battery questions - Sportbike Addicts

gottaducati · 04-05-2008, 08:35 AM

My battery did not have enough charge to start the bike last season when I took it out so I had to pop it into gear. Once I rode it around it was charged up and lasted all summer until the end when I didn't ride for like two weeks and then it wouldn't start again. I put it away like that. I just bought one of those battery tenders and hooked it up last night. While I was doing that I noticed there wasn't that much water in the battery. So I have two questions:

1. SHould I fill the battery with water & how much? Full, half way, etc. iTs like a quarter full right now
2. will that tender be able to charge it back to life and how long does it generally take? (I put it on at like 8pm last night - now its 830am and the light is still red like as if its still charging)

Jimmy · 04-05-2008, 09:36 AM

Yes, you need to fill the battery with distilled water. There should be lines on the side of the battery. That's where the level should be. Careful with the little screw caps, they're fragile.

If the battery is that dead it may take a while to charge. I have the battery tender jr. It took over night to charge a completely dead battery.

buckle up · 04-05-2008, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimmy

Yes, you need to fill the battery with distilled water. There should be lines on the side of the battery. That's where the level should be. Careful with the little screw caps, they're fragile.

If the battery is that dead it may take a while to charge. I have the battery tender jr. It took over night to charge a completely dead battery.

also ..how old is the battery?? and if all the fluid gets absorbed in the battery plates the battery can be come internally shorted..this is when the battery shows a full charge but when put under a load tryint to start the bike it doesnt have enough power and it will loose a charge quickly....

my advice is to get a new battery...charge it properly ..this way you do not strain your stator and rectifire charging system on the bike..because it is working harder to compinsate for the lack of power in the battery

WOW LOL I ALMOST SOUND SMART IN THIS POST

**John712** · 04-05-2008, 12:27 PM

Walmart has a put together battery for 39.99, you have to add everything and its all in the box I also had to charge it overnight. I had to do this the night before I did VIR

CBRBob · 04-06-2008, 06:12 AM

What he means is that you have to add the acid and then seal it(like all the batteries like that are lol) Actually except for larger car batts, most bike batts are dry until purchase as well.

tommymac · 04-06-2008, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John217

Walmart has a put together battery for 39.99, you have to add everything and its all in the box I also had to charge it overnight. I had to do this the night before I did VIR

I had to do that AT vir when the batt on my gsxr died. So far its holding up well. it sat all winter and I fired the bik eup twice and it turned over prety easily.

Tom

gottaducati · 04-07-2008, 08:21 AM

buckleup, the battery is not that old. maybe 3 years at best so i didnt want to give up on it, ya know. thats why i got the charger

jimmy - i have the same tender. the guy at the store said it was a slow charger and that slower is better. anyway, it did go from red light to solid green so i guess thats a good thing. I just got some distilled water. the funny thing is everyone has their own advice on how to charge a battery. this oldtimer told me i should take the caps off the battery, fill it with distilled water then charge it. i dont know anymore. i just want the thing to start when i turn the key...

RCM78 · 04-07-2008, 09:18 AM

Even with a brand new battery it's a good idea to use a battery tender. I keep both my bikes on one.

GinoE · 04-07-2008, 11:02 AM

while charging, the battery generates heat - taking the caps off will help so the battery does not explode. also keep in a well ventilated area so the fumes don't build up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gottaducati

this oldtimer told me i should take the caps off the battery, ...

gottaducati · 04-13-2008, 08:25 PM

...so i left the tender on for the past week and its been green the whole time. Today I filled each compartment of the battery with distilled water and wheeled the bitch outside to start her up. She wouldn't turn over. Is it possible that the water dilluted the charge? Is that even possible? anyway, now I got her hooked back up to the tender with the battery caps off so she can breathe (whatever that means). the light on the tender is showing red like as if the battery is dead again.
oh well, i guess we'll see what happens...stay tuned

CBRBob · 04-13-2008, 08:58 PM

Dude, it's not a person. It has a vent so put the caps back and the water promotes the charge, not dilutes it lol. If you had it filled and on the tender for 3hrs and it didnt start, its a bad battery, period. Now its full of water and showing red, it's charging it again. If by the time the light goes green it dosent start, it's done.

SPRHK · 04-13-2008, 09:19 PM

borrow a multimeter,check the voltage. EVEN a new battery, filled with acid and NOT charged will read 12+volts If your battery reads less than 12 volts, drop kick it into the recycle pile and buy a new one. Dont fuck around, do it and go ride!

gottaducati · 04-15-2008, 09:52 PM

well i thought I would finish this story so as not to deprive anyone of the final verdict (like you guys give a sh*t).
So I charged her to green and tried to start it up but she wouldn't turn over. so I ran it down the driveway and popped her into gear and she started right up like the sexy slut that she is. so I rode her ass around for a while and then came home and tried to turn her off and back on ...nothin.

Bottom line: dead battery.
Thanks for the advice, people.

btw, anyone ever heard of a Yuasa yumicron and what they cost?

CBRBob · 04-16-2008, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gottaducati

btw, anyone ever heard of a Yuasa yumicron and what they cost?

Yep, they are their better battery. Cost, depends on bike, place you buy it etc.