LONG RANGER posted in another thread:
Rode to the Honda dealership, about 31 miles away, to poke around. When I left the dealership to return home, the bike was dead. Four years on the OE battery, always connected to a Battery Tender, worked fine twenty minutes earlier, and it gave no warning. I wheeled the bike around to the service entrance and was preparing to swallow the cost of a dealer-installed battery, when I turned the key one last time. The battery decided to have mercy on my wallet and squeezed out one final ampere. The bike started. Rode it home and ordered a cheapo replacement battery from Amazon for $45. Phew!
Here is Canada the winter is hard on car batteries. So we learned the following trick. If the car fails to start, leave it off and turn on the headlights for a bit. Shut the headlights off, and try to start the car. It will often respond. I have to idea the science involved. But as young men with second hand cars we learned this trick. Jumper cables in the trunk are as common as rubber floor mats in the winter here.
Confused on how this pertains to a motorcycle.
(07-01-2018, 12:33 AM)clearviewx_imp Wrote: [ -> ]Confused on how this pertains to a motorcycle.
If the bike fails to start, try using something like the emergency flashers, to encourage the battery to respond. As I said, I don't why this works, but have seen it done a number of times with cars.
Good tip thanks , didn't know that
Applying light load to a battery with lower voltage may help in cold weather, when capacity is reduced; as it will add some heat to the battery.
Do not expect it to help in warmer weather.
I replaced mine with a Shorai, for Lithium Ion batteries, they actually do recommend letting the battery “warm up” for a minute or so before cranking the starter if it’s been sitting for a while. Usually will just flip the ignition and let it sit for a min.
Your " cheapo " batterie might not last 4 years !
Perhaps not, but we'll see. I normally get 7-8 years out of my batteries, so the OE battery in the CB was not very impressive. The last "cheap" battery I bought off Amazon, for my ex-F800ST, was still going strong when I sold the bike seven years later. Even if this one only lasts two years, it's better than paying four times as much for a battery that only lasts twice as long.
(07-01-2018, 01:34 AM)SportsterDoc_imp Wrote: [ -> ]Applying light load to a battery with lower voltage may help in cold weather, when capacity is reduced; as it will add some heat to the battery.
Do not expect it to help in warmer weather.
New guy here. I've seen this happen, especially with my lithium-ion battery. When the battery is exposed to near freezing and below temperatures, its internal electrical resistance goes up. This means the ability of the battery to provide cranking amperage will be reduced until it is somehow heated up. A subtle way to do this is by inducing a smaller demand on the battery by turning on lights. A less subtle way is to "stab" a few times at the starter button until you can get the motor to fully turn over and start.
(07-02-2018, 08:55 AM)JMathis_imp Wrote: [ -> ] (07-01-2018, 01:34 AM)SportsterDoc_imp Wrote: [ -> ]Applying light load to a battery with lower voltage may help in cold weather, when capacity is reduced; as it will add some heat to the battery.
Do not expect it to help in warmer weather.
New guy here. I've seen this happen, especially with my lithium-ion battery. When the battery is exposed to near freezing and below temperatures, its internal electrical resistance goes up. This means the ability of the battery to provide cranking amperage will be reduced until it is somehow heated up. A subtle way to do this is by inducing a smaller demand on the battery by turning on lights. A less subtle way is to "stab" a few times at the starter button until you can get the motor to fully turn over and start.
Lithium-ion batteries are smaller, lighter, but need pampering when cold.
Bumping the starter is hard on the solenoid contacts.
A solenoid will have a long life when contacts do not need to interrupt load.
Direct current does not like to be interrupted.
When the engine fires, the starter motor is no longer under load.
So, for cold lithium-ion batteries, best to turn on lights, briefly. For the CB, just turn on key for a few seconds, before starting.