How do I now

[bazsergison]

Hi peps how do I no if my alternater is on its way out ..... Bike drives great and starts but if I have been out with the lights on its flat wen I come back to it I have had a voltage reader on it and it says the batt is ok 13-14v and the voltage seams ok wen running but wen I turn the lights on it drops to 11-12v ... Could this mean it's on it's way out and carnt cope ,,,, it had never cut out on me so it's prob just enough to keep it going but if you stall it it's flat help please

[sadlonelygit]

all readings should be taken at @5k rpm. anything above 13 and below 15 is good.
more likely your battery isn't holding the charge

[bazsergison]

O right I have got a battery tester to day off eBay so will try it out  ,, I put my battery charger on it the other day and charged it up and it's been stood for 3-4 days now and it's fired up with no probs , but when the old man went out on it last week for 2 hours with the lights on , when he stopped  it would not start up again . But all lights are ok and it dose not cut out when ride in :-)

[AdieR]

It may be worth getting a "load test" done on your battery (Note: a load test isn't a voltage test) to see if your battery can hold charge.

Also, I'd question the performance of your reg / rec before an alternator: Alternators are generally quite reliable, whereas an r/r can be a weak point of many a charging system (quite common on Honda bikes).

Also, make sure your wiring connections are clean and tight.