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I stumbled into my answer. After putting 400+ miles on it, we finally had a few days of rain. Got a dry one and went for a ride. Started real weak, heavy lag. Ran kinda rough/weird. Brain kept telling me something wasn’t right. After 15 mins and 8 miles pulled into a gas station and shut it off. Wouldn’t restart. Clicked when pushed start button. Coughed at end of kicking but never caught. Got about a mile of push start trying, getting to my buddies house. Never caught. Charged battery, checked voltage, 12.4. Started bike and checked voltage 14.*. Sat confused, blamed moisture gremlins. Then turned on lights and watched voltage meter drop to 12.3 Left running with lights, rode up street a mile or so and came back, 12.2.
Looks like charging system can’t handle running with lights on and charge battery. I figure it was almost to low to start, then got drained while I was idling in yard with the lights running and battery wouldn’t charge off stator after that.
Won’t be adding anything to bike. Gonna look at LEDs to replace head and taillight, see if I can’t lower power needs. Definitely unplugging the alarm. Right now just idling for a few minutes after riding with the lights off and will be checking the voltage on the regular. I don’t really have outdoor, overnight, safe power supply to use a battery tender. Bike is being kept in a building now and not just tarp draped, for Justin Case.
Now I worry about longer rides, (Francis Marion supposedly has trails and that ain’t too far) but I did get 200+ miles of street riding with the lights on that whole time at least. Don’t know if I was running lights while doing figure eights in yard and laps in buddies field to get used to bike before getting tags and permit.
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