Charging

Hi all, after finally getting my bike rewired and sorted with much appreciated help from Ron L. it starts and runs well.I have a 180W output alternator fitted,I discarded the assimilator in favor of an electronic low voltage switch from Al.Osborne. The reason for my question: at 1000rpm idle the low voltage indicator light remains on, voltage across the battery terminals is 12.25,at 2000rpm the light goes out, voltage is 13.6 to 14.0, turning on the headlight which is a Halogen bulb causes the low voltage light to come on dimly,at 3000rpm the low voltage light goes out, is this normal?. I also fitted a smaller 12volt battery it is a 5Amp hr instead of the usual 9 or 10Amp hr, I chose this only because of the physica dimensions -- more room in th battery compartment.Thanks for any and all advice.
James.

Ya that's not unusual.

norbsa, thanks for the comforting confirmation -- one less issue to deal with!.
James.

James, one of my customers has been running a 7 amp AGM type battery, Podtronic regulator and a complete rewire in mostly 14 and 12 ga. Thhn wire, with no charging issues. He uses a Halogen 55/100 and a 30 amp relay for night ridding up here in the hills and mountains and a home made pilot light for day light travel, all wired to a aftermarket switch on the left bar that we use on the Ducatis. I am no expert, but my experience has basically been the size of the battery determines how far you can go, if you have a catastrophic charging failure, before you are left on the side of the road.
jerry

If you are very brave you can dig into the little box that makes the light go on and off, there is a set of points in there and some have got them to work more accurately. There are also full on solid state units but most find them troublesome as well.

Are you saying that the head light switch in the headlight shell has a set of points? If so, on my 61st birthday I have been taught something new. Thanks.
jt

I think norbsa means the original silver can assimilator unit?

The A O Services low voltage unit that james has fitted is a solid state encapsulated type I believe?:

http://www.aoservices.co.uk/data/lvs.htm

As said in the first post. (I discarded the assimilater in favor of an electronic low voltage switch from Al.Osborne.) This is the object of the post. Why is the light glowing at inappropriate times? That is what I am trying to point up here. People replace the old without tuning it and then find that the new has similar problems nothing new here.
Nothing wrong with trying. IMO a hand held AMP meter is a lot more telling about the charging system. If it tells you that you have an AMP to the positive with the lights running and your at your favorite RPM than unhook the light bulb, or use some electrical tape over the light,or ignore it.