Battery Voltage

[Kane]

Just a quick question to see if this is normal. I just installed a new voltage regulator/rectifier (ElectrSport) and a new Odyssey PC545 battery as the old R/R was over changing.

The new battery measures 13 volts static, i.e., in the bike with the bike and key off, 12.8 volts static with the key on for lights but not running. Is this 13 volts ok? I am wondering if it’s too high, I thought it was supposed to be more like 12.5.

If it is too high, what does that mean?
 

Thanks!

[Weegie]

Pretty sure 13V is fine normally the charging volts are in the region of 13.5 or higher, this is off the top of my head, but I would not be concerned about that in the least.

Have you looked at the Odyssey charging thread yet...................it goes into more detail than you'd ever EVER want to know about all things Odyssey

[Kane]

The bikes is charging around 13.8v. I’ll read the thread that you mention, thanks.

[Weegie]

No problem, I haven't checked the latest info but looking at an old Odyssey catalogue it states a fully charged battery will have a Open circuit voltage of 12.85 or higher at 25C so I don't think you've anything to be concerned about

[GuzziMoto]

Yeah, temperature makes a difference on the exact voltage reading. But AGM batteries like the Odyssey will measure higher than normal lead / acid batteries, and at or just under 13 volts is fully charged.

Only charging at 13.8 volts is low, but I assume that was at idle. As rpms come up charging should increase to 14 volts or more.

[Lucky Phil]

Straight off a charger or immediately post shutdown an Odyssey will read well above 13 volts for a while until the surface charge dissipates but from memory 12.85 is fully charged after that.

As a matter of fact 12.5 volts is only around 40% charged for an Odyssey. The figures are on their website.

Ciao  

[Kane]

Thanks for the advice. Yes, the 13v reading is with the bike just off of a ride. I rechecked this morning after the bike sitting overnight and I get a reading of 12.8v, which sounds correct. However, the 13.8v reading with the bike running and charging is with the bike reved to 4K rpm for about a minute to let the meter settle. This is a brand new ElectroSport regulator/rectifier. When I check the old T3 (Guzzi Bob’s workhorse, the bike that will not die!) it reads at 14.14v with the same meter. However, the moment that the V11 fires up the battery dash light goes off and stays off, and after three days and 160 miles of riding the battery seems to be charging. Another variable I wonder about is the accuracy of the meter, as this meter, a Klein MM400 (a $40 meter), gives a lower readings than what I was using before, a $20 meter that I bought at Lowe’s. The Lowe’s $20 meter shows the bike charging at 14.04v at 4K rpm. Just from using these two meters it seems that meters vary in their readings. I would be curious to use a better meter, or is there a way to check the accuracy of my meter? If it is reading low, maybe my bike is charging higher and closer that what we want to see. How much faith do you have in a $40 Klein, and is there an acceptable margin of error with these things?

[Lucky Phil]

1 hour ago, Kane said:

Thanks for the advice. Yes, the 13v reading is with the bike just off of a ride. I rechecked this morning after the bike sitting overnight and I get a reading of 12.8v, which sounds correct. However, the 13.8v reading with the bike running and charging is with the bike reved to 4K rpm for about a minute to let the meter settle. This is a brand new ElectroSport regulator/rectifier. When I check the old T3 (Guzzi Bob’s workhorse, the bike that will not die!) it reads at 14.14v with the same meter. However, the moment that the V11 fires up the battery dash light goes off and stays off, and after three days and 160 miles of riding the battery seems to be charging. Another variable I wonder about is the accuracy of the meter, as this meter, a Klein MM400 (a $40 meter), gives a lower readings than what I was using before, a $20 meter that I bought at Lowe’s. The Lowe’s $20 meter shows the bike charging at 14.04v at 4K rpm. Just from using these two meters it seems that meters vary in their readings. I would be curious to use a better meter, or is there a way to check the accuracy of my meter? If it is reading low, maybe my bike is charging higher and closer that what we want to see. How much faith do you have in a $40 Klein, and is there an acceptable margin of error with these things?

My bike has a new electrosport and I think from memory it puts out around the same voltage amybe a touch more on my multimetre . I've tried to think of a way to calibrate a multimetre as well but haven't figured a reliable voltage source to use a reference. I guess the best way to decide if the battery is charging adequately is to go for a suburban ride for say 30 min with the lights on. Park the bike for an hour and check the battery voltage. 12.85 volts or better means the charging system is fine. Be aware though that the V11 does have parasitic drain of around .070 volts so the battery will drain over a period.

Ciao   

[Kane]

Thanks, Phil. I appreciate your pragmatic boots-on-the=ground / boots-on-the-pegs advice. I am rebuilding the headlight this weekend after the bulbs getting beat-up from the harsh over charging environment of the old bad regulator/rectifier. I really don’t want to go down a rabbit hole of multimeter variability in tenths of volts. I am trusting that both ElectroSport and Klein are putting out decent enough stuff and that all will work out. So far I am ahead of where I was three days ago.

[Kane]

So what is the parasitic drain?

[Lucky Phil]

On 7/24/2021 at 3:50 PM, Kane said:

So what is the parasitic drain?

The ECU I believe. It has an unswitched hot wire to it through fuse 1.

Ciao

[Kiwi_Roy]

Some of the Electrosports are a direct replacement so they suffer from the same flakey Voltage reference.

Which model did you buy?

[Lucky Phil]

13 hours ago, Kiwi_Roy said:

Some of the Electrosports are a direct replacement so they suffer from the same flakey Voltage reference.

Which model did you buy?

The std connection one. Maybe the ESR515, not sure now. bought about 6 years ago.

Ciao

[Kane]

ElectroSport show their model ESR515 for the 2001 V11 Sport, same one for a lot of early Ducatis. That’s the one I have.