ATV Florida Forum

i just got a 99 1100 custom..well, it's really a custom too..the guy did pipes, bars, paint, odds and end bolt on shiny stuff..i also noticed on the lower chrome case by the foot break had one time been taken off and had a gasket sealer gel on it..and actually i found a bolt for the case stuck in between the pipes and screwed it back in (scary i know) so here's my problem..i got the bike as a good price and needing some fixing..the guy described the problem as the battery drains too quick..so we got it and it had a new battery he put in it..but the battery was all mis-shapen..and we read online and we knew it was something to do with the charging system..so we saw all the writing about the reg/rect.,stator, battery, or ground wire..well we got a volt meter and i did a slow charge on the battery it had..the battery charged over night and i did a volt test and it read 13.4..which was higher than the normal 12.1-12.9 (so i guess it was a bad number?) and i hooked it up. It turned all the lights on and odo but one blinker wouldn't blink and the high beam was gone. so we hit the starter and it just buzzed like the battery wasn't strong enough..so i jumped it with my car and it started. I then checked the volts at an idle and high rpm and it was in range at 14.5. so this left me to think the reg/rect is ok (right?) and the stator? so then we rode it around some and we got a new battery for it..oem..so we put that in and it also read 13.4 but it started the bike and the blinker was working but dim..the high beam wasn't on but everything else seemed fine..so that was thursday..after that day of riding around some and starting it some etc.. friday came along..we rode some more and checked the volts and all was good (though still 13.4 cold) and it started fine etc..today came (saturday) and all is still good except i noticed that the blinker that wasn't good before is now very dim and the headlight is totally out.. i'd read an article saying that bulbs went out quick when there was a ground wire i think? so i will test the battery again soon off and on and see how it stays charged...based off of the info given (and i know it's easier to see then listen to this thread) does anyone have the idea that it could have just been a bad battery? or that he charged the new battery not knowing it might harm it? or would it not harm it? is it a ground wire probably? and if it's a ground wire how can i trace it and fix it? thanx in advance

There are several issues going on. You need to divide and concore. AKA one problem at a time.

1. No crank, new doesn't mean good. You could of had a bad battery or a battery with not enough cranking amps. Most folks do not notice the $59 battery only has 150 CCA while a $100 battery has 220.
 Cables are often over looked. Battery acid can wick into the cables and damage them with no visible problem. I would replace both battery cables.

2. Voltage, 12.5v~13.0v is OK for a fully charged fresh battery. Most 12v charger will charge as high as 14V which will give you a high initial voltage after charging. ATV/motorcycle battery should not be charged overnight on a standard battery charger.
14.5v is a little high you may have a bad regulator (nothing to do with lights if battery is 12.5v or better)
14.5v is also possible if the system is trying to charge a bad battery.

3. Dim lights, If you battery has 12.5v~13.0v after sitting a day or two leave it alone. The battery is fine. You need to address the wiring at the bulb, flasher, or switch. pull the dim bulb and check volts at positive side, Meter on  + side of bulb - side of you meter to chassis ground 12.3~13.0v + good power. Test leads at positive side and ground side of socket .03v = bad ground.  Also buy motorcycle bulbs they are a lot more resistant to vibration.

Good luck.

thanx, i figured it out..turns out the volts during a start and high rpm were 14.4...right in range..well i decided to check them after a 30 minute ride..the voltage was 16...this is very bad..and my battery mis shaped again and i smelled it..so its my regulator..i'll pick it up 2moro