Voltmeter readings.

[a d v o C a t e s]

Hey guys, I just install volt meter and realize whenever I start my bike while at idling, the voltmeter shows 11.7 +/-. and while riding it gets to 12 plus - 13. SOMETIME 14. Mech says my wiring is badly done, btw i'm riding cbr400. any advice ?

[ChaoPuzzy1968]

your mech maybe correct, but hor it may also be your coil going to karput soon

[nur90]

from what i know when u r rding, if headlight is on, ur voltage cannot be lower that 12.7. 12.7 fine, 12.6 and below. standby maybe ur wiring or rectifier issue.. thats wad happen to me.. be careful i rode cbr4 be4 so i roughly noe. i kena change magnetic coil $280+labour and bought used rectifier. battery not necessary change it can be charge back using the rectifier and magnetic coil. after change it, my voltage is 13.4 with headlight and without head light is 13.9-14.2 .. =) sometimes wiring also play apart coz old bike mah cbr400. need to check also.. which shop u wen?

[a d v o C a t e s]

i went to K&T. I was thinking of changing wiring leh, but if nothing big then still need to change ?

[a d v o C a t e s]

So how bros. Can change ?

[MiddleAgedBiker]

Hey guys, I just install volt meter and realize whenever I start my bike while at idling, the voltmeter shows 11.7 +/-. and while riding it gets to 12 plus - 13. SOMETIME 14. Mech says my wiring is badly done, btw i'm riding cbr400. any advice ?

 

11.7 is a little low. Do you often do start and stop riding? It drains the battery. You need to ride for longer distances and keep the RPMs above 3000 to start charging the battery. If you leave your bike to idle for long periods with all the lights on, it's also probably draining the battery.

 

Just take a long ride and see if it improves.

 

The fact that your voltage goes up means your alternator is working. I don't know what the max output is clamped at, but 14 sounds totally fine. If you rev it to 5,000 and it stays at 14 and doesn't go up further, then your rectifier is working fine.

 

It could just be a weak battery. Also make sure you've not added lots of aftermarket stuff on the bike that sucks so much current that it exceeds the load that the alternator can produce.

[Demon]

Hey guys, I just install volt meter and realize whenever I start my bike while at idling, the voltmeter shows 11.7 +/-. and while riding it gets to 12 plus - 13. SOMETIME 14. Mech says my wiring is badly done, btw i'm riding cbr400. any advice ?

 

The good news is that if your bike has been starting well every morning, then everything is fine.

 

The bad news is that you have just wasted money on an useless gadget that cluttered your instrument area.

 

Here is why :

 

You want to measure the battery voltage accurately, you tap directly from the battery and no where else. I am quite sure yours is not.

 

Your voltage meter reading cannot be taken seriously as it is not a precision instrument, and it cannot be calibrated.

 

Measuring the voltage is actually quite useless as it does not indicate the condition of the battery. To check battery status, your measurement is Cold Crank Amp (CCA). Google it.

 

My advice is to change battery every 1.5 years, preferably Maintenance Free (MF)battery from established brands like Yaesu. To keep battery at optimal level, use a Smart Charger to rejuvenate battery every 4-6 months, this step is critical for riders who do not ride their bike regularly or those who do ride only very short distance.

[a d v o C a t e s]

Oh, means voltmeter not much of a use ? So it might not be wiring's problem ? Btw I tried to off my headlight and it goes to 12.6 while idling. And when I ride, it goes to 4.2 - 4.3 max and won't go up. The switch of my headlight is not the original one, it's an additional addon as my my model of CBR does not have a switch for headlight by default, or not. lol.

 

So I don't need to change wiring ?