voltage output?
 

My radar detector is also a voltmeter. The S reads 14.7~15.3 volts and moves throughout the range actively. My cage runs 14.6 dead steady.

Is 15.3 V high?
Is the high variability a problem or indiciative of one?

15.3 is getting up there.
Does it change with load? (high beam, grips etc)
Popped any bulbs?

Verified the 15.3 with a different meter in parallel?
i.e. is it really that high?

This is higher than I've seen. I was under the assumption that 14.5 or so volts was about the normal upper end of motorcycle electrical systems.

I'd first confirm the voltmeter's accuracy. 14.6 sounds high for the car too.

My FJR seems to like to cycle between 14.0 and 14.3 V (with nominal load - lower with load). It appears to be somewhat regular. Others have noted this and consider it inherent in the system. Never instrumented a BMW motorcycle though.

- Mark

Back home from a week in glorious Houston. I double (triple) checked with two volt meters. When the radar detector reads 15.3V, both volt meters read 14.6V. I should have suspected this myself. Mystery solved. Thanks.

14.5 is the upper design limit on a typical 12V charging system. 15 and above indicates a problem somewhere, which you discovered as the meter wasn't accurate. Hope it detects radar better than it displays charging voltage:)

what they all said.
Check with a known real meter and go from there.
See what thebattery sees also, 15 is too high.

At 15+ V, a wet battery would go dry fast I think. That would also kill gel batteries, that would be a symptom