Total Motorcycle Community Forums

havegunjoe wrote:Now you know why I never leave my keys in the bike. Also because someday I will walk off with the key in the bike when it is not in the garage because I am distracted. My wife does this and one day I met her at her work and guess what? There was her bike with the key sitting in it. I blew a cork over that one.

All very good points... And I have almost left my keys in the bike at work dealing with stepping off the bike for the first time in 1.25 to 1.5 hours, gathering all my crap, taking my helmet off.

And I even have a place for all my keys - I just never put my bike keys there.

RhadamYgg

Bleh, its still charging.

RhadamYgg wrote:That night I jumped the bike and left it on for 30 minutes. I turned it off and then tried to start it - and while there was power, there wasn't enough to turn the engine over.

Rhadam- I missed this detail before. Did you leave the bike idle for 30 minutes, or did you ride it somewhere? If you were idling it, chances are you were discharging, not charging the battery. Lots of bikes need to run above idle to put any charge in the battery.

I have a bad feeling about your battery - even if the trickle charger brings it back to full charge, when it gets stressed, like next winter, it may fail you. If it were my bike and I was depending on it, I'd replace the battery just for peace of mind.

jstark47 wrote:

RhadamYgg wrote:That night I jumped the bike and left it on for 30 minutes. I turned it off and then tried to start it - and while there was power, there wasn't enough to turn the engine over.

Rhadam- I missed this detail before. Did you leave the bike idle for 30 minutes, or did you ride it somewhere? If you were idling it, chances are you were discharging, not charging the battery. Lots of bikes need to run above idle to put any charge in the battery.

I have a bad feeling about your battery - even if the trickle charger brings it back to full charge, when it gets stressed, like next winter, it may fail you. If it were my bike and I was depending on it, I'd replace the battery just for peace of mind.

Hmmmm, well it was at idle just outside of my garage. So, given the nature of motorcycles (now that I understand it) it was probably discharging the battery.

Got a blinking green out of the battery tender! It is at 80% or greater charge. Its raining so my evil plot to 'test' the battery and take the bike for a little while and come back and see if it turns on its own isn't going to work out.

Maybe tomorrow.

As far as replacing the battery - I don't think they are super expensive so I might do it myself in a little while - before winter if the battery works like normal. If the battery doesn't work at all then... I guess I'll have to replace it now.

Sucks though, getting the medical bills from the twins - and it seems like it won't be huge amounts of money, still it is money out the door. Certainly, it is bike money out the door.

RhadamYgg

I bought a battery from Walmart last year and it's been working great so far(much better than the other batteries the dealer put in). Also, if you bring in your old battery, they refund a small portion of the cost. I think it was about $30 - $35, but I don't remember if that's before or after the refund.

Dragon on Wheels wrote:I bought a battery from Walmart last year and it's been working great so far(much better than the other batteries the dealer put in). Also, if you bring in your old battery, they refund a small portion of the cost. I think it was about $30 - $35, but I don't remember if that's before or after the refund.

Wow, that isn't much at all. I was going to go to either Sam's Club or Sears to pick up a battery.

Last night the charger had a full green light (fully charged). I took it off the charger and covered my battery to get my boys through the garage and in to the house (I don't want anybody electrocuted or anything). A few minutes later I replaced the charger and it started back on solid red light (charging - less than 80% charge.

Now it didn't spend much time there, but I'm concerned that it didn't hold 80% charge after a few minutes not being on the charger. Probably a bad cell or something.

Going to take the bike out on an hour long ride with wife and kids in the van with jumper cables - if my wife is feeling well enough. So, we'll see how well the battery holds up - although I was just thinking of replacing it.

RhadamYgg

Every time I disconnect my fully charged battery, then re-connect the Battery Tender, it does that.

It is part of it's cycle, it don't know what battery it is hooked up to, so it shows red for a little bit until it reads full charge again.

It is not a sure sign your battery is shot (also not a sign it isn't). Just the charger initiating itself.

You could still be cool. Have to see how the battery handles a draw.

RhadamYgg wrote: Going to take the bike out on an hour long ride with wife and kids in the van with jumper cables - if my wife is feeling well enough. So, we'll see how well the battery holds up - although I was just thinking of replacing it.

RhadamYgg

I think your wife is FANTASTIC - she's your own personal pit crew!

glad you're back in the saddle RY!

Well, the battery seems to have performed well. Took the bike out to some waterfalls in Paterson, NJ in a park. Ended up not staying and walking around... It was not a nice area. A park like that would have hundreds of visitors a day (at least) anywhere else.

So, that was 25 or so miles. Turned the bike off there, turned it on - and rode 25 miles back.

Before that was a trip to the gas station - it is the B-King. Had no problems starting the bike after the 3 mile trip to the gas station.

Not bad. Might still replace the battery, but maybe not right away.

RhadamYgg

Your battery seems to be fine. It accepted the charge and obviously it can handle the current draw on start-up. Use it with confidence.

Bonus, now you have a nice little charger for future use.