battery question...

[swader]

i was coming home on my magna and i normally park in the garage but dont have an opener. so i shut off the bike and went through the front and came back out, and tried to start the bike again and it didn't start.. for some reason i didnt think anything of it and pushed the bike in.... stupid ole me decides i want to ride in to work... bike started up just fine and i went to work... i had to go back home and the bike didn't start. i got a jump from someone and when i got my seat back on and everything i tried to take off and the bike died again... well, i tried to jump it again and i got no power at all... so i replaced the battery in the parking lot that day and tried to start it and it would start for about four tries and finally cranks up.. well i was wondering if it was really the battery being the problem or not... i was thinking that it could have been what charges the battery when the bike is cranked... i have the bike here and have ran the bike for periods of time to see if it was or not and seems to be running fine but i don't want to get down the road and it die on me again... so is there a way to test the charger to see if it is showing a low voltage or something??? i am the worst with electrics  so i wouldnt know where to begin.. thanks guys...

[Magnum Magna]

For about a month I had a variety of symptoms, including what you described.  Make sure the battery cables are tight.  When I tightened the batter with a wrench and not the screw driver my problems went away.

[swader]

thanks for the advice... also, not battery related but my rpm's here lately have been slow to go down while im quick to shift gears, is that air related or fuel related??

[seratt]

For about a month I had a variety of symptoms, including what you described.  Make sure the battery cables are tight.  When I tightened the batter with a wrench and not the screw driver my problems went away.

same here.

I tightened mine with a screwdriver first time I replaced it, luckily it came loose a week later while I was only a few meters from my driveway.  whoo...

I'm going to check it just to make sure before I head out in a bit.

[Curtis_Valk]

To check your charging system, put a voltmeter across the battery to measure voltage and rev the bike up.  You should see around 14.5 volts which will drop some when at idle.

Also, while you're checking cable terminations, check the ground cable at the opposite end from the battery .........that connection can cause you problems as well.

Curtis