Hi yall!

[adyingbreed]

Thanks for providing this very useful forum!!

Already helped me temp fix my ignition failure!

I have a USA 2004 Gen I FJR1300 Cali model. Second owner. Got at 14k miles and am just under 22k now.

It likes to eat cheap batteries because I like to be easy on the throttle due to all the freaking torque, so I have found my less than 15 mile average ride to be battery draining (thanks for the info! Riding a gear lower now for higher rpm).

But yeah loves the bike. Not as much as I liked my Franken sv650, but I built that sv from the ground up. The FJR is only just now becoming MINE because of the learning to fix and maintain it.

Anywho...

Glad to have yall as fellow FJR riders and a well of information.

-JJ

 

[RossKean]

It likes to eat cheap batteries because I like to be easy on the throttle due to all the freaking torque, so I have found my less than 15 mile average ride to be battery draining (thanks for the info! Riding a gear lower now for higher rpm).

Welcome again (I replied to your other thread)
Fifteen mile ride should be enough to keep the battery charged, even riding at relatively low RPM. I have had very good life out of my Yuasa batteries and have never had an issue keeping them charged, even when doing short commutes. I suspect the battery is on its way out and has a significant self-discharge rate and/or diminished reserve capacity.

Have you confirmed that the operating/charging voltage is where it should be? Check at idle and at maybe 4,000 rpm (should be 14V+).
Also, it might be worth checking parasitic draw (ignition off) with an in-line ammeter. Clip meter leads to the ground cable and negative battery terminal and then disconnect cable from the battery. If you disconnect the cable and then connect the ammeter to complete the circuit, you may get a bit of current inrush (but not likely enough to blow a meter fuse). Normally only a fraction of a milliamp once it settles down.

I'm still running the OEM battery in my 13 year-old 2011 FJR with 100,000 miles...

 

[adyingbreed]

Welcome again (I replied to your other thread)
Fifteen mile ride should be enough to keep the battery charged, even riding at relatively low RPM. I have had very good life out of my Yuasa batteries and have never had an issue keeping them charged, even when doing short commutes. I suspect the battery is on its way out and has a significant self-discharge rate and/or diminished reserve capacity.

Have you confirmed that the operating/charging voltage is where it should be? Check at idle and at maybe 4,000 rpm (should be 14V+).
Also, it might be worth checking parasitic draw (ignition off) with an in-line ammeter. Clip meter leads to the ground cable and negative battery terminal and then disconnect cable from the battery. If you disconnect the cable and then connect the ammeter to complete the circuit, you may get a bit of current inrush (but not likely enough to blow a meter fuse). Normally only a fraction of a milliamp once it settles down.

I'm still running the OEM battery in my 13 year-old 2011 FJR with 100,000 miles...

Oh I know my 43 buck battery was dead.

Kept resetting trip meter and clock. That battery lasted 8 months, with me only doing 5miles max per trip, raising windshield before starting engine, and riding below 3k rpm.

The battery it came with was used but lasted a year, I didn't have it on a tender.

My current battery works just fine. Had it for 2 months. Have had it on a tender, it's a 50 buck battery, and been riding 3.5k rpm or higher. Most of my trips are less than 10 miles though on this battery.

A Yuasa will be my Xmas present to myself. It's double what I paid for my last battery.

As I am doing other electrical work (switch bypass) I will be getting more electrical tools. I had only been doing fluids and filters for the last 7k miles (tire mounts at a shop).