Battery issues?
Thread Starter
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Novice
Joined: Feb 2023
Posts: 20
Likes: 5
From: Nijmegen, Netherlands
Battery issues?
Hello guys,
Im feeling my battery is not optimal. Got a new one last year which worked fine.
However, whenever my bike is stalled for +1 week, it simply wont start...
I will hear that the engine is trying to start, but starting sounds will get slower until it stops.
If i charge it with a trickle charger, it works fine.
Last weekend (4 days ago) i charged it fully and dismantled the charger.
Each day since than i started my bike to check whether it was still able to start.
Until today... I wont start. Hooked it 10 minutes to the charger and it fired up right away.
Is it the battery, is it the "starting motor" that is having some troubles as it movement speed will decrease when starting or is there something that is draining my battery when off?
My bike is a 2017 Forty Eight.
Im feeling my battery is not optimal. Got a new one last year which worked fine.
However, whenever my bike is stalled for +1 week, it simply wont start...
I will hear that the engine is trying to start, but starting sounds will get slower until it stops.
If i charge it with a trickle charger, it works fine.
Last weekend (4 days ago) i charged it fully and dismantled the charger.
Each day since than i started my bike to check whether it was still able to start.
Until today... I wont start. Hooked it 10 minutes to the charger and it fired up right away.
Is it the battery, is it the "starting motor" that is having some troubles as it movement speed will decrease when starting or is there something that is draining my battery when off?
My bike is a 2017 Forty Eight.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 12,233
Likes: 4,943
From: England
If you start the engine it can take 20 minutes of running to put the charge back. If you stop the engine just a couple of minutes after starting you will flaten the battery.
The electrical diagnotic manual gives figures for current draw.
After you have the battery checked and you sort that out if the starting problem persists I would recommend the manual to check out the bike.
Your bike has quite a few components that are always powered but they shouldn't draw so much that battery ought to be good for longer than 1 week.
The electrical diagnotic manual gives figures for current draw.
After you have the battery checked and you sort that out if the starting problem persists I would recommend the manual to check out the bike.
Your bike has quite a few components that are always powered but they shouldn't draw so much that battery ought to be good for longer than 1 week.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 21,053
Likes: 19,189
From: The Wasteland
Don't start the bike unless you're going to ride it long enough to charge the battery.
All you're doing is discharging the battery and also building up condensation in the crankcase and motor oil.
All you're doing is discharging the battery and also building up condensation in the crankcase and motor oil.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 12,233
Likes: 4,943
From: England
AGM starter batteries once discharged are not robust to be abused. The trade off with weight, compare starter batteries to leisure batteries, has thinner lead plates that like to be kept fully charged for best performance and life.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 18,283
Likes: 3,687
From: backwoods
If you start the engine it can take 20 minutes of running to put the charge back. If you stop the engine just a couple of minutes after starting you will flaten the battery.
Your bike has quite a few components that are always powered but they shouldn't draw so much that battery ought to be good for longer than 1 week.
Your bike has quite a few components that are always powered but they shouldn't draw so much that battery ought to be good for longer than 1 week.
You don't know for sure charger is good, but riding should also charge it. Myself, I would charge it. Go for a ride, don't stop, come back, and let it sit, don't start for few days and see how it starts. This removes charger, but assumes your charging system works.
As said you can load test it, some of these new bikes getting battery out is PIA.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 18,283
Likes: 3,687
From: backwoods
What battery do you have? Not some goofbal battery smart or amazon battery? They seem to be common in these threads. Whether because they suck, or just lots of people buying them, I don't know. But I suspect.
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Thread Starter
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Novice
Joined: Feb 2023
Posts: 20
Likes: 5
From: Nijmegen, Netherlands
If you start the engine it can take 20 minutes of running to put the charge back. If you stop the engine just a couple of minutes after starting you will flaten the battery.
The electrical diagnotic manual gives figures for current draw.
After you have the battery checked and you sort that out if the starting problem persists I would recommend the manual to check out the bike.
Your bike has quite a few components that are always powered but they shouldn't draw so much that battery ought to be good for longer than 1 week.
The electrical diagnotic manual gives figures for current draw.
After you have the battery checked and you sort that out if the starting problem persists I would recommend the manual to check out the bike.
Your bike has quite a few components that are always powered but they shouldn't draw so much that battery ought to be good for longer than 1 week.
Thanks for the answers! Will check some suggestions out.