Advice as to when to change battery...

rickster

Member
My CTX is a 2014 and has the original OEM battery in it still. No problems with it at all. But, being aware that it's three years old (at least) and not wanting to get stuck out on some rural road I'm wondering when I should replace it proactively. Anyone with experience in having a battery fail? How long did yours last? What did you replace it with? When not on the road, mine is garaged which keeps it protected from the cold, but nothing can protect it from the summer heat that it endures while riding which often exceeds 100 degrees.
 

randy1149

New member
That all depends on how you keep the battery fully charged preventing sulfation from developing. Sulfation is the number one reason batteries fail. Smart chargers like Battery Tendor goes thru 4 cycles that will keep the battery fully charged and to an extent dissolve sulfation during the 4 cycles. I use a Battery Tendor even if it's only over night storage.

I have been doing this for 20-30 years and I get 7 years from my batteries and never had one fail. The batteries are still good but I replace them just to be on the safe side.

Don't use a trickle charger. It has no brains and can over charge the battery and kill it.
 

rickster

Member
That all depends on how you keep the battery fully charged preventing sulfation from developing. Sulfation is the number one reason batteries fail. Smart chargers like Battery Tendor goes thru 4 cycles that will keep the battery fully charged and to an extent dissolve sulfation during the 4 cycles. I use a Battery Tendor even if it's only over night storage.

I have been doing this for 20-30 years and I get 7 years from my batteries and never had one fail. The batteries are still good but I replace them just to be on the safe side.

Don't use a trickle charger. It has no brains and can over charge the battery and kill it.

I ride the bike almost every day. Even in the winter I'll take it out for 45-90 minutes each day. The relatively few rainy days we get out here are the exception. With that much use, I've never thought to put it on a Battery Tender. And, while eeking out extra battery life is a good idea since batteries aren't free, my main concern is not getting stuck on a rural tour where I can't get a new battery and would have to continually jump or bump start the bike. So, with 20 + years in the saddle, you have a lot more experience than I do...with daily riding do I still need a Battery Tender? If not, how can I determine when to replace it? I have a voltmeter...is voltage alone enough to tell?
 

MJC

Super Moderator
I have a 2014 DCT and it had the original OEM battery in it til May of this year. IT was resting over the winter with no charger on it. I thought I just buy a new one at the start of riding season this year, but it tested fine in April and I started riding it everyday, then in May it was dead. One day fine the next dead.

The battery for this bike is small and cheap at around $65. I am not good with hooking things up to the bike, I forget to do it, so I just plan on getting a new battery every year. That is over kill but I feel like it is cheaper then buying a charger (like Randy says get a good one if you do) and forgetting to hook it up and buying a new battery anyway.

For someone that riders everyday, your battery will last more then two years, even 3 is a good bet. If you want to be safe (overkill) replace it every two years.

If you want get motorcycle battery cables and if you ever need them use any car battery (without starting the car) and it will jump your bike fine.

If you do replace your battery every two years you can use the used battery from your bike in a ride on lawnmower, or something like that for yard work. I have used mine in our electric start lawnmower and it is still going fine.

Batteries are funny, most are made by two or three companies and branded by others under names they use. One company X will charge $60 and the same battery under company Y will charge $100. Most auto stores can check your battery for you for free and they sell motorcycle batteries too, so they are not that hard to get.
 

MJC

Super Moderator
"I have a voltmeter...is voltage alone enough to tell?" No, you can check with Voltmeter and get 14.1, turn the key, it will jump down to 13.7 and start the bike. Battery is fine? No. You need to check how far down the voltage drops, and how fast it takes or how much time it takes to fully recharge to 14.1. The longer it takes the weaker the battery. In time it will take longer and longer and will not get fully charged. This test can be done at any auto store without being in the bike.

You could use a voltmeter everyday, just check it before starting the bike, lets say it reads 14.1, next day the same, etc, when it drops down to 13.9 you will know that the battery is starting to not be fully charged, but you would not know if it is the battery or something else, could be the ride was too short, the charging system, loose cables, etc.
 

randy1149

New member
I don't know where mjc is getting those voltages. 14.1 is a voltage after the engine is started and the alternator is running. 13 volts is the maximum for an acid battery. Yes you can tell something about the voltage but NOT when it's connected to the bike. You need an open circuit voltage test AFTER you fully charge the battery. There's too many variable to determine the life of the battery. Go to this LINK and get the Yuasa Maintenance / Technical manual that will give you all the information about charging and testing an acid battery.
 

Steven

Member
I bought a new battery and will be installing it soon. The one on the bike now works fine except that it begins to loose charge is if sets too long especially in cold weather. I've had to jump the bike a couple of times and so I got a battery tender last winter and that seems to work. Still I won't risk the battery going dead. I also bought a Lithium battery jumper, just in case.
 

Merlin III

New member
I have been street riding since 1968. I have never had a battery fail on me on the road with the engine relatively warmed up. Most batteries fail after a long period of non-use at crank up time. They usually give you plenty of warning well before hand that they are dying and that they need to be replaced. However, I carry motorcycle jumper cables in my top box just in case I, or someone , needs a jump.

Having said that, I routinely use my Battery tender when not using the bike for a period of time. Remember, motorcycles use their power hungry head lights all the time the bike is running. Short trips end up leaving your battery less than fully charge.
 

Steven

Member
1968... Me too. The thing is you never know when or if it will happen. My sisters battery in her car just up and quit one day and she had to walk home. I've jumped a few cars in my day too. Normally it happens at home, like you implied, but it doesn't hurt be prepared. Most people I know have never had a flat tire either (on the road), but it happens. I've had two blow outs on my car (with fairly new tires - I don't buy that brand any more and they were expensive) . I've also had two flats on bikes while going down the road, but they were years and years apart.
 
The 3.5 year old OEM battery in my Mazda came up with a dead cell a couple weeks ago, luckily it was at home. I've seen reports of OEM batteries going out within a week or two of leaving the dealership, but others will go for 5-6 years with no problems.

The lightweight lithium batteries (Shorai, Ballistic, etc) seem to have the same types of stories, some people have issues, others don't. But they sure are LIGHT compared to a typical lead-acid battery.
 

MJC

Super Moderator
"I don't know where mjc is getting those voltages. 14.1 is a voltage after the engine is started and the alternator is running. 13 volts is the ..."

I should have said, I was only using these numbers too show what I was talking about, and that you can not check a battery for how long it will last. Sorry about that. Randy is right.
 

randy1149

New member
Acid batteries begin to sulfate the minute you turn the engine off. The sulfation can be dissolved when the battery is about 14.1 volts, that's the reason the charging system runs somewhere above that to prevent sulfation.

Even when the battery is being charged at 13.3, sulfation is still being made. During the winter I DON'T start the bike I use the smart chargers to run the charging voltage over 14.1... I do this about every other week.
 

pipster326

New member
A battery tender,is the way to go. Hook it up,so you have easy access to the plug ends.Then whenever your not riding, plug it in and let it do its thing.
P.S. Remember to unplug it, before you go to ride again!!! I myself have forgotten a couple times.[emoji16]

Rich


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

randy1149

New member
A battery tender,is the way to go. Hook it up,so you have easy access to the plug ends.Then whenever your not riding, plug it in and let it do its thing.
P.S. Remember to unplug it, before you go to ride again!!! I myself have forgotten a couple times.[emoji16]

Rich
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I totally agree with the battery tender. It' the best way to keep your battery at full strength and minimize sulfation. Make sure it's a "smart" charger not a just trickle charger. When your installing the battery tender add another place you can monitor the batteries voltage while it's being charged. While the bike is in winter storage a voltmeter hooked up only need a glance to tell you how the battery is doing.

What I do during the winter about once a month I disconnect the charger, turn the ignition on (DON'T start the bike) and let the headlight stay on for about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes turn the ignition off, connect the tender and let it go thru it's cycles. This is very good in reducing any sulfation that may have developed.

I spend more time on maintaining battery health than any other maintenance item. You can get years out of it if you pay a little attention.
 
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Merlin III

New member
The 3.5 year old OEM battery in my Mazda came up with a dead cell a couple weeks ago, luckily it was at home. I've seen reports of OEM batteries going out within a week or two of leaving the dealership, but others will go for 5-6 years with no problems.

The lightweight lithium batteries (Shorai, Ballistic, etc) seem to have the same types of stories, some people have issues, others don't. But they sure are LIGHT compared to a typical lead-acid battery.

I had a lithium battery on my BMW. It was great until the temps fell to around the thirties. You could feel the battery struggling. I eventually bought a conventional battery for Winter use. At warm temps the Lithium battery was excellent and I shaved of 11 pounds of weight versus the standard battery.
 
I think when I was reading about the LI batteries I saw mention that for cold weather they recommended turning the lights on for 5 minutes or so before trying to start the bike (if everything was dead cold). The draw from the lights would warm the battery and make starting the engine easier.
 

Merlin III

New member
I think when I was reading about the LI batteries I saw mention that for cold weather they recommended turning the lights on for 5 minutes or so before trying to start the bike (if everything was dead cold). The draw from the lights would warm the battery and make starting the engine easier.
Exactly, get the juices flowing in the battery and it helps when you crank the starter. I always got the bike going, but when you are camping in late Fall and the temp drops to 28 degrees and it takes 4-5 try's to start the bike it makes you nervous. In warm weather, you can't beat the quality of the power. Another trick, is to buy the battery 1 or 2 output levels higher than the one they give you for your model bike. The problem there is the cost.

All my input here is about 5 years old. They may have improved the cold weather performance since then.
 

randy1149

New member
I'll stay with acid, I know all the + & - idiosyncrasies of them and I'd have to buy another charger. All I have to do is plug them into my charger and the battery will give me years of service. As far as the weight difference, it doesn't matter to me.
 
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