Checking Your Battery Voltage

Tools in this guide

  • Multimeter with DC voltage mode

If you do not have a meter, they can be found at low cost online and also at most hardware stores locally. Here is one example from Amazon.

Steps

Important!

Make sure your meter probes are plugged into the voltage input, and not the current input.

Make sure that while measuring the battery you do not allow the probes to touch together, this will cause a short circuit.

Set your meter to the DC voltage mode (solid line with dashed lines underneath), if it has multiple ranges, use one that is 60V or higher.

Measuring Battery Voltage

For Carbon R8C & R15C – With charge port on the side of the bike

1) Turn the battery switch on by pushing it upwards

2) Use the meter probes on the charge port to measure the battery voltage, and make note of the reading.

When measuring voltage with a modern multimeter the polarity of your meter probes does not matter

3) With the meter probes still in the connector, attempt to turn the bike on with the button on the handlebar, and watch the voltage on the meter.

If the voltage drops near zero after turning the bike on in step 3, this is usually caused by a short in the controller, please get in touch with us here so we can do some additional troubleshooting.

R15C, with 51.8V / 52V battery

Normal range: 42V – 58.8V

Full charge: 58.8V

Half charge: 51.8V

Empty: 42V

R8C, with 37V battery

Normal range: 30V – 42V

Full charge: 42V

Half charge: 37V

Empty: 30V

For Older R Series Models – With charge port under the seat

1) Start with the switch under the seat in the middle (off) position

2) Use the meter probes on the charge port to measure the battery voltage, and make note of the reading.

When measuring voltage with a modern multimeter the polarity of your meter probes does not matter

3) Flip the switch under the seat to the forward (internal battery) position, and turn the power switch on the headlight to ON.

4) Again use the meter probes to measure the battery voltage, and make note of the reading.

If the voltage drops near zero after turning the bike on in step 3, this is usually caused by a short in the controller, please get in touch with us here so we can do some additional troubleshooting.

R8, R8HD, M7, 800/850, and other 37V batteries

Normal range: 30V – 42V

Full charge: 42V

Half charge: 37V

Empty: 30V

R15, R11, 1100R, and other 48V batteries

Normal range: 39V – 54.6V

Full charge: 54.6V

Half charge: 48V

Empty: 39V