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Cotton Mouth
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« on: May 04, 2013, 09:00:44 PM » |
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Think my battery died, luckily, in my garage right before a ride to California. Radio worked fine on accessory, but when switched to ignition, bike went dead. Coincidentally, I ordered a battery bug last week, it's in the mail. I have bike jumper cables in the saddle bag.
If this happened on the road, with a jump start, can you drive it if I removed the light fuses?
Possible a battery could be bad enough that it won't run at all?
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1999 I/S SOLD BUT NOT FORGOTTEN Jan 2015
1998 HD Road King Classic
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Gryphon Rider
Member
Posts: 5227
2000 Tourer
Calgary, Alberta
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« Reply #1 on: May 04, 2013, 09:11:25 PM » |
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What have you done to eliminate the possibility that it's a charging system problem? If the only problem is the battery, if you get it running the alternator will take care of electrical loads, including ignition.
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sandy
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« Reply #2 on: May 04, 2013, 11:05:03 PM » |
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If you get it running, measure the voltage at the battery. If you have 14+, then your alternator is good. It'll run to CA but do you want to jump it everytime? Go buy a battery and charge it up before installation.
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0leman
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« Reply #3 on: May 05, 2013, 08:53:16 AM » |
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I lost my battery at a gas station about 80 miles from home last summer (actully, I probably lost it before I stopped for gas). Got a jump from a guy who was filling up with gas (Was at a Pilot Fuel station - they couldn't get me a jump). Once started, Valk ran all the way home. I had lights and radio on all the way. My Head light Mod made clicking noise on the radio, so didn't use it.  The answer to your question, if you were on the road when you lose your battery, you can ride without it. Though as said above, you'll need a jump everytime you stop. |
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2006 Shadow Spirit 1100 gone but not forgotten
1999 Valkryie I/S Green/Silver
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Chiefy
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« Reply #4 on: May 05, 2013, 10:48:21 AM » |
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Think my battery died, luckily, in my garage right before a ride to California. Radio worked fine on accessory, but when switched to ignition, bike went dead. Coincidentally, I ordered a battery bug last week, it's in the mail. I have bike jumper cables in the saddle bag.
If this happened on the road, with a jump start, can you drive it if I removed the light fuses?
Possible a battery could be bad enough that it won't run at all?
Have you been able to jump start it? If so, that rules out everything except the battery and alternator. If you jump it on the road, make sure the vehicle that's giving you the jump isn't running. If it starts, you don't have to take the light fuse out (assuming the alternator is okay.) |
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 1998 Valk Standard 52,500 miles |
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Red Diamond
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« Reply #5 on: May 05, 2013, 11:41:02 AM » |
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Riding it home on the alternator can be a bit misleading, as was said in previous post 80 miles, keep going and that alternator is going to burn out also.
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 If you are riding and it is a must that you keep your eyes on the road, you are riding too fast. |
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Gryphon Rider
Member
Posts: 5227
2000 Tourer
Calgary, Alberta
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« Reply #6 on: May 05, 2013, 01:16:15 PM » |
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Riding it home on the alternator can be a bit misleading, as was said in previous post 80 miles, keep going and that alternator is going to burn out also.
What makes you think an alternator works harder when it's not charging a battery than when it is? |
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gregc
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« Reply #7 on: May 05, 2013, 05:42:24 PM » |
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I disagree, that riding on a dead battery will hurt the alternator. I can't see where the alt. would really care if the battery was good or not, it will just try to charge the bad battery. The bad battery doesn't hold a charge, but the alt doesn't know that, it just keep sending a charge to the battery.
Since your only draw is the lights and ign, you will not over load the alt. Now if you were to wear full heated clothes, have a radio, driving lights, and other addons, then you might have a problem when the bike idles, and looks for the reserve power in the battery till the RPMs come up and charging starts.
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gordonv
Member
Posts: 5763
VRCC # 31419
Richmond BC
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« Reply #8 on: May 05, 2013, 09:38:03 PM » |
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There was an article in the Wing World magazine I think last year, about stators, alts, regulators and rectifiers.
The battery is a source of electricity to use to start the bike. After the bike is running it is topped up by the alt, and the alt supply power for the normal running of the bike.
When the battery dies (doesn't hold a charge), then the only place the bike can get power from is the alternater. Over an extened period of time, the alt doesn't get a rest (my words), and it can burn out. This is not something that happens quickly, but over an extened time. But that is an average, if the rest of your charging system is bordline bad, then this could push it over the edge.
On my Shadow, my R/R was faulty, intermittent, everytime I start the bike up, it was a gamble that it would charge or not. Went on a 500 mile ride one day, and had to jump start my bike the next day leaving work, after ridding it there. Replaced the R/R and now have good charging, used the same old/bad battery (Battery Tender Jr, gave an error that it couldn't charge it) for another whole year, before I change it for a Motobat replacement.
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1999 Black with custom paint IS   |
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