SuzukiSavage.com - Battery or Worse

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Battery or Worse
04/05/12 at 16:19:46

Hi Everyone,

I've reviewed the posts about batteries & starting troubles. I live in New England & after putting the bike up in December, I got a battery tender in mid-January. Bike wouldn't start after almost 2 months of charging. We had warm temps in March & it started. It was running fine for 2-3 weeks. I went for a 200 mile ride on Sunday. I got caught in the rain for about an hour. I warmed it up Tuesday morning, it stalled out, when I restarted it, I got clicking. I put it on the tender. Tuesday night it started. Yesterday I ran a quick errand & it wasn't even turned off 5 minutes. Click, click. I would get alternating clicking to hope for a turnover. I got it jump started to get home, put it on the tender. The tender indicated a full charge so I tried to start it today. I didn't even get a click when I tried starting it. The lights are fading. Battery was bought new last year.

Do you think my problems are worse than a dead battery?

Thank you for your time.

Ride safe

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Boule’tard

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Re: Battery or Worse
Reply #1 - 04/05/12 at 17:11:33

A dead/bad battery still fits. Some chargers will indicate "full" when the battery is in a state of "will not take a charge."

Leaving a battery fully charged will not hurt it, but if it was left only half-charged (or discharged), that would kill it in a matter of weeks. It is a good idea to leave it on the tender the whole time it is in storage.

When you bought the battery, it may have been sitting in the store for a while, not fully topped up. Batteries drain naturally at a rate of (I think) 1% of their charge per day.

There is a small chance that your bike has an electrical leak somewhere that allows the battery to drain (faster than the normal rate) while just sitting there. But I would not worry about that unless the next battery fails despite these precautions.

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verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28884 L.A. California Gender:	Re: Battery or Worse Reply #2 - 04/05/12 at 17:46:01 If it's clicking, it's the battery or the connections. can't hurt to check and clean the ground on the engine by the oil level window. if you got a volt meter, check the voltage before and while turning over. if it drops below 10 volts it ain't gonna start.
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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Battery or Worse Reply #3 - 04/05/12 at 17:57:55 How old is the battery? Have you checked the water level? If you take it out to check the water, you can take it about anywhere to be checked,, Thats the quick easy, IMO.. it needs checked for water, anyway.
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Gyrobob

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Re: Battery or Worse
Reply #4 - 04/05/12 at 19:29:30

verslagen speaks true. you need a voltmeter. without knowing what the the charging system is doing in different situations, you are just guessing and may be wasting a lot of money.

verify that:

ign on, not running is around 12v
cranking, not running, is more than 10v
idling is between 12.5v and 13v
2,000 rpm and higher, more than 14 volts

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Boule’tard Serious Thumper ModSquad Offline Master of the Obvious Posts: 1620 Austin TX Gender:	Re: Battery or Worse Reply #5 - 04/05/12 at 20:33:10 verslagen1 wrote on 04/05/12 at 17:46:01: If it's clicking, it's the battery or the connections. Oh yeah the terminals. Definitely check/tighten those and try another recharge before getting a new battery.. could save a few bux.
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Kris01 Serious Thumper Offline Eat, sleep, RIDE! Posts: 3767 Tennessee Gender:	Re: Battery or Worse Reply #6 - 04/05/12 at 20:42:01 Auto Zone will load test your battery for free.
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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Battery or Worse Reply #7 - 04/05/12 at 21:22:47 & no one ( except me) seems to wonder if the battery Can take a charge,, When was the last time you checked the water? If you dont know, then its time, while you have it out, have it tested, while youre out doin thaT, stop & get a volt ohm meter, Clean everything going together,
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thumperclone

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Re: Battery or Worse
Reply #8 - 04/05/12 at 22:54:49

justin_o_guy2 wrote on 04/05/12 at 21:22:47:

& no one ( except me) seems to wonder if the battery Can take a charge,,
When was the last time you checked the water? If you dont know, then its time, while you have it out, have it tested, while youre out doin thaT, stop & get a volt ohm meter,

Clean everything going together,

if you got a battery that you need to check the water get a new age battery

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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Battery or Worse Reply #9 - 04/06/12 at 02:19:09 When its time for a new battery, ya cant beat a Big Crank,, kinda spendy, but theyre good.
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Routy

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Re: Battery or Worse
Reply #10 - 04/06/12 at 07:02:49

[/quote]
if you got a battery that you need to check the water get a new age battery [/quote]

Whats a new age battery ?

Maybe its an AGM (absorbed glass mat)
or an SLA (sealed lead acid)

I believe both these are.....(or very near) the same
and is what the "Big Crank" is.

While this type of batteries are still somwhat overpriced in the automotive world, the "Big Crank" seems reasonably priced IMO.
And while the regular lead acid batteries are still cheaper, and do a fine job, (if cared for)...... in the case of the Savage where it is a PITA to check water, you (and me) would definently want to go w/ this maintence free AGM type battery.

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Savage_Rob

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Re: Battery or Worse
Reply #11 - 04/06/12 at 08:14:33

Routy wrote on 04/06/12 at 07:02:49:

Quote:

if you got a battery that you need to check the water get a new age battery

Whats a new age battery ?

Maybe its an AGM (absorbed glass mat)
or an SLA (sealed lead acid)

I believe both these are.....(or very near) the same
and is what the "Big Crank" is.

While this type of batteries are still somwhat overpriced in the automotive world, the "Big Crank" seems reasonably priced IMO.
And while the regular lead acid batteries are still cheaper, and do a fine job, (if cared for)...... in the case of the Savage where it is a PITA to check water, you (and me) would definently want to go w/ this maintence free AGM type battery.

And then there are the new, nifty and not so very thrifty lithium batteries.

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k9500winmag Junior Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 79 florida Gender:	Re: Battery or Worse Reply #12 - 04/06/12 at 08:55:44 Check over all your wiring real good as well. Mine did the same.thing, got progressivly worse until all I got was a click. Turned out some sheathing on a wire had rubbed through and was shorting. It was draining the battery even just sitting with the key off.
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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Battery or Worse Reply #13 - 04/06/12 at 09:39:45 You can test that with an ohm meter. Key off, kill switch set to Run, Ohm meter across battery leads, WIthout the Battery connected.. If its not Infinite REsistance,, its not okay.
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WD Serious Thumper 2005 No Login Offline Professional "scooter trash". Posts: 5207 Rosemark TN Gender:	Re: Battery or Worse Reply #14 - 04/09/12 at 04:53:53 Also check the big black relay where your seat and gas tank come together. If it has gotten full of water it can kill the entire system quick fast and in a hurry. My bike has been down for over a year due to relay induced gremlins.
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