How can I improve the voltage my motorcycle alternator puts out?

Question

It only seems to be putting out 13.4 V when it should be firing out about 15.

Yamaha Sr185

Answer 1

13.4 is what it should be putting out, 15 is too much.

Answer 2

For this size battery you do not need a higher charge voltage as a higher voltage could shorten the life of your battery.If your alternater uses brushes and 15 volts is normal for this bike,the brushes may need to be replaced .

Answer 3

Ask your dealer if that's acceptable. A "12 volt" car system actually operates at 13.8 volts. Bikes may vary a bit, 13.4 may be normal for your bike.

Answer 4

Voltage doesn't matter. Amperage is all that matters. 13.4 is perfectly normal, 15, is too high, if it was putting out 15 you would need an alternator. The more amperage an alternator puts out, the less voltage it puts out as a rule of thumb.

Your bike runs on a 12 volt system, so as long as it doesn't drop below roughly 13.2 when the battery is fully charged, or about 15, it's alright

Answer 5

When a battery weakens, it's ability to take a charge lessens.

Motorcycle batteries only have the ability to charge up to 14.4 volts.

If the battery is weak, it won't take a full charge.

The charging system on your bike is probably working fine.

Give your battery a nice long charge and check it's voltage when you're through charging.

That's as much as you motorcycle's charging system will charge it to.