Battery will not stay charged

[SkooterG]

You can lead a horse to water..........

 

[ionbeam]

I understand why people go for the battery first. You can find one easily, get your hands on it and swap it out yourself (usually). If it isn't the battery, thar be Dragons here.

Zork is now in a position where he must be have and be able to use a meter or he needs to take his bike to Satan a shop. Once he gets through this troubleshooting step perhaps we can help. If he persists in swapping things without any troubleshooting this is going to get expensive quick unless he gets lucky.

 

[RaYzerman19]

With all due respect to previous posters, I do tend to trust the recommendations of the battery manufacturers while still trying to appreciate everyone's anecdotes. All the batteries my friends or I have recently purchased for bikes were AGM's and were shipped or bought off the shelf with acid packs separate. You install the electrolyte, let sit so the glass mat can absorb it, then charge per recommendations. Yes the type of charger is important. We've had premature failures (under 2 years) that I think may be caused by an improper first charging step, YMMV, but I don't doubt there's been the odd one that got lucky. That said, there are batteries sold pre-filled, and the vendor should properly charge it before delivering it to you. Always ask.

You can also go to Yuasa's website and download their Technical manual, it's another good read.

I agree with Alan to check the electrical system and/or do a load test before you assume the battery is no good.

 

[zorkler]

O.k heres the deal ,Recived the starter relay installed it bike started right up rode her around a bit turn her off boom dead battery . I have 2 battery chargers 1 schumacher 10 amp/ 2 amp thats the 1 i have been useing . Stwiched to my other 1 a duel rATE 6 amp / 2 amp for some reason the battery need more time to charge on the 2nd one which was 3 hours .Started her up let it run for a while turned her off boom started right up did it 4 other times started right up .Will see what happens on sunday .

 

[Zorlac]

Yous guys just "think" way too much!

Hit the grocery store & no charging required!

Smells good too!

 

[03HiYoSilver]

Zorler - MacGyver,

Now that is thinking outside the box!

 

[zorkler]

My buddie leant me his meter reading 8 full charge brAND NEW WESTCO . Reading 8 with bike running . Unreal

 

[ionbeam]

If you are saying you used a digital (not needle type) meter and it shows 8 volts with the engine running mg2: you have a very serious charging system problem or you need some help reading the meter.

 

[RadioHowie]

If you are saying you used a digital (not needle type) meter and it shows 8 volts with the engine running mg2: you have a very serious charging system problem or you need some help reading the meter.

...or a seriously BORKED meter!

 

[ionbeam]

...or a seriously BORKED meter!

Needle type meters need to be correctly zeroed and the voltage scales are not so straight forward. When using any meter not all grounds are created equal; you can get a number of different battery voltage readings depending on where you choose to put the black meter lead. Or, the meter may indeed be BORKED.

The worst place to hook the black meter lead -- anywhere on the front fork area, and the rear sub-frame is almost as bad. The main frame is fair to OK, the engine block (not cylinder head) is good but the battery negative post is the best. If you are troubleshooting the charging system the very best place to hookup the black meter lead is to back-probe the connector directly on the R/R.

Since the coils will not fire or not fire well at 8 volts and the starter relay coil will drop out around 8 volts (the relay will go CLICK-CLICK-CLICK and the engine will not spin) I doubt the reading is correct or I misunderstood what was being reported.

Edit: Or, Zork is a couple o' lemons short of a full charging system.

 

[yamafitter]

RaYzerman19 mentioned the Yuasa Technical Manual. There is a lot of good information on charging and maintaining a VLRA type motorcycle battery. The manual also provides good information on testing the battery to determine it's condition. Here is the link:

Yuasa Technical Manual

Also for those of us who are forced to put the bikes away for the winter, a proper charger such as a Battery Tender is your best friend to keep the battery happy while waiting for spring to arrive.

 

[zorkler]

Needle type meters need to be correctly zeroed and the voltage scales are not so straight forward. When using any meter not all grounds are created equal; you can get a number of different battery voltage readings depending on where you choose to put the black meter lead. Or, the meter may indeed be BORKED.

The worst place to hook the black meter lead -- anywhere on the front fork area, and the rear sub-frame is almost as bad. The main frame is fair to OK, the engine block (not cylinder head) is good but the battery negative post is the best. If you are troubleshooting the charging system the very best place to hookup the black meter lead is to back-probe the connector directly on the R/R.

Since the coils will not fire or not fire well at 8 volts and the starter relay coil will drop out around 8 volts (the relay will go CLICK-CLICK-CLICK and the engine will not spin) I doubt the reading is correct or I misunderstood what was being reported.

Edit: Or, Zork is a couple o' lemons short of a full charging system.

I am a little slow i guess . So i should have the bike running and then take off the neg feed then test it ?

 

[ionbeam]

...So i should have the bike running and then take off the neg feed then test it ?

Yes, engine running, best case the meter's black lead (-) directly on the battery - post and the meter + (red) lead directly on the battery + post.

 

[RadioHowie]

...So i should have the bike running and then take off the neg feed then test it ?

Yes, engine running, best case the meter's black lead (-) directly on the battery - post and the meter + (red) lead directly on the battery + post.

...BUT DON'T disconnect the negative battery lead (feed). If you do that, the battery won't be getting any voltage from the charging circuit. Read the voltage at the battery terminals with the motor running with the battery leads connected to determine charging voltage.

Right, Alan???

 

[Zorlac]

Just as a sanity check, pop your car hood and measure the car battery with engine off then

until it stops reading 8 and starts reading 12.Then start the car and read 14 or so.

Repeat the same ritual on the bike.

 

[zorkler]

My error boys over 14 running , 9 charged . Tryed a local battery shop the battery was a little bigger than the oem will not fit ,And yes it does work . Going to have to wait on jeff from bike effects to send me 1 . Thanks with putting up with me . Mike

 

[beemerdons]

Yous guys just "think" way too much!

Hit the grocery store & no charging required!

Smells good too!

Zippy, are you going to do an FJR Forum group rate buy on these?

If so, please put me down for one! Can you make them with limes!

 

[mcatrophy]

...

... Can you make them with limes!

Hey, I don't want electrodes stuck in m... Oh, Limes. I thought you said Limeys. Sorry.

 

[beemerdons]

...

... Can you make them with limes!

Hey, I don't want electrodes stuck in m... Oh, Limes. I thought you said Limeys. Sorry.

No worries My Friend mcatrophy; we would never do that to you! However Fairlaner is another scenario, with Richard being from Norwich what does it really matter!!!