I’m working at home today, and am about to rebuild some code, which takes about 30 minutes. I did some research into the SVS’s electrical woes last night, and while my code is chugging along, I’m going to go out to the garage and try to rule out a defective battery.
Here’s my vague game plan:
– Double check the voltage. The last time I checked, the battery was measuring 13v fresh off the charger, and was falling to 12.5v or so when I tried to turn over the engine. That should be enough to start the bike. But it’s not.
– If that voltage measurement is still accurate, I’m going to organ harvest the other bikes for batteries. I’m pretty sure that the Bandit battery is good; if I remove all the accessories from the SVS, the Bandit’s battery should start the SVS.
– If it doesn’t, I’ll see if the 929’s battery will fit (I already tried the brand-new Superhawk battery; it’s too tall to attach the SVS’s positive lead to its terminal).
I’m hoping to be able to get the bike running enough to run some better voltage output tests. The SVS is passing the “ignition off” voltage test with flying colors; I want to do a load and a no-load voltage test too. Trouble is, the bike needs to be revving at 5k RPM to do those tests, which rather implies that it needs to start first.
Has anyone else noticed that I can’t go a full week without my bikes falling apart in some way or another? I feel like I have the mechanic Kiss of Death. The upside is that I always have a topic for my Women on Wheels columns.