Very strange electrical problem

[encryptor]

I went out the day before to ride my bike to keep it in shape. It hasnt been started in a month. It ran fine.  Then the next day I went out to start it and the battery was dead some how.  Temperatures have been warm.

So I push it down hill and pop the clutch and i starts up.  But then when ever I give it any throttle it starts bogging down like its going to die. My low beams were on. Oddly enough when I switch my high beams on it runs fine. No bogging nothing, but now the battery will not charge when riding it for a while.  But it Im riding it down hill with the clutch pushed in it dies even with the high beams on.

Anyone have any suggestions as to what the problem could be?

[coll0412]

Sounds to me like your charging system is toast. Either the stator&regulator are not supplying enough power at idle to keep it running, or your battery is so toast that it saps what little power the charging system makes at idle.

Could be a short as well. Either way time to start testing stuff out. First thing I would check out is the battery, see if it holds a charge and will start the bike once you put it on a trickle charger. Work you way through it from there.

[sledge]

Agreed......the battery is the weakest link in the system, I would charge it then get it load tested before anything else.

[joker79507]

Agree about the battery too.  If thats not the problem get a voltmeter and check the battery with bike on if possible.  I may not be of any use in this department but with cars if the voltage is below 12 then its the alternator and if its above 14.25 its the regulator.  Im not sure what components make the alternator and regulator (stator & regulator?) on a bike since I dont have very much experience on bikes

[encryptor]

Well I just thought it was odd that the day before it started up just fine. Then the very next day it was dead.  Then the high and low beam issue was the strangest. Ive had the battery die before but not have that issue. 

It there something that could have happened to the wiring that would drain the battery and cause power issues with the lights while the bike is running?

[ATLRIDER]

Like Sledge said, you should fully charge the battery and load test it.  Also check what voltage you're getting with the engine running. 

[joshr08]

i didnt realize this was a double post and i posted in the other one.  Does anyone else think he should check his gas level.  depending on how much the slope is the gas may not be getting to the petcock.  just a thought. 

[encryptor]

Gas was topped off.  Only had 14 miles on a new tank.  Im charging the batttery today so we will see if that is indeed the culprit.

[joshr08]

ok was just checking sometimes we forget to check that part and just to something different

[coll0412]

Well I just thought it was odd that the day before it started up just fine. Then the very next day it was dead.  Then the high and low beam issue was the strangest. Ive had the battery die before but not have that issue. 

It there something that could have happened to the wiring that would drain the battery and cause power issues with the lights while the bike is running?

Most likely your charging system has crapped out, and basically since the battery is dead, and the charging system is only putting out a bit of power, it gets taken up by the lights and such not leaving any power to actually run the coils for the ignition.

Things that indicate that its electrical are a dead battery and the headlight thing. I was actually wondering if your high beam works as well?

[simoniz]

Yep, I agree with the diagnosis above of the charging system being at fault, I have seen that before and had the symptoms you describe. Sounds like the reg/rect is bad and leaking charge out of the battery overnight.