw quite a bit of juice. when my battery was on its way out, my bike did the exact same thing, 15 volts while running, and all lights were very dim while stopped. very slow to crank over if bike had sat for a few days. installed new battery and ready to roar, all back to normal.

cheers, Scott