[Nerf]

So I've been having some nagging electrical issues on my K3 Vee lately. I thought it might be the new Autocomm I added a little while ago. I'd have to leave the bike sitting for an "extended period of time" & it would be dead when I came back to it. I recently took a week's vacation & had to take the cage. When I came back I knew the battery was going to be dead so I hooked it up to the Battery Tender & started the charge. Well....after 2 days it was STILL dead! My wife, being the smart one in the house, said that I just needed to have the battery checked at Advanced Auto. I agreed with her, BUT with a bike not running that meant that I'd have to take the battery out & take it up there. She said that I should just go buy a new battery so that's what I did. I mean....what would YOU do if "The Boss" "gave you permission" to spend money on your bike!! :biggrinjester: Anyway, I went up there & they had a couple choices. I went with the MagnaPower battery on the recommendation of the guy working there. He said that he has that model in his Suzuki Boulevard & hasn't had any problems. So, bought it...put it in....fired it up & WOW!!!

Fast forward to this morning's ride in.....MAN THIS THING RUNS LIKE A SCALDED RAT!!! I realize that the only thing the battery is really for is to crank the vehicle it's in. It SHOULDN'T have anything to do with how it runs, but I have to say that some of the "issues" that Vee's seem to have were gone. No chuddering, no surging, no "fickleness" in general. It ran just like a new bike!

So....I just thought I'd share!

 

[Cake_Kat]

Just because the battery has to start the bike doesn't mean that it isn't an important part of the ignition system. The battery acts as a buffer between the alternator and the coils. The coils get a "clean" supply of energy from the battery which is being constantly refreshed by the alternator. If the battery is dead or can only take a shallow charge, then the coils need to take the energy directly from the alternator. That's the source of the running problems.

BTW, chudder and battery shouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence for fear that RealShelby will attempt to cure chudder with his new auxiliary alternator contraption.

 

[Nerf]

BTW, chudder and battery shouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence for fear that RealShelby will attempt to cure chudder with his new auxiliary alternator contraption.

ROFLMAO!!! :hurray:

 

[realshelby]

BTW, chudder and battery shouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence for fear that RealShelby will attempt to cure chudder with his new auxiliary alternator contraption.

Speaking of that.....No, really that is funny but while I am sure chudder won't be eliminated the effect on engine operation caused by low voltage is REAL! Nerf no doubt can tell the difference. Just before I had my stator completely fail my Vee was not running well at all. I realize that now but couldn't put my finger on it then. Now that the bike has proper voltage it is completely different...and improved. Low voltage can effect the quality of the spark delivered to the combustion event, effect how much fuel the injectors deliver ( think slightly lower fuel pressure=less fuel per spray ), as well as effect the readings the sensors give the ecm.

 

[neebob]

I also used to think the battery was just to start the bike until I started having problems with starting a hot ZRX.Started great when cold but hot it would just spin and spin without starting. Wait 5-10 min it fired up fine.Batt was original and 8yrs old and spent alot of time on a tender but after forum search replaced batt and all was fine and I swear smoother running.

 

[richw]

Injectors are linear motors

Bad batteries act as big resistors

 

[Nerf]

I have a buddy that's a BMW guy. He said once that a bike battery should last 2-3 years, 5 TOPS, before it needs to be changed. For me, not knowing if this was the original battery (kinda suspect it was) this change has been a GREAT thing! It feels just like a brand new bike! Maybe even a crotch rocket!! :yikes:

 

[DkKnight]

I went through the same thing about 3 weeks ago - heading to a dealer to test ride a C14, bike was hard to start after not having been riding for a month or so with no battery tender and temps going from 60 to 90.
Bike ran crappy, I thought maybe bad fuel after sitting, the voltmeter showed barely 12 volts while riding at 65mph
When leaving the dealer the bike would not start, dealer tested the battery and it was toast, probably due to the temp variances, as the heat is worse than cold.
I got a new battery, installed it and the bike has run like a champ ever since.

DK