problems with the charging system, battery draining

[dmontero]

Hello, this is my fist time I post in the site, I have been feeding my knowledge and had answered many questions with the information posted on this site and first of all I want to TAHNKS you all for that precious help!
I got a Hydra Glide that I’m restoring and the past week end it was the first time I tried to make it run, but I found some issues. Fist I think I kick it about 2000 times And I just made it run 5 times, that makes me tear off the carburetor and I found one packing between the manifold and the carburetor missing, that I forgot to place when assembling.
I made a manifold leak detector tool as I found in the site and I pretend to make the leak test this weekend.

My actual problem is that I found when I turn on the switch to start kicking, the battery start to drain rapidly and it stabilizes in 11.5 volts or similar to that, When I was assembling the motorcycle I tested the generator and it was running fine, but when I was wiring I wrongly polarize the regulator, I made the jumper between the bat and the field pole. When I found that behavior on the charging system I made the corrections but and jump the regulator the correct way bat to armature pole but it keeps draining the battery, The weird think is the battery stabilizes on 11.xx volts.
Is that behavior normal? Can someone tell me what could be the problem?
Thanks

[awander]

What voltage do you get with the bike running, at a decent engine speed?

It's not unusual for a partially-charged battery to drop that low with the ignition on, and teh bike not running.

[dmontero]

Thank you awander for your answer, I pretend to make te motorcycle to run this weekend so, I don have that the voltage info, but I'll post it when I have it, what I have is the initial voltage of the battery before switching on the motorcycle, that is 12.3 volts keeping the head light off.
Thank you,
David

[kitabel]

The open voltage should be between 12.6 and 12.8.

[dmontero]

Ok yesterday I left the battery charging al night and all day today, so I'll check tonight if the voltage drops lower than that and let you know.
Thank you

[Limey_Dave]

Take the battery off charge and let it stand for 30 minutes to displace the surface voltage.
It should then read 12.7 volts or more.
Connect battery to bike and connect meter to battery.Switch on ignition and watch meter.
If the voltage drops to 12.5 volts or less,I would think the battery is finished.
12 volts is a 25% charged battery,11.9 volts is a flat battery.

[58flh]

WHAT kind of BATT. are you using?---IF Leadacid type check to see all all is filled nicely!---When I use to buy the throw aways ,I always had 12.3V turn ig. on & it would drop to 12 or 11.97,--I think this is normal for a $19 disposable!--However 2000-KICKS is not the BATT>--THATS a VAC.-LEAK!--or shes is seriously out of time!--MY $$$ would go on the VAC.-LEAK!.--MY bike can have 10V in her & still fire in 1-kick!!!----THIS is the first year I spent $$$ & got a AGM BATT. $99--its sealed & heat & vibration are welcome!--no acid to boilout & I got her in sideways it dont matter!---by far the best BATT. I ever got!--Im hoping for 7yrs. out of it! The others are good for a season-(less if you have a halogen bulb).--YOU said you reversed the polarity?/-Just check inside the reg. & make sure you didnt burn-up any of the points!.---GOOD-LUCK---RICHIE

[dmontero]

Thank you for your answers, the one battery I’m using is a lead acid small one I think is the one offered on the 12 volts conversion kit. Yesterday I made a test and connect voltmeter and turn on the switch and the battery drop at 11.5 volts from 12.9 then I turn off the switch and wait for the battery to stabilizes and the voltage raise to 12.7 volts, then I turn on the switch and it dropped again but I rotate the engine slowly and I found that when the kick riches the part of its cycle where is softer the voltage rises and keeps at 12.3 volts, but if I continue rotating the engine to the part of the kick starter become harder the voltage drops again to 11.5 volts.
Now Regarding the vacuum problem, I found both nuts of the manifold boiling bubbles constantly on the pressure test and the isolator was leaking to, so I placed new brass seals to the manifold and torqued the nuts but in the front cylinder it keeps a small leak that I couldn’t remove so I hit the internet and bought a new set of nuts (the old ones where in bad condition) and the isolator. I hope to replace them next week. The points are ser as the manual says to .020”.

[dmontero]

WHAT kind of BATT. are you using?---IF Leadacid type check to see all all is filled nicely!---When I use to buy the throw aways ,I always had 12.3V turn ig. on & it would drop to 12 or 11.97,--I think this is normal for a $19 disposable!--However 2000-KICKS is not the BATT>--THATS a VAC.-LEAK!--or shes is seriously out of time!--MY $$$ would go on the VAC.-LEAK!.--MY bike can have 10V in her & still fire in 1-kick!!!----THIS is the first year I spent $$$ & got a AGM BATT. $99--its sealed & heat & vibration are welcome!--no acid to boilout & I got her in sideways it dont matter!---by far the best BATT. I ever got!--Im hoping for 7yrs. out of it! The others are good for a season-(less if you have a halogen bulb).--YOU said you reversed the polarity?/-Just check inside the reg. & make sure you didnt burn-up any of the points!.---GOOD-LUCK---RICHIE

Thank you for your answer, the battery is Lead Acid do you have the p# of the one that you have used that can fit on the small box that comes with the 12 volts conversion kit?
Thanks

[blewcrab]

u definitely have a wiring problem......u are going to ground somewhere..start with a charged battery......neg side to ground......come off the pos side of the battery to a temporary switch, then to the coil ....turn on the gas...then the temp switch..the bike should start assuming the points are adjusted to .022 and the cond is good....battery should not discharge at the fast rate ...this will prove that the ignition is not the problem... use a volt/ohm meter. to track down where to ground is ..a good guess would be somewhere in the charging system.....good luck

[58flh]

Dmontero!----I got the batt. in a local autozone! ITS $99 & 10amp-320cca/ A little much on the cca ,but if you have a 65 or later ,it should be worthy. IM still kickin after all these yrs. just cant get away from it! --Richie