Any ideas what could be draining my battery.

[Gazz]

My bike keeps cutting out after only a few miles when the battery is fully charged.

Bike has a brand new battery, brand new rec/reg and the alternator has been tested and is fine.

Bike has heated grips and a clock (clock is supposed to stay on all the time - Honda Deauville).

Bike starts fine but cuts out, usually about 5 miles down the road.

Anything else that you could think that it could be?

I am puzzled.

[TUG]

Does it cut out when left idling on your drive way? or only on the road?
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Haz ER-5, innit!

[stinkwheel]

Cuts out with a flat battery?

Five miles is a very short distance to go from fully charged to too flat to run the bike. IS the battery flat after the 5 miles? Or has the bike simply cut out for another reason?

If the battery is flat. I reckon you must be looking for nearly a full short. Something must be hoovering amps (or the battery is duff) to flatten it that quick. Is anything connected direct the battery without a fuse?

I suppose two ways I'd fault find this.

1) Get a wiring diagram and go over the various circuits with an ammeter until you find the one that's red hot (a clamp meter would speed this process up massively).

2) Unplug everything but the main and ignition fuses and see if the problem goes away. Plug the remainder back in one at a time until the problem comes back then work out what that fuse supplies..
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Gazz]

Perhaps it might be cutting out for a different reason, but after a jump start it seems to start again. Dont know if I might be draining the battery by constantly trying to start it. But the starter does not even try to turn over, the lights just dim on the dash when you try and start it after it has cut out.

After a jump start, it goes for a few more miles and then cuts out again.

[Gazz]

[pdg]

The only thing that can (sensibly) drain a fully charged and not faulty battery that quickly without melting things is the starter....
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Any and all advice given should not be followed - if you have to ask it means you don't know so get a man in to do it for you.

[Kickstart]

Hi

5 miles is probably at most 20 minutes running. Say a 10ah battery so to kill it would need in the region of a 30amp drain it. That would melt most wires on the bike. Starter motor drawing power due to a dodgy starter relay would be my guess.

But get the bike running and stick a volt meter over the battery. Check the voltage goes up with revs.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Nexus Icon]

Does it cut out instantly or are there spluttering and misfiring type issues before it finally dies?

I only ask as it sounds more like the classic blocked tank breather problem than something electric, i.e. Runs for five miles, vacuum forms in tank as breather blocked, fuel stops flowing, bike stops, pressure slowly equalises over a few minutes, bike starts again and the circle repeats.

Unless you're confident it's electrical try opening the fuel cap the next time it cuts out and see if there's a rush of air noise. It would them start immediately.
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Greetings from Shitsville!

[pdg]

[Gazz]

[Gazz]

I will go to my parents house today with volt meter and get some figures for you and post back here later today.

[Pete.]

[doggone]

[iooi]

Start bike. Disconnect starter cable and ride.
If its still running after 5 miles, then solenoid could be sticking so still cranking starter.
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Just because my bike was A DIVVY, does not mean i am......

[P.]

[Nexus Icon]

[P.]

[Gazz]

UPDATE:

The figures are as follows:

Drained battery in bike (after jumpstart) when bike is off - 11.7v
Battery when bike is on - 11.2
Battery when bike is revved 11.2.


Now, I know that in my very first post I stated that the alternator was checked and was fine, well this information was given to me by my cousin who took my bike for an MOT on my behalf recently, and told me that the alternator was tested by the mechanic (prior to MOT) and was fine. I am now suspecting, that he just told me this and in fact the alternator was not testing as I am now suspecting that I fucked alternator could be the source of the problem now.

Could someone please confirm my suspicions that it will be a fucked alternator?

Its a lesson learned (if it does turn out to be the alternator), that I should not listen to 2nd hand information from a slightly dubious source, and should in fact investigate any motorcycle problems myself, before posting misguided information on a public forum and asking for help and advice which will in turn get the wrong feedback due to the wrong information been given in the first place.

Cheers.

[Pete.]

It's not charging, but that doesn't mean that the alternator is dead. The charging system has two main components, the alternator and the regulator/rectifier.
The alternator produces AC power and the reg/rec changes it to a regulated DC for charging the battery. You can check the alternator output by un-plugging it and running the engine. First inspect the terminals for signs of over-heating. At around 5k you should be getting about 60V AC between any two of the three wires. Check all three combination of pairs.
If the alternator is producing voltage in that region then your fault probably lies with the reg/rec or with the wiring. Locate the rectifier and un-plug it from the loom. Inspect the terminals. If they show signs of being over-heated it might just be a case of poor connection. If they look ok then it's likely the reg/rec is dead, but run the engine and put your meter across the red and black output in the multi-plug just to check. At 5k you should be getting more than 14V.
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[Gazz]

[Kickstart]

Hi

The 12V sounds like you are checking the voltage over the battery. It should increase as you rev the engine so that does suggest it isn't charging.

However Pete was suggesting checking the voltage into the regulator / rectifier. This will be FAR higher than 12V and needs to be measured as AC not DC.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Gazz]

[Kickstart]

Hi

There are probably 3 wires the same colour to the regulator / rectifier. It is the voltage over pairs of these that you need to test (difficult to tell from your description if this is what you are doing). The voltage should go up with rpm massively on these.

All the best

Keith
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