If i let my bike sit for 2 or more weeks, it doesn't have enough juice to start the bike. When I hook it up to the car batt (car off) it fires right up. Does that sound right? Could something be draining the battery? Should i invest in a battery tender?

 

Eh, throw a new rectifier in there.

 

Over a period of two weeks is better than two days, but it may be losing it's ability to hold charge. Unless something is draining it, it may be on its way out. Leave the (-) unplugged for that time and then you can eliminate it being something draining it.

A tender would help either way, especially if it's cold where you are.

 

Yeah. What he said.

 

Or actually troubleshoot the problem first, what a concept.

 

What a great opportunity for you to start! What a concept...

 

Leaving the batery disconnected for whatever period of time it's not being used will tell you if the batt is going down on it's own or not. If it still has plenty of juice when it's been disconnected, then something is draining it while it's connected, if it's flat anyway, then the battery is bad. I don't think a bad R/R would cause a drain , but it would allow the battery to expend itself while running but not charging back up. A simple voltage check while running at 2500~3000 rpms or so should answer the question of whether it's charging or not. [8D]

 

also load test the battery. autozone or somewhere like that will do it for you.

 

Batteries are just a parking lot for electrons. When you need them you let them out the gate. If your charging system is good you keep the parking lot full. If the parking lot becomes littered (sulfated up)not as many electrons will park there and so there isnt the rush to leave when you open the gate. Your rectifier is like traffic control device lining up the little electrons in the proper direction to follow a one way into the lot. The regulator controls the entrance to the lot telling the riff raff to get grounded.
If your traffic control device screws up some of the crowd doesnt show up to use the lot and the lot slowly empties out.
If the gate keeper screws up it lets everybody in and the lot gets trashed or it turns them all away and the lot empties.
Your wiring harness is like a road system and we all know how nice it is to ride/drive on well maintained roads. Keep the intersections clean and traffic flows. Let them get dirty and traffic slows throws up barriers and sometimes riot and burn the place up.
The parking lots are subject to lots of different wear and tear. In normal use they still wear out.

 

thanks for all the replies. the r/r is aftermarket already so I'm sure that's not the problem. It is, however, very cold where I live and it stays outside. Disconnecting the negative would be my first troubleshooting step? Thanks.