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Bike Needs a Battery I Think

3K views 37 replies 18 participants last post by  NoobKid 
#1 ·
I don't ride my bike as much as I would like to, so the bike sits for a week or 2 at a time occasionally. Needless to say, I had to ride it the other day and the battery was dead so I push started it and popped the clutch. Then I went for a 30 minute ride, thinking that maybe the stator (right?) would charge the battery back up. So i got off the bike, went to class, came back, and it barely gave me anything when i tried to start. It gave me maybe 1 full second of an effort and then NOTHING. So i had to push start it again. Rode for an hour and then took the battery off to be charged for 10 hours. The battery now has a full charge, but I'm going to load test it this weekend to check the voltage. Only thing is, I can't check cranking amps with a load test and I was wondering if the load test is pointless and if I should just get a new battery instead...

If i do get a battery, I have no idea which to get. The battery only has one marking on it. It says 'BS' on the side of it. No other codes or ANYTHING. How do I figure out which battery I need? Do i need to measure the battery or are motorcycle batteries specific sizes depending on the type? I've done a little searching around and am not getting the answers I need.

Thanks in advance guys.

P.S. - Somebody told me its not good to push start my bike. Is that true? I don't plan on doing it again, I just needed to do it a few times bc I was in a pinch
 
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#4 ·
Sounds like you need a new battery. After a while they just don't hold a charge any more. Even if you do get it charged it may only hold for a week or a few days. New batteries are not usually more than $100 or so. Call around to auto parts stores and just tell them you need a battery for year/make/model bike that you have and get quotes for the best price, that will save you from driving all over the place. Also there is nothing at all wrong with push starting, other than it being a pain in the ass and embarrassing.
 
#7 ·
Most battery manufacturers have a fitment list either in a book or online plug in make and model comes out with recommended products from that manufacturer.

ie here Yuasa Batteries :: Motorcycle

Odyssey Drycell Motorcycle Batteries

A true load test will check cranking amps, a voltmeter across the terminals won't tell you much.
However if you want a basic guide a good but flat battery will read around 12-12.2 volts across the terminals a fully charged battery will be around 12.4-12.6 volts. Anything below 12 suggests it has dropped a cell or is about to. For a basic load test you can put a volt meter across the battery and take note of what the reading is then turn the headlights on even with a flat battery the voltage should only drop about 0.2-0.4 volts. If it dumps down to a number with anything that starts with an 11 if its really bad a 9 the battery is dead and you need a newy.

Although as I said this is a basic guide you can preform with a multimeter/voltmeter the definative answer will be a load test which most battery retailers will do for free.
 
#10 ·
GET A BATTERY TENDER!!! It'll solve most of your future problems. while i have owned/used one, never had a battery go bad. the longest i've had the stock battery in any of my bikes was the Busa... 5 years... then i sold the bike. grrr. i seem to have bike adhd
 
#12 ·
I use a battery tender when I park the bike every night. I have a Black&Decker orange one, it's very good at keeping the battery level.

These older Ducatis are famous for their bad charging systems, so I've done all the typical steps to take care of my battery, and I advice:

1-Get a voltimeter permanently connected to the battery terminals. This way everytime I ride I monitor how well the bike is charging, and I have an idea of how good is the battery before I ride. (Nero Diablo's numbers are good in my case)

2-NEVER push start it or attempt to start it when the battery is low. This could cause other, more expensive, electrical problems.

With your symptons, I'd say it's possible that your battery is ruined or going to be ruined soon, given that it has fallen too low. My old battery had this problem, and then I recharged it but it wouldn't hold charge due to a lack of water in it. I re-filled and re-charged and it worked fine, but this is a short term solution, in general.

However, not only would I check/replace the battery, but most importantly, get a multimeter and test your charging system. An R/R failure is not uncommon on vehicles that don't have a very reliable charging systems (read: sportbikes in general).

Do it like this: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/51669068/Ducati Info/Charging system article from VA Duc adobe.pdf

Or, here is some useful info, too: Charging System Diagnostics - Rectifier/Regulator Upgrade - Triumph Forum: Triumph Rat Motorcycle Forums (although, when he says that at idle battery voltage should be 13V+, that does not apply to MY bike; I don't know if it does to yours)
 
#14 ·
Push starting is not going to damage the bike physically, but like Uncal said, can cause electrical issues. The first one that comes to mind is an exploding battery. It is unlikely, but I've seen it before on a lawnmower; started it with a bad battery in it, using the pull starter. After a few minutes, boom.
 
#16 ·
Yeah.... this CAN happen. But it's pretty unlikely.


If you've gotten to the point of having to push start a bike, then it's because you need your bike and it's your only option.

Thus- if I'm in the situation where I need to push start my bike, I'd go ahead and do it every time. First option would be a jump start... but if you are by yourself with no cars around, then you can't do that.
 
#15 ·
By the way, are you a member of any specific zx6 forums? That's always a good thing, to find a good brand/model specific forum.

You wouldn't believe how much wisdom I've found in the Ducati forum. My bike would not be running without it.

There, you can search/ask what battery is recommended for your bike.
 
#19 ·
Most bike manufacturers use the smallest and lightest battery they can get away with, but really the heavy lead-acid batteries are stone-age for sport-bikes these days. A strong battery is the foundation of your motorcycle; if it won't start you can't ride it so spending a few extra bucks is well worth it. I got the Shorai extra-strong 18Ah lithium battery (only weighs a couple of pounds) and their battery tender which plugs into a cable to the 5-pin port on the battery ($250 total). Lithium batteries are a bit sluggish in cold weather (until cranking perks up the ions) so I got the stronger model than standard. Shorai says their battery can last 10 yrs with proper care.
 
#21 ·
A battery tender is next on my list! Question about that as well though. You guys know the wires that go from the battery and have a connector on the end to connect to the battery tender? Well mine are too short and I can't get them to slip under the tail, meaning that everytime I would need to charge it, I need to pop the seats off everytime. That's a pain. Does anybody know what gauge wire I can solder to the existing wire to make the connector a little longer to make it more convenient for me?
 
#24 ·
Go to the sears auto department (many times a separate building). They sell the die hard trickle chargers and their accessories.

one of said accessories is a 2ft pigtail with an in-line fuse. It's got the ring terminals on one end and the correct connector on the other. It's like 6 bucks, I think. Maybe 8.

Cheap, and MUCH better than the short-ass ones that come with the chargers. I have one on my BMW because the battery is absolutely BURIED on that thing. So I want that thing to stay good for as long as possible so I don't have to dig it out....



Also- most lithium motorcycle batteries are absolute crap. Some people swear by the Shorai ones, but I've heard SO many negative things about them that I'm not even thinking of getting close to buying one.
 
#25 ·
Most battery tenders that I have bought (I have three) have come with the 1' long ones. A guy at work bought a bike that I fixed up for him, and it came with the 2' one with a fuse- he didn't have a charger, so I took it from him.

I recently saw them at sears. They are cheaper than the battery tender brand ones, which they have at some motorcycle dealers... but again- not all of them are the long ones.

The normal ones are too short for MOST bikes, even when the battery is just under the seat. I hate them.
 
#37 ·
As with any battery one should occasionally check the at rest and charging voltage to insure the R/R is at optimum (the reason for the scare stories about lithium batteries catching fire). Lead-acid batteries have plenty of disadvantages; they are heavy, lose charge at rest, lose power in cold weather, the plates sulphate during storage and boil dry if over-charged, sulphuric acid burns the skin, and I have seen one explode (blew the end right out of it) when boosted the wrong way.
-Problem with sport-bikes is that the lead-acid batteries are marginal to save weight. The only problem with lithium batteries is that they can be sluggish on start-up in cold weather, but the solution is to buy a stronger model than the standard recommended one; well worth a few extra bucks. The Shorai 18Ah model I have starts nicely below 10C and the battery tender (which connects to a cable to the 5 pin port) keeps the battery at 13.25 volts during storage and 14.8v max when set to charge. Proper care is keeping the battery above 13 v, avoiding very high temperatures, and checking that the R/R is working properly.
 
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