Voltage Regulator

[BPT]

Yes, last time I checked it did. And it comes on and goes off at the right times (rpms) during idle. That's been the other frustrating thing, the few this I do know to look at seem to be ok. The GEN light, revving with a multimeter attached, etc.
I don't have a voltmeter yet and have not attached a multI meter and ridden yet though.

[skippyc]

I use one of these $1 from China. Good for 12V systems

[Bob_Roller]

You need to get a voltmeter wired directly to the battery terminals and get the bike out on your usual route to see what kind of voltages you get .

What kind of riding do you usually do, city driving with numerous stop lights, or urban expressways ??

[BPT]

Riding is a combination of both. I'd like to be able to do more around town (stop and go) but can't now because of this problem. But I regularly do some highway stretches as well.
I live right off of a major local highway. But I can also do most of the things I need close to home (going out to eat, shop, bar hop, etc) without touching the highway.
I will be trying to get into this in the coming week. I will try to rig up a multimeter until I get an actual voltmeter.  Here and elsewhere I've seen plenty of cheap ebay voltmeter finds.  Any recommendations for a decent one or are these ok?
I've been going over Snowbum's troubleshooting and think I have a better idea now with some of those (with the help of Youtube). One Question: does the rotor need to be removed for ohm testing or can thar be done still attached?

[Bob_Roller]

You can test the rotor installed, but you need to place a piece of paper between the brushes and the slip rings .

[BPT]

Easy enough that even I can handle that!

My bike has been sitting elsewhere since I was gone so I don't have it right in front of me at the moment.  I am going to try to get it next week and will try to check a few of these easy things.  Any suggestions for other things to check are welcome.

I was planning on doing some of that before I ride it home.  I will also try to connect a multimeter prior to my ride home.  That will give me a combination of low speed country roads, stoplights and highway driving all in one ride.  If you have anything in particular that you think I should look for, expect, notice, whatever, let me know.

IIRC, the last time I got home after this same distance, my battery was at 12.29 V when I pulled into the driveway (not running).  This was after several miles on the highway with a stoplight and a couple of stop signs just before hitting my driveway.

[SoloLobo]

Check out the Australian made Bosch RE57 that you can get on eBay... higher output than the stocker and has been being used on airheads in Australia for years without issues

I have one on my G/S and will be adding one to my LS before too long

[Barry]

I've heard the RE57 is a good regulator and will give up to 14.5 volts. 

And being made in OZ they even work upside down.

They are not available in the UK though.

[misterpepper]

I got my little volt display installed to read the voltage at the battery terminals. I'm using a Shorai lithium battery and the adjustable regulator I linked to earlier in this thread. With the bike off the gauge reads 13.3 volts. With the key on, but not running it's at 12.5v. Running I get between 13.8v and 14.3v depending on rpm (14v at 4000 rpm), dropping to about 12.5v at idle. Pretty much perfect for my battery chemistry. Voltage didn't change much as the bike warmed up. I have my regulator turned all the way up. I haven't had a starting scare since installing the new regulator. Before I was charging the battery weekly.

[georgesgiralt]

Hello Misterpepper,
I own the exact same Chinese voltmeter.
I will be very glad to see how you hooked it up to the bike. I'm wondering for month how to pack it in a waterproof way to install it on the bike...

[misterpepper]

My install is just temporary, and certainly not waterproof. It will stay on long enough for me to feel comfortable that the new regulator is doing it's job and the battery is healthy.

To mount it I used a couple layers of double sided foam tape to attach it between the screws on the right side handlebar clamp. The extra foam tape raises it up so that the solder bumps on the back of the board don't short out on the metal clamp. I did install a switch so I can turn it off. Be forewarned, I got the red display and it's pretty hard to read in direct sunlight.

[misterpepper]

My temporary voltage display came out today, but not before making a couple really pretty sparks. I guess I should have used one more layer of foam tape.