Voltage drop when starting

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Jan 23, 2020 | 02:26 AM

#21

Andy from Sandy

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From: England

If the battery is going down whilst off the bike it has to be a bad battery. I have batteries not connected and they hold their charge for months.

Jan 23, 2020 | 08:54 AM

#22

cbrenthus

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From: Formerly Tampa Bay, FL, Currently Western PA

The battery leveled out at 12.56 this morning. I put it in the bike and it started with no issues. Went on a quick ride, not sure of mileage but about 15 minutes, stopped in a park and walked around for 10 minutes, then it started again just fine. Started to ride, shut it off briefly to ask a ranger about rattlesnake sightings, and it started back up again just fine (I left the ignition on the whole time,just used the run switch).

I'll try again at lunch - Tuesday it started 3 times just fine right after putting the battery in, but Wednesday it had hesitation. Maybe I have a drain going on? But I did get a half turn out of the positive cable on the starter yesterday, so we'll see.

Jan 23, 2020 | 10:39 AM

#23

KrustyKush

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From: Menifee, CA

Quote:

Originally Posted by skratch

so what's your theory on the lithium batteries then? they absolutely do require a specific charger but use the same charging system on the bike.

From reading the product web site info (Optimate, and I assume the others also) the chargers do more than simply put electrons into the battery. The chargers do maintenance routines on the battery. Cell balancing, testing, restoring if necessary, fault warning, etc. Some chargers are more capable than others, and have more of these types of features, as well as having higher or lower charge capacities. With my older Optimate 6 charger, there is a desulfation program that runs on every charge. I understand that the Lithium batts can't tolerate this desulfation program, and it isn't necessary with the lithiums.

There. I've exhausted my battery knowledge.

Jan 23, 2020 | 10:58 AM

#24

Andy from Sandy

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From: England

The only lithium battery I have seen that comes with a specific charger is the one from shorai.

This is just an example but see the small white plug. That allows a special charger to make sure all the cells are charged equally

Amazon

Last edited by Andy from Sandy; Jan 23, 2020 at 11:02 AM.

Jan 23, 2020 | 01:35 PM

#25

cbrenthus

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From: Formerly Tampa Bay, FL, Currently Western PA

3 more healthy starts at lunch today, no real long rides. Maybe that half turn on the starter positive was the culprit?

Jan 23, 2020 | 01:56 PM

#26

Andy from Sandy

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From: England

It might then be worth taken that terminal off and give it good clean to ensure there is no corrosion or oxidation on the surface.

Jan 24, 2020 | 03:42 PM

#27

cbrenthus

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From: Formerly Tampa Bay, FL, Currently Western PA

7 more healthy starts today. That's 13 good starts with 0 hesitation starts after tightening the terminal. I'll check back in a week or so if everything is still going well, and if I have any issues my next step will be to remove both terminals and clean them.

Thanks for all the help!