battery went dead toady

So it was in the forties today and I took my bike out for a ride. I rode around for about 45 minutes and then the bike started to misfire and backfire a lot. then it just stopped running. I hit the start button and it did nothing. I pushed it into a gas station and remove the seat since my battery has a voltage meter on it it showed that it was only at 11 and volts.
I came back with the van to pick it up and then tore it apart when I got home and noticed that the voltage regulator had lost the retaining bolts. so off I went to buy a new pair of retaining bolts... well I left the battery on the charger. The Sun was going down and it was starting to get colder so I decided to wait until I have a warmer day to look further into it but I would like to have a few ideas as to what I need to look for. any help?

 

What were the bolts retaining, do they have anything to do with the wires? If not looks like your charging has gone west and you will have to do the drill. First check the wires from the stator to the rec/reg, connectors burnt?

 

Winter ride, sign of true believer !! Did you at least bring the battery in su casa to shelter it from our harsh climate ?

Like Norm sez, check plug connectors to and from r/r and the red wires atop starter relay too for any melting, burning or discolorization. Next you need to determine if low (or lack) of charging might be due to a bad stator by running the resistance tests and ac voltage output test outlined in the FSM. If stator checks OK then the r/r is most likely bad; so many are, you know.

Best guess is that you need a new battery as you may have neglected recharging long enough to weaken the battery permanently, if it's more than a couple years old. Sulfate. Test your battery by putting it on a 1-amp charger for 8-10 hours then remove charger and allow an 8 hour rest. Battery MUST show at least 12.5 volts if it's any good at all.

 

And once again we have no history on this bike, is it a recent purchase and this is your first real ride or have you had this bike for years and this problem just happened, a bit of history always helps, maybe the previous owner ditched it because of these problems, we are only guessing at this stage

 

I kinda stuffed me bike into the van and drove south to Baltimore for work. GOT UP TO THE 50s Sunday... then the bike quit!

 

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Riding in Baltimore 50 degree weather is ez for northeasterners, Dunkirk not so ez !

 

The battery has been on a charge since the first snow fall back home. Its been pluged into the cigarette lighter of the truck while the weather is stinky.

 

I found this one over the summer and just got it "RIDEABLE" in October. Shoved a 93 ebay motor up in it that had a bigger wire mod from the stater and i just bypassed the connectors to the voltage regulator. The nuts that held it to the sub frame came off and was bouncing off the body n sub frame. I hope is not more than that. Or i will have to bring the old engine back here and swap stators. But i will not mess with it till Thursday.

 

No way, Jose. A ciggie lighter plug-in, how does that charge your battery ? Trickle chargers are too weak to keep a battery up in cold weather. Using a 1 amp charger for 8-10 hours per month is alot better.

 

The only time i unplug it is for a ride. Otherwise its on a consistent charg with the truck battery. Volt meter on the battery shows the voltage at 12.9 to 14.9 just like on the bike befor this issue.
I just was losing daylight and the temperature was dropping... beers... I just did not feel a rush to do more that remove a battery and bolt the regulator back on.
Squirrel, i was thinking about you while I was on the twistys.

 

I don't think your regulator coming loose is your problem, and if you say the stator is pushing it up to 14.9 them my guess is your battery is toast, seeing it dropped to 11 volts

 

Loose or missing regulator bolts suggest it's been worked on alot. The heat dissipation function of the bolts may not be needed in cold weather, and i doubt they're necessary for grounding the unit. Rember, the way you got the bike, you'd have no idea how old the battery was.

 

I got a new one befor i paid the registration.

 

11 volts aint a good sign no matter when you got the battery, take it to a battery place and get it load tested

 

That's what it showed when it quit on me Sunday. It's in the stator, regulator, or wires. But i will still have it load tested anyways.

 

You are letting the truth get in the way of a good story, in post 10 you say the voltage on your meter is 12.9 - 14.9 volts, if this is the case alternator and rec/reg are working ok

 

Well if that's the case...
i did leave out the alcohol, coke, hookers and stuff!

 

Well I hope you sort it out then

 

I have the battery on a 2amp charge today.

 

Just remember because it shows 12.5 volts doesn't mean it is good. I assume it is probably a wet cell Chinese battery. They are shit and a waste of money, many only last 6 months