OEM Battery just flat dead.

[Randy B]

One of these comes with the tender and it makes plugging in the tender a 2 second operation.

[meowguy_imp]

As a follow up....I was able to get a small charge into the battery using a 12v wall wart charger. I got it up to 6 Volts. When I connected the Honda Optimate Charger, it kicked into charge mode. So the battery is charging now. If it goes into "complete" mode, then I guess I must have just left the key ON, but I would be surprised if that was the cause.

Stay tuned....

[UJM Guy_imp]

Probably has a bad cell or two. Just a bad battery. I'm sure your charging system is fine, just check the output with the new battery should be above 14 at 5000RPM's.

Tendering a battery all winter will also dry up (fry) cells and cause this problem.

Not trying to start anything, but I disagree with this statement. My bikes are tendered not only all winter, but all year round. Every single day. When I climb off my bike after a ride, I plug it in before I even take my helmet off. Our 09 Majesty still has the original battery it's over 6 years old. My ST battery that died was over 5 years old when it died, had been tendered it's whole life. It's replacement has been tendered every day since new. My son's FZ-1 battery was 7 years old when it died and had been tendered every day. Both of my brothers bikes and his Miata are on tenders every day.

I think on the old juice batteries, the lead acid kind, if someone didn't watch the fluid levels in the cells and let one dry up, they would sulfate and that cell would die ruining the battery.

Not trying to start anything, but I disagree with this statement. My bikes are tendered not only all winter, but all year round. Every single day. When I climb off my bike after a ride, I plug it in before I even take my helmet off. Our 09 Majesty still has the original battery it's over 6 years old. My ST battery that died was over 5 years old when it died, had been tendered it's whole life. It's replacement has been tendered every day since new. My son's FZ-1 battery was 7 years old when it died and had been tendered every day. Both of my brothers bikes and his Miata are on tenders every day.

I think on the old juice batteries, the lead acid kind, if someone didn't watch the fluid levels in the cells and let one dry up, they would sulfate and that cell would die ruining the battery.
I agree with Ferret,

I have five bikes including my wife’s, sometimes they sit for a while between rides. Most current production motorcycles draw a small amount of current even when completely shut off. So I keep all of them on a Battery Tender Plus year round. A battery tender is designed to be connected all the time and will not overcharge or cook a battery. Living in Northern Illinois my bikes usually sit idle at least four months a year but I still manage to get 5 -6 years out of a battery.

This may sound like a stupid suggestion but make sure the engine and pipes are cool enough before connecting the tender. Yes the insulation on the tender wires melt easily!

Also you can do everything right and still have a battery fail prematurely.

[the Ferret]

OK, you got my curiosity up ferret....what leads do you leave permanently attached to your battery to allow you to connect so easily and what charger do you use? Do you have the leads discretely tucked away somewhere and is it specially made for your charger or do you use alligator clips?

Offroad..the plug that RandyB posted affixed to the battery posts and threaded out a hole in front of the right shock absorber as shown below on the CB1100. I use battery tender jrs.


[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/theferret111/media/Batterytenderpigtail_zps67f97fdc.jpg.html]

Btw thats also a 12v power supply that runs either my electric vest or my gps as needed

[Elipten_imp]

Old trickle chargers would fry the battery as constant charge, but the newer tenders monitor the batter Ns shut off. Hanging when not required. Been using one for 24 years and am firm believer they extended battery life. My 3 bikes are on them when not being ridden.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Offroad]

Thanks! I'll have to get that set up before winter for sure. Speaking of winter...is there a thread about winterizing? Anything special that needs to be done?

[Kiwikevin_imp]

As a follow up....I was able to get a small charge into the battery using a 12v wall wart charger. I got it up to 6 Volts. When I connected the Honda Optimate Charger, it kicked into charge mode. So the battery is charging now. If it goes into "complete" mode, then I guess I must have just left the key ON, but I would be surprised if that was the cause.

Stay tuned....

Glad you were able to get some charge into the battery as one of the characteristics of the modern "smart" chargers is there needs to be sufficient voltage for the charger to detect connection and condition. There are 2 ways to go about this if your battery is that discharged, and the first one is what you've done:- initially use an old school charger that pumps out a consistent voltage / current , irrespective of battery voltage or condition to raise the voltage in the discharged battery sufficiently for the smart charger to operate (then disconnect the old charger and re-connect your smart charger), the other is to connect your smart charger and a slave battery to trick the smart charger into detecting the higher voltage (of the slave battery), and start the charging process. Then about 30 minutes later disconnect the slave battery and continue charging the discharged battery. (But make sure you turn the power off before disconnecting / re-connecting chargers / batteries). I'm not sure about the minimum voltage threshold that a smart charger needs to function but I think its around 5 Volts.

[meowguy_imp]

Quote:Thanks! I'll have to get that set up before winter for sure. Speaking of winter...is there a thread about winterizing? Anything special that needs to be done?
Yes, there is at this location: [url=http://motorcycle.honda.ca/Content/motorcycle.honda.ca/518639e0-839d-4257-a71e-1d829832a307/GenericContent_FFH/winter-storage-guide-EN.pdf]Honda Winter Storage Guide

I highly recommend the Honda Optimate 3 Charger/Maintainer. It comes with the dongle to attach to the motorcycle as pictured above, plus a set of alligator clips.

My formerly dead battery is now up to 12.48 volts and rising.

[Cormanus]

Who'd have thought a battery thread could be as much fun as an oil thread?

[ClassicVW_imp]

(Beavis and Butthead)..... Heh-Heh... He said dongle and rising in the same post...