Battery Drain

[e3steve]

Thanks for the assistance. I put it on a trickle charge and I'm up and running again. For the time being, I will plan on charging it every couple of weeks until I can find the issue.

Until you check the engine-running voltages across the battery (you don't need a tacho -- just a perceptive ear), then whether you do or don't have a charging problem cannot be determined. Tending the battery is a shortcut; let's try to get to the root of the problem rather than treat the symptom! Otherwise you run the risk of breaking down on a ride which, in itself, is inconvenient and embarrassing at best and could be more costly in the long run. And running a lead-acid battery to below 80% will shorten its life.

Why do half the job?

For the record:

• I ride my CB, sometimes only monthly, for 60% of the year; all short (<10-mile) rides. The rest of the time it's garaged. The battery, still perfect, was two years old when I swapped it out last week for a new AGM. I have never trickle-charged my battery, except one time when testing electrical stuff. CB has:
  • A modern, Schottky-diode rectifier
    LED stop/taillight
    H4 35/35 headlight, always on but the dimmer switch gets 'centred' at a traffic light or when idling
    Winkers, 2 x 23W per side, used frequently
    A 'Stebel' compact air horn, gets used every bloody ride(!)
    I always use the electric starter (my k/s pawl is shagged)
  Otherwise the system is as designed, around 50 years ago. Improved upon a little but with a standard rotor/stator combo.

[rustywrench]

Tending the battery is a shortcut;
.[/list]

Steve,
If tending is a shortcut, please explain to me (in layman's terms,please) why every battery shop and MC shop I have done business with recommend the use of a battery minder to keep the battery up to full capacity when not in use. I know a lot of riders who do the same thing to their machines as well. RW

[e3steve]

Steve,
If tending is a shortcut, please explain to me (in layman's terms,please) why every battery shop and MC shop I have done business with recommend the use of a battery minder to keep the battery up to full capacity when not in use. I know a lot of riders who do the same thing to their machines as well. RW

RW, I'm not stating that tending a battery is wrong; I'm just reporting that I've never needed to do so. There's a lot to be said for keeping a battery healthy by way of a maintenance charge, but my experience has proved such as a non-requirement.

I still maintain my stance that Dreamer305's system might have a problem and that tending the battery could possibly not be the solution.

[Superchicken]

I'll add my two cents on the subject. Lead/acid batteries consist of 6-2 volt cells, it is possible that one of the cells is not fully charged. The way to find out is to use an hydrometer to check and compare the specific gravity of each cell. They must be equal or the low cell will cause the rest of the battery to go down in charge. These batteries do go down some on their own, but a bad cell will make it happen quickly. A hydrometer is a bulb of glass that you draw liquid up out of the cells one at a time, you will notice balls that float in the liquid, this shows the state of charge. Put the liquid back in that cell and test the next one. If they are not the same, slow charge some more. I have seen this take days, it's ok, as long as they get their. I use a half amp charger. Some times I will look with a volt meter to see what the battery is at while it is slow charging. You will see maybe 12 1/2volt or so, at first, then latter it will be 14+ or more, that's when you know your almost their. ONce your battery is known not to be the problem, and they are very probmatic, then you can evaluate the rest. Hope this helps

[e3steve]

Good observation, SC! Dreamer305's opening gambit

....I bought the Dream this spring and had some work done on it, including a new battery. ........

leads us to believe that the battery is, or should be, healthy; although I/we shouldn't ass(of)u(&)me that that is the case, of course, so checking each cell's SG with a hydrometer should be carried out as a matter of course. And they're cheap enough!

Of course, one of these would negate the need for that process..... No, I don't have shares in Motobatteries!

Dreamer305, if you don't have a working voltmeter/digital multimeter (DMM), or the desire/confidence to competently check the charging system, then you should fully charge the battery using your batt-tender (which, if it's, say, a 12V/500mA[½-Amp], then that will take a 9Amp/hr batt from completely flat to full in 18hrs) and ride as you normally would, using the starter and the lights (the charge rate is designed to increase when the lighting/combo switch is 'ON') and see where you get from there. Switch the dimmer to the centre* position when the motor is idling then back to a headlight position upon riding; this habit will take advantage of the stator's additional output coils and give an elevated rate of charge. If the batt goes flat again then further investigation is essential.

*This should leave just the front & rear parking lights showing, but some states in America apparently dictated that the centre position should light both high and low beam filaments. Check before using the centre position! Caution: may contain nuts. Terms & Conditions apply. Never wipe your arse with a broken bottle. Do not use a hot iron as a telephone handset. Hairdryers should not be used in the bath. Smoking kills. Fumar puede matar. Your investment can go down as well as up........

[Eljeef]

*Caution: may contain nuts. Terms & Conditions apply. Never wipe your arse with a broken bottle. Do not use a hot iron as a telephone handset. Hairdryers should not be used in the bath. Smoking kills. Fumar puede matar. Your investment can go down as well as up........[/quote]
lol ;) Jeff H.