Best battery gauge?

[AnotherLee]

For simple and inexpensive, how about the Kuryakin shown here:

 

I like this one because of its range and you can turn it off so it doesn't draw the battery down when bike is off.

 

Your opinions solicited.

[enfoman]

I have one of them in chrome of course! I like it and it performs very well! Recently, I was riding with girbings on and active, The gauge ran into the red for no reason I thought. Concerned, I double checked with my Batterybug ........

 

http://www.amazon.com/Argus-BB-SBM12-PS-Battery-Monitor-Motorcycles/dp/B0029VY4G4/ref=amb_link_85294751_3/175-6987418-0471763?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=right-7&pf_rd_r=0X9AV9DCR99J479KYHJR&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1278084602&pf_rd_i=346333011

 

that I have installed on the same bike. Sure enough, The BB confirmed that My battery is down to 25% and is on the verge of failure soon. Time to get a new Battery I suppose. The current one is a generic from Bluemountain Battery a bit over 2 years old......

 

http://bluegrassbatteries.com/PowerStar-Replacement-Battery-for-20LBS/M/B001I7XASS.htm

 

I cannot complain about the battery, it has lasted it's warranted life and thanks to the Kyuri and the BB, I was not stranded.

 

 

[DiggerJim]

I have one of these mounted in the right side panel of my 1200RT. The blue LED is not bothersome at night and I've got it wired to a switched circuit so it's only on when the bike is on.

 

$5 LED Voltmeter

[Bill_Walker]

I like the Heads Up Voltage Monitor from Signal Dynamics, because it takes hardly any panel space. That being said, I haven't actually used that one yet, although I have one waiting to install on my KLX250S.

 

I have used a similar, but slightly less informative, version from Electrical Connection on both my RT and my V-Strom. The older version I have just had a sort of wrapped-up section in the wire for the electronics, rather than the potted box shown now, which may have made for easier placement. Still, most BMWs have plenty of room behind the dash.

[DiggerJim]

I like the Heads Up Voltage Monitor from Signal Dynamics, because it takes hardly any panel space.

I had that one mounted on my left side panel but the wiring to the LED was more fragile than I expected and it broke at the base of the LED where it's not easily repairable if you have silicone glued the LED in place. So now it has been replaced by the more robust full display on the right side of the bike. Good idea to protect a couple of inches of wiring from the tail of the LED back with shrink tubing or something and lock that in place on the bike so it doesn't wiggle at all. Then if it ever does go, you've got some wire to be able to splice back into.

[UberXY]

I have one of these mounted in the right side panel of my 1200RT. The blue LED is not bothersome at night and I've got it wired to a switched circuit so it's only on when the bike is on.

 

$5 LED Voltmeter

 

I have this one also, though I think I paid about $3.50 on eBay. I sealed it and mounted it just above the computer display on my K12. Looks good, works fine, price was right.

 

BTW, I had the Kuryakin one for awhile. It's vastly overpriced, and displaying to the nearest whole volt isn't always helpful.

 

Having misspent my youth with British cars and bikes, I like having a voltmeter. It's puzzled me why the BMW computer panels do not display voltage and temperature.

[Guest Kakugo]

Thanks everybody for the insights, that's one thing to add to to the shopping list.

 

PS: if anyone has one (or two) Battery Bugs available or knows of a shop with some units still available drop me a PM.

[moshe_levy]

I tested this one for MCN, and liked it: http://www.clearwaterlights.com/infopg_cvs.html

 

-MKL

[Bill_Walker]

I tested this one for MCN, and liked it: http://www.clearwaterlights.com/infopg_cvs.html

 

-MKL

 

That appears to be identical, at least in its indications, to the Signal Dynamics one I posted. But it does look like it comes with a small bracket that I could really use for mounting on my KLX… for $30 more than the SD one (no price shown on the linked page, but it comes up as $59 when added to my cart).

[moshe_levy]

I don't think SD and Clearwater cross-brand, but I could be wrong....

 

-MKL