The Battery

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Apr 30, 2011 | 05:13 AM

Osco

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Joined: Oct 2009

Posts: 1,757

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From: Central Florida

The Battery

Ok so everybody has a tender,,
everybody hates to get stranded, that awful sound of a dead or weak battery.

Very simple test,,Grab your meter,,
Use the Tender plug and check the voltage,,,12.5 or so,,
Lets don't crunch .6 or.7 or 12.7645,,

Leave the meter hooked up reading the voltage,,
Now Start the bike and watch the meter while the starter Is spinning.

If the Voltage drops below 10 Volts your battery Is Gonna leave you
stranded one day..
If It drops below 8 volts,,It will happen very soon

My 8 month old HD AGM battery that lived on a tender gave
me 7 volts with this test,,,sucks.

FYI This battery of mine that only held 7 volts under load IN the bike
Passed an out of bike load test two times,,two different testers...

Here endeth the Lesson

Apr 30, 2011 | 05:44 AM

slarson

Tourer

Joined: Jul 2010

Posts: 465

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From: Vancouver Washington

Thanks for the info

Apr 30, 2011 | 06:35 AM

dp2826

Cruiser

Joined: May 2010

Posts: 105

Likes: 0

what about using a load tester. what kind of cranking amps should one see?

Apr 30, 2011 | 01:31 PM

Osco

Thread Starter

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Joined: Oct 2009

Posts: 1,757

Likes: 8

From: Central Florida

Quote:

Originally Posted by dp2826

what about using a load tester. what kind of cranking amps should one see?

Thats the Stickler,,A new battery,,say an HD agm,,should peak
at 220 amps,,,and hold 150 to 180,,,
Ya thunk !
Well most load testers have a swing guage and a bar marked with a
green section, yellow,,and red,,who t f knows what the battery Is really doing.

Mine did that OUT of the bike,,,
In the bike It couldn't maintain 100 amps not even 60

The Voltage drop Is more accurate an Indication.
Why ?
In the Bike You Hit the starter,,your feeding not only a starter with
a widely variable load second to second but also,,,
a fuel pump,
an ECM at full load,,,,About 13 gazillion lights.

That starter Is fighting compression and cold Oil even dry bearings.
Big Difference.

Last edited by Osco; Apr 30, 2011 at 01:35 PM.

Apr 30, 2011 | 09:12 PM

Saltwaterwop

Cruiser

Joined: Feb 2011

Posts: 247

Likes: 1

From: East Central Florida

I'm reading all these issues with bike batteries and how they don't last nearly as long as car batteries given the same environments and usage..
Being a newbie to bikes, what's the story ?

Cars have just as much load hitting the battery when starting one would think..
Is it the smaller size/amps of motorcycle batteries, or do they just make motorcycle batteries crappier ?

May 1, 2011 | 01:42 AM

Monzie

Tourer

Joined: Oct 2006

Posts: 488

Likes: 0

From: Las Vegas

The first battery my bike had only lasted a little over a year but, the bike sat in a wherehouse for 18 mos new before I bought it. My current battery has been in the scoot for 4 years and not one hicup except for when I left the key on and needed a jump. That was a year ago.

May 1, 2011 | 02:13 AM

diablo666

Road Master

Joined: Jun 2006

Posts: 933

Likes: 1

From:

If you want to check cranking voltage you need to disable the ignition system.The intial start up of any electric motor takes way more current than it does while turning.So it will dip lower than a specified voltage and come back up.That is what you need to know.Also a marginal starter will draw enough amps to make the battery fail the voltage test every time.You need to know the starter draw and on EFI bikes the fuel pump draw.Bench testing any electrical component is futile though.A meter can answer those questions as well.I'm not going into details but the meter reading as suggested could be affected by a few other reasons as well.I'm not the teacher though.If you want to know,you study OHM's law.I already understand it.

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May 1, 2011 | 05:13 AM

Osco

Thread Starter

Account Deactivated

Joined: Oct 2009

Posts: 1,757

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From: Central Florida

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saltwaterwop

I'm reading all these issues with bike batteries and how they don't last nearly as long as car batteries given the same environments and usage..
Being a newbie to bikes, what's the story ?
Cars have just as much load hitting the battery when starting one would think..
Is it the smaller size/amps of motorcycle batteries, or do they just make motorcycle batteries crappier ?

A little of both,,XD
Yeah the starter amp draw without compression Is like the bench test,,
thats why In the bike actually starting the engine and reading volts Is best.

As for crappier,,,you hear that most people get 4-5 even 6 years.
I think many of those are older bikes,,
These new EFI , smart security system alarmed bikes Hit a battery harder
thereby shortening the life span.

A percentage of batteries will fail,,as in all batteries car or bike.
Also alot of bikes tend to sit all week, some in a hot garage,

Cold Cranking amps,,,
Most car batteries 500-600 CCA
Bikes,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,180-250 CCA
estimates here,,,
So the bike battery Is working far closer to Its limits than a car.

My buddies 2007 1200 custom,,,His first battery just went south.
Daily rider,,never seen a tender.

My 2008 1200R I got used was a garage queen and no tender lead.
I am a weekend rider, I added a tender lead and use the tender all week
THAT battery died 8 months ago,,,
This battery was the same kind, got weak 2 months ago,,prolly a bad cell
The HD AGM mat Is still considerd to be as good as any.

If I had starter or stator or regulator problems I think I would have seen that
with testing.
If this Battery goes south any time this summer I will look further.

Last edited by Osco; May 1, 2011 at 05:19 AM.