Battery, Voltage Reg...?

For starters, I have a 98 VFR800. I was riding 4 hours home from vacation and stopped halfway through to see my girlfriend. When I went to start my bike up and leave to finish the trip, the battery was drained. Which was wierd because I had just bought it 3 weeks ago, so its brand spankin new.
So I went to a local shop, got it charged so I could get home. The dude there told me it was drained, but not damaged at all. I got the battery in, started her right up and drove 2 hours home.
Now 3 days later, the battery is all but drained again. SO, I am 99% sure nothing is wrong with the brand new battery, I am wondering what this sounds like to most of you? Obviously something is not charging the battery during riding. Voltage Regulator? Stator? Alternator?

 

could also be that you have some sort of drain on your electrical system that is draining your battery

 

Regulator/Rectifier failure is very common on VFR's. Got a multimeter or voltmeter handy for testing?

Rollin

 

I have the same problem how do I test it with a muti meter. Dont really know how to use one so I also need to know where to set the dial when checking stator, regulator, ext.

 

i dont have a mult meter, i was just going to take it into my local dealership and have them do the work.

 

The dealer will charge you $100 -200 just to run some simple tests that you can do yourself with a $15 multimeter. Testing is not difficult at all and there are countless threads with instructions. If it turns out to be your R/R which is very common, it takes all of about 30 seconds to install a new one. Dealer would also likely replace the R/R with an OEM unit which some consider to be inferior to other aftermarket brands that are available. I say roll your sleeves and fix it yourself. It's very rewarding not having to take your bike to the dealership for simple maintenance and troubleshooting. We are here to help!


Rollin

 

Rollin_Again: I do not have a mult meter, is there another way to check if the R/R is bad? Can you tell just by looking at it? Where is it located exactly? Where can I pick up an aftermarket one? Thanks man.

 

FYI: For S&Gs I checked what the part number was on my current voltage rectifier. i found out it is SH579A, which in turn I found out is the original, commonly faulty rectifier. The bike has approx 27,000 miles on it and these things are known to go between 20-25k. The symptoms besides what I originally mentioned are that the clock and trip odometers will reset sometimes when I turn it on, mainly when the battery is getting too low to even start the bike. Should I just order another one? if so, where is the best place?
thanks all

 

www.wiremybike.com is where many VFR's owners buy their electronic components since the site is run by a fellow forum member named Josh (screen name = Tightwad)

Some owners have never had problems with their original R/R's but I've replaced a total of 3 on two different bikes over the past 4 years so I would recommend doing it even if just for the piece of mind. I would also recommend upgrading the original wiring harness since the existing wiring and connectors are prone to burning/melting due to the increased resistance caused by the inadequate OEM wiring.

Rollin

 

Thanks. I think im going to buy one and if it fixes it, awesome. if not, peace of mind.

 

It really makes no sense to drop a new battery into a bike without verifying that the charging system is working 100%

 

I just bought an r/r from Rick's Electronics for 150 bucks. Free shipping. Plug and play.

 

I just purchased an R/R from www.rmstator.com. It was $115 shipped, not a bad price. It should be in by early next week, Ill plug it on, charge up my battery and hopefully all is well.

 

SO www.rmstator.com refunded my money because they didnt have it in stock, then i got one from Motorcycle Parts, Motorcycle Accessories for $107. Just put it on 5 days ago, have been riding everyday and had NO problems. Guess that was the issue. Thanks to all!