New Dude Here From the South Texas Area
 

How's it going ya'll? I ride a Bourget 2001 Low Blow Chopper....fast. This place seems pretty cool so far. I already have tech question. I guess I should ask that in shop talk but my battery keeps shorting out. I mean the last one only lasted about 5 hours. The stater and regulator are both fine (putting out about 14. 3 when I rev the motor.

Anybody got any ideas on what is happpening and how to fix it. I guess I have power going to ground somewhere but what is the best way to check that?

Welcome to BikerForums, sure you'll like it here. Ask away with question, somebody around here is bound to know....or know who to ask.

Again, welcome.

Thanks mongo. I think your idea of a custom(on the custom forum) was killer. I would love a bike that never broke down. :D

Is the battery dead when it shorts out...or do you have to just wiggle some stuff and then start it back up?

If the battery keeps dying do three things:

1) Bad connection - Check all of the wires very carefully. Also check the wires of the alternator and voltage regulator, and see if the plastic junction boxes where wires connect might have overheated and are now gunked up. Sometimes if you are lucky you can get new connectors at an auto or electronics supply place but then you need the right colored wires if you ever want to work on the bike again.

2) Check and recheck the Voltage regulator - Check your manual or call the dealer and get a voltage meter. If it is screwed up, be a man, buy a new one at the dealership.

3) Check the Alternator. If it's dead, get a new one.

It is totally dead. I mean dead and it will not take a charge. That is why some people think it is a short.

So you've put a new battery on and it just dies again?

The last one died after two days and about 5 hours of riding. I mean (shorted)dead my led light wouldn't even light up.

Welcome lowblowchop youll see that this is one of the better fourms because there is actually talk about bikes and biker issues unlike the rest of the bike fourms out there that just talk about gossip and stupid stuff.But anyway a short can be hard to find just follow the route and check and test everything check the battery when the juice is off to see if something is pulling from it too. I'll let you know if i think of anything else.
Good Luck

Welcome
 

Welcome to the site lowblowchop, it's nice to have another Texan on the boards. I'm in southeast Texas....Baytown, down on the coast.

Anyway, I hate troubleshooting electrical shit. I have a brother-in-law that's a master electrician, so I'm lucky to have help when I need it. Good luck with your problem, let us know what you find.

FBR :cool:

lowblowchop,

I'd go through your charging system and test everything. If you got through all of that and it's aok....then start looking for a short. I had one on my Heritage that too me 2 years to find. Good luck and keep us posted on what happens.

lowblowchop
Welcome aboard. I am more familiar with 120V appliances than 12 V motorcycles so can't help you with your problem but as you see there are a lot of people here who can. Good luck with your barttery.

Welcome to the forums. Good luck on the electrical problem. I would do like others have said and trace the wires to try to find the short. Best way to find it IMO.

I am not sure what type of electrical system you have, but my first guess would be a voltage regulator problem. If that is not it and you can not find a problem by tracing everything I would unhook components one at a time and go for a ride to see if the problem stopped. I would start by unhooking the easy stuff like the headlight, then the taillight, then the turn signals, and so on. The hardest part about fixing any problem is figuring out what to fix. Good luck!

Appreciate all the suggestions that ya'll have given me. I put a new interstate battery on friday. I think it was a bad bunch of harley batteries(I hope) plut the harley batteries you almost had to pound them into the compartment under the seat. So maybe that was smashing it in the compartment busted a a cell or something. Or maybe it was just an old batch of harley batteries that shorted out.

I will keep you informed on what happens.
Once again thanks.