That worked really well with old analog meters, however digital meters generally are slower to react to quick changes to voltage(at least on the display). The service manual says to hook your meter (I have several); start motor; turn the steering to lock momentarily left then right; and the voltage should not drop below 12V. They show a Fluke 111 meter that can log min and max volts. Back in my working days we had some really nice high end Fluke meters. I actually did some real-world testing on a new product they were developing for data communications, as they were in South Everett and I was in the banks data center in downtown Seattle.
Taking the battery out might make it easier to check the electrical connections to the DPS, as the instructions for removal state it is removed through the battery area.
Also, my digital meter/dual usb ports on the switch console stays pretty steady at 14.2 volts when out on the road.
For those who don't realise,
that 2nd bold bit ^ just means your alternator/charging system is working fine, and theoretically, once your bike is started, you could pull the battery out of the bike completely and it'd still keep running fine on the power supplied by just the alternator - but I don't like your chances of starting it again if you do that!! :banghead:
Do
NOT try this ^ on a V-Twin Spyder, they have a Magneto Charging System & not an alternator like there is in the 1330 powered Spyders, and it won't work/isn't smart to try on Magneto Charged vehicles!! :lecturef_smilie:
Snoking, do note that first bold '
12 volts' bit - it doesn't matter if you're doing the load test yourself with any sort of multi-meter; if you're doing it with a proper 'load-tester'; or even if you're getting it done
for you by any retailer, most other vehicle batteries would still be considered to be OK if they didn't drop below 11 volts or maybe even 10.5 volts -
BUT NOT A SPYDER BATTERY!! :gaah:
Our Spyders are power hungry and put a
LOT of demand on the battery,
especially when starting and there's all sorts of power demands being made on the battery at once, many of them happening
IMMEDIATELY BEFORE the alternator kicks in and right when the cranking load is at its highest -
so if your Spyder battery EVER drops below 12 volts under load, it's time for a new one!! Preferably, get one that fits; that meets or exceeds the 350 CCA & 21 A/hrs over 10 hours specifications; and
DO NOT install it without making sure it's been properly/fully charged for at least 8 hours prior to installation using a proper battery charger, not just a battery tender! :lecturef_smilie:
Yeah, I'm sounding like a cracked record (for those who remember those things!
) but the number of people I see/speak to who have all sorts of issues that all come back to dead or dying batteries would astound you!! :gaah: . These are often issues that their local dealers can't or won't find - or is that 'can't be bothered to find just yet, and won't, not while this sucker is prepared to keep on paying us good money to faff around
NOT diagnosing such a basic problem!' :dontknow:
Good Luck Snoking! :cheers:
It might just be cos we're here in Oz, but I know of one fella who waited so long for BRP/the local dealer to supply & fit a replacement unit under warranty that he went and bought a new bike!! :shocked: Yes, it was another Spyder, but he purchased interstate, over 8 hours ride away, and he has even been taking it back there for any servicing he can't do himself! 
