well I was abbreviating. 12.65 volts. I charged to full. it tested good and as mentioned before, it starts the bike fine and runs it for quite a bit before dying. Unfortunately, I can't afford to go out and buy a new battery for it to not fix the problem. If the battery were bad and the power from the stator WAS making it to the battery, would it be doing as it is and not showing a change in voltage with increased revs? I need a definite answer to that before I buy a battery.

 

OK, but that chit to the right of the decimal is important on this stuff.

I don't think you have a battery problem, I never have. You have a charging system problem.
Stop talking about revs and voltage change at the battery, that test only applies to measurements at the stator output to the regulator.
Across the battery, the voltage output should be relatively stable, somewhere between 14.0 - 14.8 volts DC.

If you have good stator output and less than 14.0 VDC across the battery, then the regulator is bad or a wire is broken between the regulator and battery. You can check the wiring between the regulator and battery at the regulator end by disconnecting the regulator output connector and measure the cable harness end of the connection for your 12.65 battery voltage. (bike off ignition switch on). If that checks ok and everything else you have said is correct, there's nothing left but a bad regulator.

 

yes I did that test several times. it always measures exactly whatever the battery measures at the time... so if that connection is unbroken, then the only reason for power to not be making it from the stator to the battery is the regulator?

 

Yes, you have good stator voltage going into the regulator and nothing coming out.

 

I went and checked that harness again... With the ignition OFF, that harness reads exactly what the battery reads, with the ignition ON, that harness reads .05 volts less than the battery. should there be no measurement on that harness at all with the ignition off, or is that straight to the main fuse before the ignition switch? Should there always be a reading at that harness?

 

It should measure through whether the ignition is on or off. The slight drop in voltage when the key is on is normal, it's caused by the load created by the lights when you turn the key on.

There is nothing else between the regulator and the battery other than the big Maxi fuse, which you said before that you had checked.

 

I just checked the fuse itself. .3 ohms

 

Seems like it's time for another regulator.

 

I learned the same thing. Mine was making a grunt before spinning and starting. Everything showed OK. Had had it checked no time back and showed perfect. It started actually kicking back couple times while starting making the compensator bang. New battery fixed all my problems. I had nursed it way too long on the maintenance charger. It was almost 6 years old.

 

It is possible for the battery cells to create 12v difference in potential, but not be able to hold a load. Voltage measurement is just a good way to "estimate" the charge. It's not really a good measurement.

If i had the symptoms your describing, I'd replace that battery right away before it caused a lot of the other problems some other posters have called out, like burning stators and such.....

The battery is the source. Keep it fresh.