Interesting voltage readings

[Coyote Chris]

When I got back from the rally, I load checked my battery on my 2017 XT vstrom and it held 10 volts under load so I was happy. Will replace next season. It has a factory voltmeter and after start, it usually hangs out about 14.2 volts. Maybe 13.8 at idle. Last night I was returning from a store and it was getting dark so I turned on the high beam and the voltage dropped to 13.8 at cruise and 12.8 at idle! To be fair, I have never ridden this bike at night.
I am not worried even after reading 100 posts about the junk stators and regulators Honda put on the earlier generation VFRs.
The XT has a "request to start" switch instead of a starter button. Bump it once and the bike starts all by itself.
Will be interesting to see what the volts say with the new battery.
Motorcycle charge/regulate systems are very primitive but work most of the time. After the Frosty incident, I will load test every battery before a trip.
The FJR just got a new bat so its time to check the 2015 VFR battery, even though it starts very easily.

 

[ARKNT]

I don't know your bike but those numbers don't seem alarming.
I think the best trending occurs over time on an individual machine. It is important to test the same way each time to get good trends. For instance I log readings after topping a battery with a tender, but the voltage will be different depending on the amount of time from removing the tender till when I check with a voltmeter.

Brad

 

[Coyote Chris]

Brad, thats an important point. If we are talking lead acid batteries, like the one a certain person here on the forum killed on the road, they self discharge over time. That is not a good thing over months. Hurts them. They are happiest at full charge. If you check a battery right after charging it, you get "surface charge". But at the end of the day, Checking any unloaded battery's voltage might tell you its bad, but can NEVER tell you if it is good. Only a load tester can do that.