I ordered a Scorpion AGM battery on Saturday, and installed it today when it came in. I had a CycleTron in it that seemed to be giving me issues, and I prefer maintenance-free anyway.

So it's in. But I'm getting the same weird voltages:

Idle: 13.7-13.9
5K: 13.2-13.5

I'm at a loss of where to start. And I can't find that darned charging circuit testing thread to save my life lol.

Edit: Okay, found it: http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=54445.msg614676#msg614676

I'll head out later tonight and start testing. However, is there any reason why the 5k voltage would be lower? That's the one thing that keeps bugging me.

I also got the scorpion!

The bike uses more energy to run at higher revs, it's normal for it to drop down. Those numbers seem fine , mine was at 13,6 at 5000 rpm and I had a few charging problems, cleaning all connections around the seat and in the light bucket and the incredibly hard to reach earth bolt under the engine, and now the battery seems to be charging ok.

I dunno Jas, I'd be looking for higher voltage at 5k as well. Start with the simple stuff - cleaning connections, making sure everything is tight, ground connections, etc. But doing a system check with a multimeter would be good too.

For more info about Suzuki charging systems, check out the "stator papers" on the GSResources. I know the 500 is "modern" compared the late 70's bikes, but the electrical system really hasn't changed much. Besides - no such thing as too much info, right?

I'll take as much info as I can get lol. Unfortunately, I won't have much time to work on it until Sunday. But I'll start off by checking/cleaning all of the connections. I accidentally went off roading (Millers Gap Road in Perry County...) earlier this year. Perhaps that's a good place to start lol. I'll also probably take the multimeter around the bike just for shiggles.

Thanks for the input, guys. I'm good with mechanics and wiring from scratch, but I can't troubleshoot wiring to save my life lol.

Alrighty. I finally had the chance to adjust the clutch and clean some connections. After quickly cleaning the battery ground and the fuse, I'm getting 13.7 at idle, 14.3 at 1600, and 13.6 at 5K. Still not ideal, but now I know I just need to go through the wiring and clean some stuff up.

Edit: Now that I'm going through things, I'm noticing that my RR is getting extremely hot. Almost to the point of burning my fingers, but not quite. Should this worry me?

96.5% more WUB WUB is correct. Just up from idle is where most power comes from the alternator and there is the least amount spent on sparking and in losses etc etc.
RR gets hot - its a worthless POS ... you could run a small town off the power put of by one of these bikes ... the trick is to get steady voltage ... so the bike makes 13-14v Just up from idle, but @ more and more revs, it just wastes it as heat.

You need a schottky 3 phase diode and a bank of batteries as buffer with a switch that can switch them depending on in coming voltage, and you can make a lot of electricity ... and power an espresso machine @ 5k and a microwave @ redline ...

Cool.
Buddha.

So the voltage drop at higher rpm is expected. Makes sense. I guess I'll just roll with it and see what happens.

And I'd personally go with a Keurig. Less time worrying about my coffee, more time watching the road.

I think you got it, but I was going to ask:

• how you're taking you're measurements
• if you know how to check the R/R for consistency

Notice the R/R is finned - it's air cooled like the engine. With no air flow over it, it will warm up. That's part of the job of voltage regulation....

...which is why your voltages aren't higher during the higher revs. It's doing it's job making sure the battery doesn't get more than it can handle.

I feel like there should be a Mister Rogers song on this topic.

I haven't actually gone through the entire circuit yet. I've been measuring the voltage at the battery. If I get time this weekend or next week I might check the stator output and whatnot, but it doesn't seem to be a huge issue. I was just wondering if my voltage at the battery should be higher and/or if it's getting enough to charge while riding.