Riddle me this....
 I started her up to go the viddie store, and she seemed just a little hesitant to turn over, then did the same thing coming home.  So I pulled the battery and checked the water level...it was good.  Checked voltage...10 volts.
 O.K. new battery time.
 Rode 10 miles to my buddies house, checked voltage 13.5 volts...Hmmmm?...maybe it just ran low and now it's O.K.
 Took the long way home, made a couple thrift shop stops, maybe 20 miles, check the voltage at home, 17 volts!!!
 After sitting about 30 minutes it's down to 16.5 volts.
 Is that normal?  Or am I in trouble?
 Could it be that my bike is a fire-breathing electro-monster machine?

Been knocked down lately?

The slude in the bottom can short out the cell and cause temparary loss in  voltage.

Don't know about the high volts though.  

Serowbot wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:10:


Low volts either the alternator isn't putting out or the regulator is stopping it.  High volts the alternator is putting out but the regulator isn't stopping it -- over charging the battery, causing acid to boil away, etc..  If this was a car I'd be replacing the regulator -- NOW!  And the battery as it has definitely been toastered.

SavageWahine wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:10:

Overcharged lead acid batteries have been known to do so, or so I've heard.  Not something I've check out myself.  Yet.

**scratches head**

I vote that your friend is right!  If your bike wasn't running and there isn't any other power sources on the bike, I don't see any way that a 6 cell battery could produce 17V.  

If your multimeter isn't buggy, I'll eat my boots!