Fecking Batteries!!!

[andy230]

Are we all in the same boat here??!!

The skorpion was out of service for a few weeks, so obviously the battery died.  I thik I charged it, but left it a couple of days.  So then I "jumped it" off the battery powering the garage (12v).  Very handy, can now do it without removing any parts from bike, but am considering putting am easy-access socket...!!!  (ok maybe not the last bit)

(Actually, I'd rather fit a kickstart!!)

I have been running with no lights to try to charge it.  Except 100 miles motorway trip, with headlights.  IT was fine, but next day, no starting.  I jumped it off the garage battery again, and it now generally starts as long as I don't use the lights.

So I think I need a new battery

While using the Skorp, and having a long holiday, the DR was out of use.  I got it back after the jols.  Battery's flat.  I charged it last night, and I'm sure its knackered, wouldn't pull charge at all at first, then 3A, 2A, 1A.  I will get the voltmeter on it this evening.

I fear its also knackered.

Both The DR and skorp have working alternators (lights work when running), and no obvious faults in wiing, reg-rect, etc.

So I should have 12v engine off, and about 13.5v engine running, right??

And the plates look to be discoloured and sedimented.  Knackered?!

And are singles just good at wrecking batteries??  I will try to insulate them nexty time (from vibes) as both just sit in little metal carriers. 

Both batteries are good brands (Yuasa I think) and I bought new, about 18 months ago, and filled myself. 

As the garage is solar now, I think I'll wire in some trickle charge jack plugs from the walls near where I park the bikes, and keep them on a "daytime trickle feed" for when they're laid up.  Plus they can be used to power my lights, radio etc! 

Can you offer advice to my queries?  I think I'll have to fork out anyway (although I am VERY tight, so maybe not quite yet!)   Catch you all later

a

ps.  Bill- needing bits??  I have CDI, and reg-rects I think.  Need?

[Andy M]

You are right about the battery voltages for checking (12/13.5). A lack of volts plus discoloured plates would have me heading out to buy a new one. 

I am no fan of "trickle" or "smart" chargers though. Batteries need to work. Any charger can take a week to do a twelve hour job, or stop when it's had enough, but it takes something really clever to put a load on and take the power out (thus preventing the thing expecting high voltage to push any sort of current by marking the plates structure). I'd buy a new battery for starters and fit some QD means of removing it from the bike (also a security measure). If a new battery won't hold power for a few weeks I'd be thinking about just how much you need to do the job, what condition the earth is in, what leaks to ground you've got etc.

I too would agree every bike should have a kick start!

Andy

[guest27]

If you look at the battery people's splurge they suggest that you should replace the battery every year - now whilst I would not go that far, a MC battery driving a lekky boot has a hard life.  Yup I am a great lover of kick starters and cannot really see the need for lekky boots unless it is a pig to start or you have other reasons (aka Damo).

Lead acid batteries like to be cycled to keep them clean and running - heavy discharge and recharge etc.  I understand some of the battery managers do this.

Using the bike batteries to run radio / lights etc in the garage should help towards this.

Vibrations are not good for them - do not know if gel batteries are better in this respect - though they do not last as long (so I am told)

R