Motorcycle battery
|
Author |
Message |
'The Overlord'
Egg Moderator
Member Lvl: 77
Egg Points: 580659
Posts: 6244
|
| Posted: Jun 29, 2008 5:47 p.m. - Subject: Motorcycle battery |
| |
I have a 12 volt motorcycle battery which I bought about this time last year. I let it die over the winter :(
I have it on a 2volt trickle charge. About how long will it take to charge? Six hours? Where do I find the formula for that? My charger just stops when the battery is full... it doesn’t have a meter.
|
Egg Moderator
Member Lvl: 30
Egg Points: 622045
Posts: 2969
|
| Posted: Jun 30, 2008 6:19 a.m. - Subject: |
| |
Hey Gimp! :-D
Good questions...
First, what brand and model charger, and what’s the rating on the battery?
A trickle charger is generally rated in amps, not volts... Check to see that you’re reading it right...
I charge small 12 volt lead acid batteries at about 1.5 to 2 amps on the 12 volt setting, depending on the amp/hour rating of the battery. You should charge it at about 1/10th the A/h rating. The amount of time will vary. If it’s in real bad shape, it may take up to 14 hours, but should be checked after 6.
Check your fluid levels in the battery. If the cells are low, add distilled water. Check it every so often during charging. And no smoking near it while charging... That’s hydrogen bubbling off the plates in the battery! O.O
In order to check it after charging, you have to get rid of the ’surface charge’. Connect the battery to the motorcycle and turn the headlight on for about two minutes. Then read the voltage with a meter. If it’s fully charged, it should read about 12.2-12.4 v.
If it reads lower than that, you will have to continue charging. If, after 24 hours, it still isn’t fully charged, it may be too far gone. :-(
Unfortunately, motorcycle battery manufacturers won’t warranty a battery for more than a year. They suggest yearly replacement. But, with proper care, you can actually get 2 or even 3 years out of it.
|
Normal Egg
Member Lvl: 5
Egg Points: 188
Posts: 13
|
| Posted: Jul 02, 2008 10:23 a.m. - Subject: |
| |
Look for a local car battery dealer, they usually sell "BLEM" (blemished) batteries for around 30 bucks.
|
'The Overlord'
Egg Moderator
Member Lvl: 77
Egg Points: 580659
Posts: 6244
|
| Posted: Jul 02, 2008 9:24 p.m. - Subject: |
| |
Thanks, Dodge. You’re right, it was Amps. I wasn’t paying attention. The battery is really hard to remove and that’s why I don’t take it out for the winter like I’m supposed to. My old motorcycle was a breeze: the battery was under the seat and you just opened the seat with the key and there it was. Piece of cake. This battery is hidden underneath the starter. I have remove the fuse box to even get to it and the negative terminal is in a difficult to reach location.
I’d also like to figure out which fuse controls the headlight (guess I have to dig the manual out). Back in the day, the lights weren’t always on but some states made it a requirement to have an "always on" headlamp for safety reasons. This means if the battery even drains a little bit you can’t start the motorcycle even with a pop-start. Sometimes I really miss that old Yamaha 250 I had in college. It was so much simpler.
|
'The Overlord'
Egg Moderator
Member Lvl: 77
Egg Points: 580659
Posts: 6244
|
| Posted: Jul 02, 2008 9:28 p.m. - Subject: |
| |
Two more things... the battery is a "no maintenance" battery so refilling it isn’t necessary.
Second thing is I took care of the ’surface charge’ issue accidentally while installing it. I managed to get it caught such that it completed the circuit and let off I real nice spark! XD
|
'For’∈m MΦD'
Forum Moderator
Member Lvl: 70
Egg Points: 1669124
Posts: 10410
AIM YIM
|
| Posted: Jul 03, 2008 6:05 a.m. - Subject: |
| |
^That’s always a blast (no pun intended)...
What that Ama guy said up there is true too, if you’re looking for a new one for cheap.
|
Egg Moderator
Member Lvl: 30
Egg Points: 622045
Posts: 2969
|
| Posted: Jul 03, 2008 6:13 p.m. - Subject: |
| |
LuLz... That burn mark on the frame is a battle scar. Wear it proudly!
And to make it easier next winter, park your bike in your living room. :-D
|
'The Overlord'
Egg Moderator
Member Lvl: 77
Egg Points: 580659
Posts: 6244
|
| Posted: Jul 04, 2008 10:04 a.m. - Subject: |
| |
I meant to tell Ahamay "thanks" for the inexpensive battery recommendation. Especially since I seem to be going through them. Seems at my age by the time I address one issue, I’ve forgotten the rest of the comments! >:(
|
'For’∈m MΦD'
Forum Moderator
Member Lvl: 70
Egg Points: 1669124
Posts: 10410
AIM YIM
|
| Posted: Jul 05, 2008 8:51 a.m. - Subject: |
| |
^I’m sure he understands...Oldtimerz disease and all :P
|
Egg Moderator
Member Lvl: 30
Egg Points: 622045
Posts: 2969
|
| Posted: Jul 05, 2008 10:35 a.m. - Subject: |
| |
^You’ll be there soon, too... :-P
Happy 10k posts, BTW...
|
|
|
