Triumphrat

crlarsen17 · 11-16-2009, 12:40 AM

How can I check the alternator to see if it's charging the battery properly? I have a voltmeter. Can I use it or do I have to have something more specialized?

Why I ask is....Today my bike died while riding. Let me explain the past two days. Yesterday, I was installing some of those blinking lights to come on when my rear brake light comes on. I was testing them without the bike being on yesterday. I didn't think I had the lights on all that long, maybe 5-10 minutes. I got on the bike today, and it started right up. I rode for about an hour. I stopped for a break. When I went to restart it, the battery didn't have enough juice to crank it over. So I jumped started it. It cranked right up and I took off. I went about 5 minutes down the road, and then my dash lights and readout turned off and the engine died. I tried turning the key off and on again, but my dash lights never came back on.

I thought the alternator is suppose to charge the battery while you are riding? Or does it only keep it at a level it currently is? My battery is only 10 months old, so I don't think it's a bad battery, but I could be wrong. If I charge the battery, and she cranks, what's the best way to check how much the alternator is pumping out?

bobinho · 11-16-2009, 06:25 AM

Hi mate,

By no means am i an expert with this engine, but i am a diesel fitter by trade so here goes.

Get the bike engine running normally by slaving and leave it connected to the slave for a half hour or so. This will put a residual charge into your battery so your engine will run without the slave conected. Put the voltmeter across the battery terminals and if it's charging you should have approx 13.5v + being fed into the battery by the alternator.

If you aint got this or on removal of the slave battery, the engine dies, then your battery is not being charged.

it does not necessarily follow that the alternator is at fault as it still could be the battery. Simply checking this with your voltmeter will not tell you very much either. You will need to use is what i know as a `heavy duty discharge tester` which draws a large current from the battery. This will tell you wether your battery will accept a charge or not when you put it across the terminals.

Hope this helps and i'm sure one of the more experienced trumpeteers will be along soon to help further.

ATB

Bob

soulreaver1 · 11-16-2009, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crlarsen17

How can I check the alternator to see if it's charging the battery properly? I have a voltmeter. Can I use it or do I have to have something more specialized?

Why I ask is....Today my bike died while riding. Let me explain the past two days. Yesterday, I was installing some of those blinking lights to come on when my rear brake light comes on. I was testing them without the bike being on yesterday. I didn't think I had the lights on all that long, maybe 5-10 minutes. I got on the bike today, and it started right up. I rode for about an hour. I stopped for a break. When I went to restart it, the battery didn't have enough juice to crank it over. So I jumped started it. It cranked right up and I took off. I went about 5 minutes down the road, and then my dash lights and readout turned off and the engine died. I tried turning the key off and on again, but my dash lights never came back on.

I thought the alternator is suppose to charge the battery while you are riding? Or does it only keep it at a level it currently is? My battery is only 10 months old, so I don't think it's a bad battery, but I could be wrong. If I charge the battery, and she cranks, what's the best way to check how much the alternator is pumping out?

Try to measure voltage on battery, once on idle, next while engine starting, add finally while is running. On idle it should be about 12,5-13,5V and while starting it shouldn't be less than 12V, and while is running - between 13-14V.

oldndumb · 11-16-2009, 09:09 AM

If you consider that your bike could not possibly be the first one with a flat battery, a search for the answer to your question would be appropriate and productive.

http://www.triumphrat.net/speed-trip...r-upgrade.html

steve speed · 11-16-2009, 01:13 PM

my moneys on the cheap regulator, read the link OND sent its pure gold , i have just fitted a FH012AA and what a difference

crlarsen17 · 11-17-2009, 05:21 PM

Thanks a ton for the responses Bob, Soul1, O&D, and S Speed(awesome picture!). I do appreciate the help and I hope to get to the bottom of the problem tonight. Hopefully it's just the battery. Just in case, I picked up a new battery last night.

I do like responses from people. I use to have a Kawasaki EX500 and a Honda VFR. Both also have their own forums. The one thing that got(and still does) under neither my skin is an immediate reponse to a problem that says, "Do a search on this forum first before you ask". Isn't a forum where you ask questions and they are discussed? If it was just a topic site with answers, it wouldn't be a forum.

Please don't get me wrong O&D, you are much more knowledgeable than I and 90% of the people on here, and I TRULY appreciate the writeup in the Stator and chcking my battery. I am most grateful of your time and effort on this issue. All I'm saying is, a lot of us are new to this site and possibly new to bikes. And we just want to talk our problems out with other Sprint owners. I feel like I was kicked in the corner and told to shut up and search for my answer. It's just discouraging, and now I feel like I have to do tons of research and searching before I ask a question. I was hoping this forum was different than the other two forums I've used and wouldn't mind helping a new Sprint owner out by being polite.

Again, I do thank you O&D for the knowledge. Forums are the best way to save on taking our bikes to the shop for repairs.

oldndumb · 11-17-2009, 06:09 PM

Oh my Gawd! Quit yer whining! I suggested the search but I also did it for you. What more do you want?

This is just what the forum needs. Another insipid bunch of posts bemoaning the fact that some would rather talk about a problem from a zero knowledge base because they will not do any research. Has it not occurred to you that the best way to discuss a problem is to have a bit of knowledge beforehand? You do not have to answer that, it was just rhetorical.

You have been on other forums where members suggested you could do a search on your own. Doesn't that register with you?

Suggesting a search is not impolite, especially when it is done for you. But, calling someone out for suggesting a search is not polite and a bit hypocritical.

To show you that my heart is in the right place I did another search for you. Take a gander at item number two when you are not so busy.
http://www.triumphrat.net/biker-hang...ette-tips.html

Kintaro · 11-17-2009, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve speed

my moneys on the cheap regulator, read the link OND sent its pure gold , i have just fitted a FH012AA and what a difference

What year is your Sprint, Steve ? I ended up buying a 2009 Sprint in the end and presumed the new rectifier location would have cured the charging problems some people had.

Kintaro · 11-17-2009, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crlarsen17

now I feel like I have to do tons of research and searching before I ask a question. .

I think it's basic manners to do some background checking before you ask your questions. We don't want the people who do know the answers to get bored of answering the same questions over and over again, do we ?

Calliway · 11-17-2009, 10:36 PM

Let's also not forget that while you can measure voltage output you are technically only measuring half what you need to. You should also be testing for amperage output of the alternator but that cannot be done without proper tools.