Battery problems

CHuebner

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Hello!
I have had issues with the life-span of the battery with the last two batteries I used. Both were Yuasa and neither lasted not even two years. I am not sure what would cause that. I do hook the battery up to a trickle charger in the winter - does the type/brand of trickle charger matter? I run two accessories which are hooked up to the battery: fog lights (Denali) and a Garmin Zumo. Could that be too much load for the battery?

Thanks for any advice or input!!

Chris
 

Sierra1

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Is it a trickle charger, or a maintainer? They're sorta the same but different. A lot depends on terminology on where you live. For the record, you want a battery maintainer; reduces overcharge. Also, keep the maintainer plugged in while the bike isn't in use. I've killed my battery twice, it's four years old, and it still works fine. But, I keep it on a maintainer when I'm not riding.
 

WJBertrand

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Agreed you can fry a battery with a trickle charger left connected too long. The problem is they have no way to sense the condition / charge level of the battery and they just keep delivering their rated amps no matter what. A battery maintainer like a battery tender will switch into a float mode when it senses the battery is fully charged. In float mode charge is only applied as needed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

EricV

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@CHuebner - Welcome to the forum. Please take a minute to add your location to your profile. It gives context to your posts and helps others give better answers to questions you may have.

Your fog lights and GPS do not have too much load. However, if your GPS is wired strait to the battery it draws power even when off. That can slowly drain a battery down while the bike is sitting and that kind of parasitic drain is hard on batteries.

Have you come out to find the battery too low to start and had to put it on the trickle charger before going for a ride? If so, how often?

How often do you get a chance to go for a ride? Once a week, daily, ones a month, etc? Give us an idea of how frequently you ride and how long your average rides are.

As others said, you can't hook up a standard trickle charger and just leave it on for weeks or months. It will heat up the battery and boil the acid slowly out of it, which can't be replaced in a standard AGM Yuasa battery. That dramatically shortens battery life. Maintenance chargers charge, then go into float mode when the battery is fully charged, then will go back into charge mode if the voltage drops enough. Some also desulfate when required, like the Optimate 3. I have one of those and my bike batteries typically last 7-10 years.

You're better off disconnecting the battery in the winter and bringing it inside somewhere that's warm. Don't leave it sitting on concrete either, it can lead to a slow discharge. A piece of cardboard or wood under it prevents that.
 

StefanOnHisS10

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Hello!
I have had issues with the life-span of the battery with the last two batteries I used. Both were Yuasa and neither lasted not even two years. I am not sure what would cause that. I do hook the battery up to a trickle charger in the winter - does the type/brand of trickle charger matter? I run two accessories which are hooked up to the battery: fog lights (Denali) and a Garmin Zumo. Could that be too much load for the battery?

Thanks for any advice or input!!

Chris
What Ericv said and make sure your accessories are switched via the ignition and not directly on the battery. Even when the GPS IS not on the mount, the GPS mount itself will drain the battery slowly. That lowers the life of it.

Stefan.
 

gv550

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Check your charging voltage, at the battery terminals with the engine running. Less than 13v could mean a failing stator, over 14.4v could mean a failed regulator.
 

Sierra1

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. . . . Have you come out to find the battery too low to start and had to put it on the trickle charger before going for a ride? If so, how often?. . . .
Actually, @CHuebner, at what point did you replace the batteries? When they cranked slow, or just plain wouldn't start the bike? Because the YTZ-12 battery has a reputation of being a slow cranker; often replaced by a YTZ-14 version. Even mine occasionally cranks hard, to the point it almost sounds dead. Then it kicks in and everything is normal. I don't know if I catch it on a compression stroke or what. And, mine is ridden daily.
 
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Jlq1969

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Actually, @CHuebner, at what point did you replace the batteries? When they cranked slow, or just plain wouldn't start the bike? Because the YTX-12 battery has a reputation of being a slow cranker; often replaced by a YTX-14 version. Even mine occasionally cranks hard, to the point it almost sounds dead. Then it kicks in and everything is normal. I don't know if I catch it on a compression stroke or what. And, mine is ridden daily.
YTZ… .YTX has acid inside it, and "I think", but I'm almost sure they can't be turn up side down
 
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Sierra1

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TomAto. . . . tomAHto. But, you're right, I thought something looked wrong. Fixed. Thanks.
 

OldRider

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Let me add something to anyone thinking about getting a YTZ14 battery. If you are wanting one, I would get it now, if you can find one. Yuasa is so far behind on production that they won't be shipping any batteries to the distributors until after the first of the year. The big three distributors, WPS, Tucker and Parts unlimited are running out of almost all Yuasa Battery numbers. Parts Unlimited is the largest distributor of Yuasa batteries in the world and they have zero YTZ14 batteries in stock.
 

MFP

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@CHuebner Maintenance chargers charge, then go into float mode when the battery is fully charged, then will go back into charge mode if the voltage drops enough. Some also desulfate when required, like the Optimate 3.
An excellent alternative and quite similar to the Optimate, the NOCO Genius2 maintains and has a desulfate function as well:
 

CHuebner

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@CHuebner - Welcome to the forum. Please take a minute to add your location to your profile. It gives context to your posts and helps others give better answers to questions you may have.

Your fog lights and GPS do not have too much load. However, if your GPS is wired strait to the battery it draws power even when off. That can slowly drain a battery down while the bike is sitting and that kind of parasitic drain is hard on batteries.

Have you come out to find the battery too low to start and had to put it on the trickle charger before going for a ride? If so, how often?

How often do you get a chance to go for a ride? Once a week, daily, ones a month, etc? Give us an idea of how frequently you ride and how long your average rides are.

As others said, you can't hook up a standard trickle charger and just leave it on for weeks or months. It will heat up the battery and boil the acid slowly out of it, which can't be replaced in a standard AGM Yuasa battery. That dramatically shortens battery life. Maintenance chargers charge, then go into float mode when the battery is fully charged, then will go back into charge mode if the voltage drops enough. Some also desulfate when required, like the Optimate 3. I have one of those and my bike batteries typically last 7-10 years.

You're better off disconnecting the battery in the winter and bringing it inside somewhere that's warm. Don't leave it sitting on concrete either, it can lead to a slow discharge. A piece of cardboard or wood under it prevents that.
Thanks, everybody, for your excellent advice!
EricV - I will fill in my profile ASAP. To answer your questions: I ride once or twice a week, to work or for fun on the weekend. I do store the battery in a warm place during the winter but it sounds like Part of the problem might be that I have it hooked up to a trickle charger from December to early April which might actually damage the battery?
I will definitely get one of those maintainers everybody is talking about. One further question - when the bike is parked in the garage should I hit the “off” position on the switch for the fog lights, in addition to just turning the ignition off? Could not doing so cause parasitic draining of the battery?
Thanks!
Chris
 

Kyle_E

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I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide.
I will definitely get one of those maintainers everybody is talking about. One further question - when the bike is parked in the garage should I hit the “off” position on the switch for the fog lights, in addition to just turning the ignition off? Could not doing so cause parasitic draining of the battery?
Thanks!
Chris
Depends on how the lights are hooked up. But best practice would be to turn them off (don't worry about it too much to be honest).

I've been using Battery Tender Junior for 5 years, and like it, $40 or so. Comes with the SAE plug you just wire direct to the battery and leave sticking out some place along the frame rail behind the tank. Also comes with clamps for if you want to have the battery out of the bike. I keep my spare battery on the tender full time in the corner of the garage.
 

EricV

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Hi Chris, thanks for adding your location. Now we know you have a US bike. :) The "off" switch will not impact the fog lights. It does prevent the fuel pump from coming on if you turn the key on and don't start the bike. Otherwise, not really any impact to this situation. With the lights off, either by key or switch if they are hard wired direct to the battery, no draw occurs. We're more concerned about the GPS for a slow drain.

The constant trickle charger from Dec to April might be the culprit for your shorter than average battery life.

Do you know how the GPS or GPS Mount is wired?

And what brand and model is your trickle charger?
 

Cantab

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Let me add something to anyone thinking about getting a YTZ14 battery. If you are wanting one, I would get it now, if you can find one. Yuasa is so far behind on production that they won't be shipping any batteries to the distributors until after the first of the year. The big three distributors, WPS, Tucker and Parts unlimited are running out of almost all Yuasa Battery numbers. Parts Unlimited is the largest distributor of Yuasa batteries in the world and they have zero YTZ14 batteries in stock.
Yep , took 9 months for a shipment to get to New Zealand , bought a $50 cheapy to get me thru.....new normal is waiting for EVERYTHING down here.
 

CHuebner

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Hi Chris, thanks for adding your location. Now we know you have a US bike. :) The "off" switch will not impact the fog lights. It does prevent the fuel pump from coming on if you turn the key on and don't start the bike. Otherwise, not really any impact to this situation. With the lights off, either by key or switch if they are hard wired direct to the battery, no draw occurs. We're more concerned about the GPS for a slow drain.

The constant trickle charger from Dec to April might be the culprit for your shorter than average battery life.

Do you know how the GPS or GPS Mount is wired?

And what brand and model is your trickle charger?
Thanks, Eric! The brand of the trickle charger is EverStart. Just to clarify - I take the GPS unit off the cradle any time the bike is not running. Are you saying that just the cradle could cause parasitic drain?
Thanks!

chris
 

EricV

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Thanks, Eric! The brand of the trickle charger is EverStart. Just to clarify - I take the GPS unit off the cradle any time the bike is not running. Are you saying that just the cradle could cause parasitic drain?
Thanks!

chris
Yes, What Stefan said, the GPS mount can draw power, even w/o the GPS in it and the bike turned off, (if it's directly wired to the battery). It seems dumb, but a lot of people have been bitten by this in the past.

Everstart makes a wide range of battery chargers. Not the highest quality, but they work. Some are maintenance chargers and should be fine left on your battery for months. Others are not designed for that. Got a model or a picture of yours? For motorcycle batteries you typically don't want higher than 3 amp chargers, unless they are sophisticated ones for desulphating.
 

CHuebner

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Yes, What Stefan said, the GPS mount can draw power, even w/o the GPS in it and the bike turned off, (if it's directly wired to the battery). It seems dumb, but a lot of people have been bitten by this in the past.

Everstart makes a wide range of battery chargers. Not the highest quality, but they work. Some are maintenance chargers and should be fine left on your battery for months. Others are not designed for that. Got a model or a picture of yours? For motorcycle batteries you typically don't want higher than 3 amp chargers, unless they are sophisticated ones for desulphating.
Ok, so if the cradle can draw some parasitic load if hooked up to the battery how do I fix it so it doesn’t?
Thanks!
chris
 
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