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No Spring Start

2K views 18 replies 11 participants last post by  richw 
#1 ·
I don't get it. A blistering 45 outside, but not raining. Time to reactivate the Vee. Installed the 1 year new battery that was on a new tender all winter. Display illuminates with clock, but shows no fuel bars. Kill switch to on, trans in neutral. No fuel pump. No fuel bars. What did I forget?
 
#4 ·
The battery reads 12.74. Turn the key to On and the voltage drops far below 1v. So, I guess this battery is completely shot, or can I jump it and the bike will recharge it? I have some small cables.
 
#5 ·
You are taking a big risk to ride on a dead battery.!!!!

The battery is like a big shock absorber and without it working as it should you run the risk of power spikes in your electrical system.:yikes:

A new battery is cheap insurance.
 
#8 ·
I'm in OZ and I use solar to keep my batteries in good shape but if I had long down times like many of you I would fit the bike battery under the hood of my car and power it through the cars system.

A cars alternator will do the best job of keeping your battery in good condition.

Even a sealed battery can be over charged and loose it's electrolytes, a good way to tell if your fluids are getting low is to have your head lights on and rev the motor.
The lower the batteries fluid the more the lights power will change with the RPM's, low RPM = low light & high RPM = bright light your fluids are low.
Good fluid = little change at all RPM's
 
#9 ·
I see my future. I'm buying a new battery. And the tender goes to the next rummage sale. Thanks for the replies.
 
#10 · (Edited)
No issues

I have a Battery Tender on mine all the time, and have since I got the bike in 2008 and its still the stock battery. Got 45k on the bike........ I travel for work 3 weeks a month, and have 3 bikes, so sometimes the Wee will sit for 2 or 3 months between rides. Never had any issues and she always fires right up.

You sure you don't have a connection, terminal, ground issue, or something putting a constant draw on your battery? Just saying. Battery Tenders are designed to maintain a battery over long periods of time, so if your battery is only lasting a year, then I'd suspect you may have other issues.....
 
#11 ·
Remember Walmart TELLS a supplier what they will pay so name brand at Walmart may/probably is not of the same quality

China is a kleptocracy so substitutions will be made for cheap without telling anyone

All I is tellin ya id put the tender on once and a while over the winter like for a day or 2. I trust the tender part if you forget for a couple of days.

The other is desulphating cycle which is an over voltage if it stays on that it would cook a battery
 
#14 ·
I have a battery tender on a 2006 Kawasaki Vulcan (purchased spring 2007). Battery tender on all the time it is parked. Original battery. Still works fine. Sometimes this bike sits for 3 weeks, and then starts right up.

I would put the battery you have on the battery tender (out of the bike), let it go to green, check voltage of battery at that point. You could even put it on another tapering charger if you don't trust the battery tender. Maybe the battery had a bad cell from new.......it's happened before.
 
#16 ·
Not all battery trickle chargers are equal. I got a couple of ones from Harbor Freight a few years ago that didn't work at all. But they were cheapies--about $9.00 apiece, I think. I got another one called a NOCO Genius, that did it's all out best to kill my battery! Stay away from that one.
 
#17 ·
Installed new battery today, fired right up. I really suspect the tender destroyed the battery. I don't know how, but I never used one previously on any battery and never had a problem. One charge in Spring after lying dormant for months, and never looked back.
 
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