Bad battery, or something else?

[Jeff P]

Before I run off to Wally World for a new battery, I figured I'd check in here to rule out any other problems.  Here's the story:

Bought bike back in May '03.  Always started up fine, runs good.  In March '04, after sitting all winter, the battery was predictably dead.  Had to run-start the bike, but after letting it run for a few minutes the battery was charged back up and was able to start with no problem from then on.  Except when I let the bike sit for more than 7 days or so.  The battery would lose it's charge and it would need a run-start again.  Less than 7 days and there'd be enough juice to get it started.

Fast forward to last week.  I get the rejetted carbs in, and do the run-start to test her out.  It worked, the bike runs fine, but now the battery appears to be taking very little charge.  The lights come on and all looks well, but it can barely get a single turn out of the engine before the hapless click-click-clicking starts.  I can ride for an hour, shut the bike off, then try to start it right away and it won't start.

Note, I also noticed last week that the battery needed a water fill up.  It was way below the fill line.  Filled 'er up.

So, it seems that the alternator must be working, and that the connections must be ok 'cause the bike does run and the lights all work.  So is it off to Walmart?

jeff

[scratch]

I kinda get the same thing. The battery I have is the one that came with the bike when I bought it used. One three day weekend in the summer, that I did not run the bike all three days, would not start the fourth day. Put the battery on the charger to get her started. Now, this Christmas vacation, because I was sick, I didn't start the bike from the 24th til the 2nd, but she started after some cranking the 3rd; and started right up today.

Batteries discharge over time. If you know you're gonna let the bike sit for any period of time it might help to disconnect the negative terminal.

[gs2sv]

sounds like the battery is knackered to me. My wifes bike does pretty much the same thing, if you let the thing go more than a week without running it, it won't start. only thing is hers will start right up after it's been run for a while. the problem was worse before we rejet the carbs. we finally got sick of it and ordered her yuasa batt last week. hopefully that will be better than the el genero that's in there. I would say it's time to replace. that running start thing gets to be a real drag. ( or push I guess)

[JetSwing]

i don't think you never really gave it any chance to FULLY charge up...

also, if you let it drain again and again, it'll eventually die for good.

[RedShift]

Your info suggests to me that you have a weak battery that just kept getting weaker.  Even a good battery will discharge by about 1% per day even with leads disconnected.

If you push-start a bike and run it for a while, you have a recent charge and a looser engine.  Takes less juice to turn over and can give you a false sense of security.  Waiting a day or two may have put you right back were you were.

The low fluid levels concern me.  If you have any plates that have bridged, you loose more cranking Amps.

It costs you little to refill the cells and put the battery on an Car Battery Charger (2 amp max please) for an hour or two.  If the current draw doesn't drop to almost nothing, the battery should become a boat anchor (figuratively speaking).

If the weak behavior doesn't improve, it is indeed "wallet time".

Roy...

[grant]

Had to run-start the bike, but after letting it run for a few minutes the battery was charged back up and was able to start with no problem from then on.

There's no way your battery was "charged back up" after a few minutes.

My 1 amp charger takes 8-10 hours to get a dead battery to 90-95% charge.  I don't know what charge an idling GS500 puts out but I'm confident it's not 100 amps

Your battery may or may not have some life left in it, use a multimeter to find out for sure, but either way you need to get a proper battery charger, preferably charger/conditioner, and give your battery some time on it.   I've killed my SV battery about 3 times and after 3 years it's still pretty strong.

[grant]

p.s. the ex drained her gs500 battery too, and even after jump starts + 45 minute rides, it still couldn't re-start the bike.   Finally I lent her my charger which helped a bit, but by then it was a lost cause so she had to replace it.  

So you can either spend $50 on a charger that will last forever, or $50 every few years on premature battery deaths

Bike electrical systems are not designed to charge dead batteries....

[weaselnoze]

sounds like the battery is knackered to me. My wifes bike does pretty much the same thing, if you let the thing go more than a week without running it, it won't start. only thing is hers will start right up after it's been run for a while. the problem was worse before we rejet the carbs. we finally got sick of it and ordered her yuasa batt last week. hopefully that will be better than the el genero that's in there. I would say it's time to replace. that running start thing gets to be a real drag. ( or push I guess)

im sorry this is off topic but you always post using words like we and us.  do u guys both own the bike or what?

[cummuterguy]

Actually, your alternator/ generator is not designed to 'charge' your battery. It's designed to maintain your batteries state of charge.

So if you have a good battery with a full charge of 12.6 volts, your alternator keeps up just fine.

If you have a weak battery with only a 'surface charge' (shows 12 volts until you use the battery for a small task) your alternator hasn't got a chance of keeping up with it. It can only put another 'surface charge' back in it.

This may not help this time, cause that battery is probably ruined now, but never depend on your alternator to "recharge" your dead battery, even if you push start the bike, and it seems fine, put a slow charger on the battery as soon as possible anyway.

This holds true for your bike or your car, by the way.

also...  I'm not a big fan of the walmart battery, I use Interstate in all my vehicles, they are more expensive, but IMHO worth the extra money.

[gs2sv]

im sorry this is off topic but you always post using words like we and us. do u guys both own the bike or what?

The gs was my bike, but I soon passed it on to the wife and bought the SV. But, after the SV was stolen I started using the bike for commuting again. So technicaly it is HERS. I am just borrowing it, and moding it, and maintaining it... all with her permission of course.

[weaselnoze]

im sorry this is off topic but you always post using words like we and us. do u guys both own the bike or what?

The gs was my bike, but I soon passed it on to the wife and bought the SV. But, after the SV was stolen I started using the bike for commuting again. So technicaly it is HERS. I am just borrowing it, and moding it, and maintaining it... all with her permission of course.

ohh, gotcha. now the sv avatar makes sense...

[Jeff P]

Thanks for all the replies everybody.  Sounds like my battery was weak to start with and the repeated abuse has probably given it the death blow.  I'll have to look into a proper charger when I pick up the new one.

jeff