Had To replace my battery in my 310a today it was just 10 years old , I had heard I think on here maybe of voltage leakage on the top of the battery. Well today I grab the multi meter set it at 20 volts put the black to the neg post and the red in the grim on the top of the battery 2 or 3 inches away from the pos post my reading was from 10 to 11 volts. Now I am only a back yard mechanic for the last 55 years that would tell me when that battery is in the tray with the cables attached with the dirt on top that its discharging would anyone have any comment on this??? When I did this the battery was sitting on the ground..
Anything that conducts electrical power and is making contact with the battery posts will drain a battery. Wet/moist dirt is the most common.
ONLY 10 YEARS OLD YOU DID VERY GOOD!!
What he said, you might also not the way the battery hold down is eaten away in spots. That voltage leak will speed up that too!
I'd transplant that dirt to the new battery Don't read too much into that voltage reading. You do want to keep the battery clean, but that's mostly to keep the connections from corroding and killing the battery from weak charging. If you were able to measure the voltage in outside air on a brisk fall day, it would be thousands of volts in just a few yards, but we don't go around with helmets on in case of lightning strikes on clear days.
Delmer, speak for yourself, besides the safest thing is to line the helmet with a layer of tin foil!