Battery keeps draining

[tweeter55]

Several knowledgeable members have been trying to help you with this problem.

[George R. Young]

Yes I have a voltmeter ....

Haven't seen a single voltage reading, as requested by a few posters, moi included.

[VirginiaJim]

Rob, if you have 14v or so on the battery terminals with the engine running then the charging system should be fine.  Sounds like you may have a parasitic draw if that's the case.  If not 14v then it's something in the charging system.  Have you put on any new electrical items?

[Robo3]

The problem is that I live in a apartment building and don't have a place to work on the motorcycle.

[tweeter55]

It doesn’t take much room to put test leads on the battery while it is running or take off a battery lead when the switch is off to check parasitic draw.
Hopefully you’ve got a buddy that would have a tester if you don’t. If not, a cheaper one doesn’t cost much.

[Robo3]

I have tried everything that is why I am asking for help.

[Nosmo]

I tried everything and still nothing - I bought a new battery and it only lasted a couple of rides and it was drained - I had to leave it somewhere and come get it the next day with a charged battery and just barely make it home.
Please help me???

Please explain IN DETAIL what you mean by "barely make it home".  Does that mean that the bike quits running, or runs poorly on the trip home? 

From your second post:

It happened to me twice now once on the way home from work last week and it happened again last night pulling in to my work parking lot and I had to leave it there because I didn't want to push it home.   My work is about 20 blocks away from my apartment building.

This sounds like the bike died short of getting all the way home.  PLEASE CONFIRM OR DENY THAT.  If that is what happened then, it sounds like the ignition system lost power and the engine died.  There are several reasons this may happen, but we still need to know if the charging system is keeping up with the battery, (if power is being created by the alternator), or if the alternator is NOT supplying enough power and the battery is truly being drained in the short drive home.

We need to determine if the battery has power but it isn't getting TO the bike's electrical system to for starting, etc., OR if the battery is dying because the bike isn't recharging it.

Can you get the bike started, and ride it longer than the few minutes needed to get to work and back?  I ask because the comment about the short distance traveled to work and back not allowing enough time to recharge the battery has some merit.  It would be informative if you could ride it for an hour at highway speeds, end up back at home, and try to restart it.  The battery should be fully capable of starting it then.  If not, then either your charging system is not functioning to recharge the battery, or it IS being recharged, and the electrical power is IN the battery, but not getting FROM the battery TO the electrical system for starting.

Have you done the charging voltage tests requested, and if so what is the system voltage when the engine is running?  This is at the heart of the matter, and cannot be overlooked.

We also need to know the results of the parasitic draw test.  Did you do the test of putting your meter (in amperage mode) in-line with the battery cables and checking for amperage draw in the system while the bike is sitting.  If there is an amperage draw, then you have to isolate circuit by circuit until you find it and eliminate that or it may be enough to kill the battery while the bike is sitting for a few hours.  Refer to the link I supplied in my earlier post for how to do this.

These bikes are notorious for having problems with the fuse boxes, bad relays, bad solder joints, etc. 

Please furnish us with this data so we can help you troubleshoot your problem.

[Robo3]

I would be riding then I slow down for a stop sign and then it dies and won't start because the battery is too low to start the motorcycle.

[Robo3]

If the battery is charged up the motorcycle will run great until the battery gets too low and everything shuts off and stalls and then not enough power to start it again.

[Boomer]

If the battery is charged up the motorcycle will run great until the battery gets too low and everything shuts off and stalls and then not enough power to start it again.

Yup, sounds like it's not charging.
If you don't have the ability to troubleshoot this yourself, you will have to pay a mechanic to do it for you.
Sorry, but without you having basic skills and equipment we cannot troubleshoot this for you remotely.

[Big Red]

14 posts with 15 replies, most saying help us help you. Please make the checks described, or take it to a mechanic like Boomer said.

[Nosmo]

Something that can be checked easily without fooling around with meters and tools is the connector in the alternator wire.  If you remove the left side plastic cover, (the side cover under the fuel tank, NOT the main fairing) you should find the alternator wire, with a white plastic connector in it.  That's what connects the alternator to the rest of the bike's electrical system.  If you can get your hands on it, GENTLY pull that connector apart and check to see if it is corroded, dirty, loose, etc.   These connectors have a habit of going bad, making a high resistance or even an "open" circuit.  It MIGHT just be loose/dirty and could be cleaned and reseated to work.  (I removed mine and soldered the connections to end that problem for good.)

Also, try checking the big connector at the fuse box for security and damage.

If none of that results in finding a problem then, YES, we will need the voltage data.
   

[jim-d]

My vote is Alternator or charging circuit.  On a new battery the bike should not die on the way home.  It should be able to run off the alternator.  Then when you park it.  It won't start again.