electrical issue?
 

Hello people, I got a 1988 Honda cbr600 hurricane and i think i got a problem with the electrical side of it and I'm not sure just what. The battery with the voltage at 12.54v shows voltage at the ignition switch red wire (were all of the wires run into the ignition switch) at 12.54v but when i turn the ignition switch on and the on switch at the handlebar(not started up) it shows the battery voltage at 12.15v and the red wire at the ignition switch is showing 12.15v but the red/black wire coming out of the ignition switch(right beside the red wire) is showing 11.98v. I also notice that the black/white connecting to the spark unit is showing 11.86v at the same time(don't have the spark unit connected when doing the test). I know the battery is low at this time and i was just wondering if the readings that is showing with the volts is normal or not and if anyone else had the same problem or solutions, thanks.

is it starting and running ok? if it is I would just think it is running all the lights with the key on and is why there is a change. if it is not running I have no idea lol!

if this is with the machine off its perfectly normal, different components have a different resistance, as long as youre not noticing a very signifigant loss this would be normal operation.....are you experienceing problems while driving?

Yes, more info is needed. Does the bike start? If so, then why do you care what the voltage is while it is not running?

Heh guys, sorry about not replying sooner. I've been going through the service manual and checking all of my electrical components the past couple days and making sure wires are connected securely and none is burnt into. I got a new rr, fuel pump, pulse generator, new coils and spark plugs on it and the bike has been getting harder to start and now it wont run at all unless i got the carb choke all the way on. Ive taken the carbs off and cleaned them and made sure the floats are set correctly( i got a float level gauge from honda). The reason i ask if the volts are right is im thinking it might be my stator not putting out enough volts. Thanks for replying guys

So what is the stator voltage when it is running? Should be 20-50VAC depending on rpm.

Heh people just a follow up. I done the vac test and when its cold at bout 5,000 rpm its about 50vac but after 15 minutes it starts sputtering real bad to the point it shuts off but before that it drops to about 15-19vac. Today with the cbr started up at abot 2,500 rpms the battery voltage is about 14.10vdc and i decided to do the old car trick in checking a alternator by pulling the positive battery cable of and as soon as i done that the cbr shut off. Does that sound like a bad stator? thanks for replying

Did you have the stator disconnected from the R/R When it started to malfunction?
Yes, I believe that the stator or R/R is bad ( I know you said that you replaced the R/R. )
I would check the resistance and voltage of the stator, with it disconnected from the R/R, right after you start the bike and right after it starts to sputter. That way if you have an electrical problem that only shows when the component is hot, you will have the evidence to know for sure. Remember that VAC will vary greatly with rpm. Did you have the bike at 5000rpm for 15min., or did you let it idle normally. I found that VAC readings were very different depending on whether the stator was plugged into the R/R or not. When I had this problem, the first new replacement R/R was defective out of the box.