Dead Alternator? I started noticing charging problems on a trip east and had to get jumped off a couple times. This was my first time using heated gear on the bike so I figured I was overloading it. Nope! Charge at the battery is 12.1 at idle, 12.5 at 4K. With the Gerbing jacket and heated grips on full blast it goes down to 11.9. Here's where I'm lost. To check the alternator, the manual says to pop the infamous brown connector (which is not even warm btw) and check the internal male connectors two at a time, looking for 60v a/c. I am dumb. WTF does two at a time mean? Do I short two of them and test the voltage between the two connectors (+) and ground (-)? Or should the voltage between any two of the three male connectors be 60v? I.e., can someone tell me where the positive probe goes and where the negative one goes? Either way, I get no a/c or d/c voltage whatsoever. The continuity test (with the female connectors) passes. So basically I have two questions: (1) Am I doing the alternator test correctly, and my alternator is completely dead? And (2) if so, why does the voltage go up at higher RPMs? New battery, btw. Holds a fine charge once the Battery Tender gets done with

Those voltage numbers are horrible. Just sitting on your workbench, the battery should read at least 12.8 volts. And without the gear turned on, the voltage at idle should be above 14 volts. I have a hunch you're going to find the voltage regulator and/or bad connections in the brown coupler are the culprit, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to check the alternator. Unplug the brown coupler, set your meter to read AC volts and probe any two of the yellow wires in the harness side of the coupler. Rev the engine to 4000 rpm and you should see at least 60 volts AC. If you consider the three yellow wires to be A, B, and C, you'll need to perform this test on the pairs A-B, A-C, and B-C. Good luck.

Those voltage numbers are horrible. Just sitting on your workbench, the battery should read at least 12.8 volts. And without the gear turned on, the voltage at idle should be above 14 volts. I have a hunch you're going to find the voltage regulator and/or bad connections in the brown coupler are the culprit, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to check the alternator. Unplug the brown coupler, set your meter to read AC volts and probe any two of the yellow wires in the harness side of the coupler. Rev the engine to 4000 rpm and you should see at least 60 volts AC. If you consider the three yellow wires to be A, B, and C, you'll need to perform this test on the pairs A-B, A-C, and B-C. Good luck.

Those voltage numbers are horrible. Just sitting on your workbench, the battery should read at least 12.8 volts. And without the gear turned on, the voltage at idle should be above 14 volts. I have a hunch you're going to find the voltage regulator and/or bad connections in the brown coupler are the culprit, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to check the alternator. Unplug the brown coupler, set your meter to read AC volts and probe any two of the yellow wires in the harness side of the coupler. Rev the engine to 4000 rpm and you should see at least 60 volts AC. If you consider the three yellow wires to be A, B, and C, you'll need to perform this test on the pairs A-B, A-C, and B-C. Good luck.

Those voltage numbers are horrible. Just sitting on your workbench, the battery should read at least 12.8 volts. And without the gear turned on, the voltage at idle should be above 14 volts. I have a hunch you're going to find the voltage regulator and/or bad connections in the brown coupler are the culprit, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to check the alternator. Unplug the brown coupler, set your meter to read AC volts and probe any two of the yellow wires in the harness side of the coupler. Rev the engine to 4000 rpm and you should see at least 60 volts AC. If you consider the three yellow wires to be A, B, and C, you'll need to perform this test on the pairs A-B, A-C, and B-C. Good luck.

Those voltage numbers are horrible. Just sitting on your workbench, the battery should read at least 12.8 volts. And without the gear turned on, the voltage at idle should be above 14 volts. I have a hunch you're going to find the voltage regulator and/or bad connections in the brown coupler are the culprit, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to check the alternator. Unplug the brown coupler, set your meter to read AC volts and probe any two of the yellow wires in the harness side of the coupler. Rev the engine to 4000 rpm and you should see at least 60 volts AC. If you consider the three yellow wires to be A, B, and C, you'll need to perform this test on the pairs A-B, A-C, and B-C. Good luck.

Those voltage numbers are horrible. Just sitting on your workbench, the battery should read at least 12.8 volts. And without the gear turned on, the voltage at idle should be above 14 volts. I have a hunch you're going to find the voltage regulator and/or bad connections in the brown coupler are the culprit, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to check the alternator. Unplug the brown coupler, set your meter to read AC volts and probe any two of the yellow wires in the harness side of the coupler. Rev the engine to 4000 rpm and you should see at least 60 volts AC. If you consider the three yellow wires to be A, B, and C, you'll need to perform this test on the pairs A-B, A-C, and B-C. Good luck.

Those voltage numbers are horrible. Just sitting on your workbench, the battery should read at least 12.8 volts. And without the gear turned on, the voltage at idle should be above 14 volts. I have a hunch you're going to find the voltage regulator and/or bad connections in the brown coupler are the culprit, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to check the alternator. Unplug the brown coupler, set your meter to read AC volts and probe any two of the yellow wires in the harness side of the coupler. Rev the engine to 4000 rpm and you should see at least 60 volts AC. If you consider the three yellow wires to be A, B, and C, you'll need to perform this test on the pairs A-B, A-C, and B-C. Good luck.

Those voltage numbers are horrible. Just sitting on your workbench, the battery should read at least 12.8 volts. And without the gear turned on, the voltage at idle should be above 14 volts. I have a hunch you're going to find the voltage regulator and/or bad connections in the brown coupler are the culprit, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to check the alternator. Unplug the brown coupler, set your meter to read AC volts and probe any two of the yellow wires in the harness side of the coupler. Rev the engine to 4000 rpm and you should see at least 60 volts AC. If you consider the three yellow wires to be A, B, and C, you'll need to perform this test on the pairs A-B, A-C, and B-C. Good luck.

Those voltage numbers are horrible. Just sitting on your workbench, the battery should read at least 12.8 volts. And without the gear turned on, the voltage at idle should be above 14 volts. I have a hunch you're going to find the voltage regulator and/or bad connections in the brown coupler are the culprit, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to check the alternator. Unplug the brown coupler, set your meter to read AC volts and probe any two of the yellow wires in the harness side of the coupler. Rev the engine to 4000 rpm and you should see at least 60 volts AC. If you consider the three yellow wires to be A, B, and C, you'll need to perform this test on the pairs A-B, A-C, and B-C. Good luck.

12.5 at 4K. With the Gerbing jacket and heated grips on full blast it goes down to 11.9. Here's where I'm lost. To check the alternator the manual says to pop the infamous brown connector (which is not even warm btw) and check the internal male connectors two at a time looking for 60v a/c. I am dumb. WTF does two at a time mean? Do I short two of them and test the voltage between the two connectors (+) and ground (-)? Or should the voltage between any two of the three male connectors be 60v? I.e. can someone tell me where the positive probe goes and where the negative one goes? Either way, I get no a/c or d/c voltage whatsoever. The continuity test (with the female connectors) passes. So basically I have two questions: (1) Am I doing the alternator test correctly, and my alternator is completely dead? And (2) if so, why does the voltage go up at higher RPMs? New battery, btw. Holds a fine charge once the Battery Tender gets done with ,Those voltage numbers are horrible. Just sitting on your workbench, the battery should read at least 12.8 volts. And without the gear turned on, the voltage at idle should be above 14 volts. I have a hunch you're going to find the voltage regulator and/or bad connections in the brown coupler are the culprit, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to check the alternator. Unplug the brown coupler, set your meter to read AC volts and probe any two of the yellow wires in the harness side of the coupler. Rev the engine to 4000 rpm and you should see at least 60 volts AC. If you consider the three yellow wires to be A, B, and C, you'll need to perform this test on the pairs A-B, A-C, and B-C. Good luck. ,,,