Last night noticed lights dimming and then would brighten when I applied either brake? Stopped for gas would not turn over. Pop started it. This morning would not turn over, changed battery started right up. However, I noticed lights still get brighter when I apply the brakes? Any ideas?

 

Check fuses, all major connections. Get a Digital voltmeter and get the bike running. Be sure the meter is on the DC voltage range, and monitor the voltage accross the battery terminals. With bike running, you should see 13 to 16 volts approximately which tells you that your alternator has output. Kill the bike and the voltage should drop to a little under 12 volts. So, with the bike running and you see below 12 volts, you either have an open circuit in the charging system, or a bad alternator.
Sincerely hope this helps!

 

Have the motor at about 4K rpm before measuring across the battery. Over 14.8V will eventually cook the battery. Less than about 13.5 won't properly charge it. Engine off should be a bit over 12V.

Fully charged battery should be over 13V up to 14 depending on the battery condition. You won't often see that voltage unless it's been on a charger.

If you aren't seeing the correct charging voltage, (typically 13 - 14V, engine running at 4K rpm) overcharging indicates a regulator problem. Undercharging could be regulator or alternator. Disconnect the alternator from the regulator at the plug. There are three wires. Measure the ac, not dc, voltage across each of the three pairs that you can make from the three wires. I'm not sure of this model, but at about 4K rpm you should see somewhere between 45 and 70 vac. Remember to set the meter to ac volts for this check. If any pair shows a significantly different reading to the others you have an alternator problem.

Remember that the problem could be in the wiring associated with each component, so don't buy new parts until you've checked. Your problem is most likely a bad battery, but check the other things before you spend money.

Rob