[mrbyber]

I posted in a thread in the early winter saying I would post this in the spring.
Well,
I took my battery out in November and put it on the laundry room shelf and there it sat until last Monday. Took it to the dealer and they tested it. It was fully charged and in perfect shape. I have started the bike a lot this last week with no problems.
As I said last fall, My boat mechanic swears that any type of charging will kill your battery in a short time. He described it to me as an "un natural charge"? What ever the hell that means?
I have never charged my boat batteries in the winter and have had no problems. Going on 4 years now with those. Every single person I know with trickle chargers need new batteries all the time. Just like some of you.
Just something to think about.

Now I don't know shit about batteries but I do know mine never die and I don't charge them in any way!
I will probably buy new boat batteries this year and a new bike battery next year.
Don't want to push it.

 

[Richard1]

You may be right, I don’t know. This is the first bike I have ever had a problem with. I have always left my battery in the bike over the winter. Usually could get 3-4 years out of em.

 

[J.A.T.O.]

Byber take this for what its worth. I was having hot start issues at the end of the riding season last year. Over the winter i would let it idle until the fan kicked on or about 20 minutes once a week. Im too cheap to buy a trickle charger. It would barely start and would reset the trip odometer and clock every time. About 5 days ago it finally didn't have enough juice to start. I borrowed the neighbors deep cycle charger that he bought for his boat motor and charged it for about 10 minutes. It now starts just as lively as when it was new.

Im no battery expert but maybe these trickle chargers just aren't cutting it? I'll get the specs of the charger in a couple of days if interested.

 

[mental]

Hay JATO, with the charging system on the Fury, running it at idle does not charge the battery at all, just riding at speed or at highway speeds. What you are doing is just running down the battery every time you start and just run at idle. Finally, there is just not enough to start.

 

[skappiris]

if you're odo resets then you're just prolonging the obvious:
you have dead cells.
recharging gets you going for a while but your electrical system is now subject to short circuits as the cells degrade.

get a new battery.

 

[va_bank]

It was my understanding that the charging system kicks in at above 2K RPMs, at least on VTX bikes. I could be wrong, but this number really sticks out. Running idle wouldn't charge the battery though.

 

[imwright1985]

Running at idle will provide the slightest charge, mostly to sustain running. Higher RPMs=better charge. Your best bet for a battery is to let a low power system charge it, High amp chargers= bad, low amp= better. but with charging off the stator you have probably the lowest load going into the battery allowing a more true/safer charge.

when charging, your battery will heatup causing a breakdown of the materials inside keeping temp as low as possible will get the best and safest charge. I read somewhere our bikes take like 2 hrs at highway RPM's to produce a full charge from dead

 

[Toadster]

I hooked up a volt meter to my battery at idle and it shows 14 volts. I don't know much about batteries or charging systems, but it seems to me that it does charge at idle. The problem is that your bike will overheat before it is fully charged again. I worked at a motorcycle shop for about 3 years and the mechanics and owners swear buy them. The right trickle charger senses when the battery is charged and stops. I do not recommend just letting the batteries sit, hooked up to the bike or not. Yuasa Batteries :: Battery Maintenance

 

[MyFuryRide]

2 winter and on a tender the whole time. not 1 problem

my 2 bits, crumbles, whatever

 

[460brevill]

I hooked up a volt meter to my battery at idle and it shows 14 volts. I don't know much about batteries or charging systems, but it seems to me that it does charge at idle. The problem is that your bike will overheat before it is fully charged again. I worked at a motorcycle shop for about 3 years and the mechanics and owners swear buy them. The right trickle charger senses when the battery is charged and stops. I do not recommend just letting the batteries sit, hooked up to the bike or not. Yuasa Batteries :: Battery Maintenance

it may show 14 volts but amps charge the batt.

 

[1756]

++++++ for Battery Tender Jr.

 

[BluFury]

To answer your question , Chargeing a fully charged battery is not good for it same as undercharged not good . I work on RV's I change battery. all the time .

 

[Dave Maher]

The ones who have stated just starting the bike does little to help charge the battery are correct. You really need to take the bike out for a decent run to properly charge the battery. I've always had charging gauges or indicators on my bikes. I think its just the gear head thing in me and more so for piece of mind to show tme hat the charging system is working ok.

Kuryakyn makes a small charging indicator gauge for about $35 with lights showing red negative to green positive charging. I'm not sure if you can see it to good in the photo I posted but I have it mounted on the brake cover.

 

[Richard1]

That’s pretty cool Dave. How hard is it to hook up? Is that a clock on the other side? I guess you’re looking around $70 for both? No more questions, unless you have some??

 

[woodenhorse]

Will it hurt anything on the bike if I charge the battery while it is still connected to the bike? I normally disconnect it when I charge, but this new shorai has a special charger that plugs into the battery via 5 pin connector and you can leave the wire plugged in all the time, then just hook the charger to the wire when needed. I know you guys in cold climates run battery tenders. I just don't know if you do it while the battery is fully connected to the bike. May be a dumb question, but I'm not sure with today's electrical components what will happen. I know in the old days, you might ruin your alternator if you charged the battery while fully connected.

 

[ericegg01]

Will it hurt anything on the bike if I charge the battery while it is still connected to the bike? I normally disconnect it when I charge, but this new shorai has a special charger that plugs into the battery via 5 pin connector and you can leave the wire plugged in all the time, then just hook the charger to the wire when needed. I know you guys in cold climates run battery tenders. I just don't know if you do it while the battery is fully connected to the bike. May be a dumb question, but I'm not sure with today's electrical components what will happen. I know in the old days, you might ruin your alternator if you charged the battery while fully connected.

I doubt it Bob, nothing is drawing from the battery at the time of charge unless you start the bike. I've charged batteries like that before in cars, I even had the cars running at times... It's 12v either hooked to a charge or not.

 

[woodenhorse]

I doubt it Bob, nothing is drawing from the battery at the time of charge unless you start the bike. I've charged batteries like that before in cars, I even had the cars running at times... It's 12v either hooked to a charge or not.

Thanks, I didn't think so, but wasn't sure. Kind of leary about it. I know it is different circumstance, but I once fried a little diode thingy in the wiring harness under the tank of my 82 Honda 650 nighthawk when I jumped it with a car. Later found out I wasn't supposed to have the car running when I did it. Didn't know if the battery charger (even though only a 2 amp charger) would affect anything on the bike if the battery was still fully connected.

 

[jw]

Will it hurt anything on the bike if I charge the battery while it is still connected to the bike? I normally disconnect it when I charge, but this new shorai has a special charger that plugs into the battery via 5 pin connector and you can leave the wire plugged in all the time, then just hook the charger to the wire when needed. I know you guys in cold climates run battery tenders. I just don't know if you do it while the battery is fully connected to the bike. May be a dumb question, but I'm not sure with today's electrical components what will happen. I know in the old days, you might ruin your alternator if you charged the battery while fully connected.

I put mine on charge at least 1 or 2 times a week, and I will leave it on during freeze temps. Mine is the Honda charger that the tender lead off the battery sticks out by the fender flap and it's as easy as plug & go.



Sent from my Motorcycle iPhone app

 

[ericegg01]

Thanks, I didn't think so, but wasn't sure. Kind of leary about it. I know it is different circumstance, but I once fried a little diode thingy in the wiring harness under the tank of my 82 Honda 650 nighthawk when I jumped it with a car. Later found out I wasn't supposed to have the car running when I did it. Didn't know if the battery charger (even though only a 2 amp charger) would affect anything on the bike if the battery was still fully connected.

That could be because you jumped it... that initial surge (amperage) probably popped it, on the charger it's a constant 12v @ 2amp current shouldn't do anything destructive, just be safe and don't turn her over while you're charging.

 

[woodenhorse]

That could be because you jumped it... that initial surge (amperage) probably popped it, on the charger it's a constant 12v @ 2amp current shouldn't do anything destructive, just be safe and don't turn her over while you're charging.

Thanks.