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BradValk48237
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« on: February 03, 2016, 03:19:24 PM » |
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All,
Nice Day here in Sunny Detroit, so of course I thought.. Maybe I'd chance a ride...
Haven't started the Valk in a few weeks, but what the hell...
OF COURSE battery deader than a doornail.... deader than Ive ever had it... lights on , but just "click, click, click".. starter wouldn't even roll..... but not "Clunk"....
Thought.. "S$%T!!"... Hydro?!??! Nope... rolled it in 1st.. no prob...
So I got out the charger and put it on.... but after an hour the gauge on the charger said 100%...HMMMMM
So after what Britman went through I left it on , but have been checking it every half hour...
After 4 hours,went out and put the charger on "Start" and she rolled over fine, but no start.
Im going to leave it on till before I go to bed later, and then put it back on tomorrow, 'cause now I want to give it a long charge ( 8 hours at least) and see if its gonna start or if the battery will hold charge... I'll get the Voltmeter out before I try to roll it to see what the charge is... But will not leave it unattended.. I like my garage and toys ..LOL
Thoughts?
B
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Chrisj CMA
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« Reply #1 on: February 03, 2016, 05:57:55 PM » |
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With a questionable battery (for a Valkyrie) its not Volts that matter but amps. You can have 14 V but if the amps aren't you there, the motor will spin but it won't start
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gordonv
Member
Posts: 5762
VRCC # 31419
Richmond BC
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« Reply #2 on: February 03, 2016, 06:32:38 PM » |
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You do have a battery charger, and not a trickle charger?
Which one? I had one of those Battery Tender Jr, and it wouldn't do anything for my battery. I used a regular 2Amp charger, and battery would come back to life. I did end up replacing the battery, but that was a bigger issue on my ACE Tourer, with regards to upgrading (replacing) the Regulator/Rectifier to get the bike to charge properly.
How long was it sitting, before the battery went dead?
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1999 Black with custom paint IS   |
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Michvalk
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« Reply #3 on: February 03, 2016, 06:36:05 PM » |
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The best way to check out a battery is to have it load tested. Most any auto parts store can do that for you. But, usually, a dead battery will need replaced soon, even if it takes a charge. After all, something caused it to go dead in the first place  |
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BradValk48237
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« Reply #4 on: February 03, 2016, 06:47:53 PM » |
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I is a battery Charger.... Harbor Freight.. have had it for a few years.... never let me down before. It also has the Start feature.
I usually have it on a trickle charger when its park, but I forgot to plug it in last time I moved the bike.
Bikes been sitting for 2 months. last ride was end of November....
Battery is 5 years old.. Wally world....Actually bought it in Clinton TN on my first trip Down to ride with Joe n The bunch...
I will charge it all day slow tomorrow and just see.... worst thing is a new battery....
B
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Cracker Jack
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« Reply #5 on: February 03, 2016, 06:59:51 PM » |
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With a questionable battery (for a Valkyrie) its not Volts that matter but amps. You can have 14 V but if the amps aren't you there, the motor will spin but it won't start
Not so, volts are all important. Without the necessary volts, you won't have the necessary amps. The battery must be strong enough to maintain the necessary volts with the starter turning. Usually anything above around 11 volts with the starter running will be adequate. It's the volts under load that matter. |
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WintrSol
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« Reply #6 on: February 03, 2016, 08:00:38 PM » |
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I is a battery Charger.... Harbor Freight.. have had it for a few years.... never let me down before. It also has the Start feature. How many Amps is this charger rated? Too many will cook a motorcycle battery. I usually have it on a trickle charger when its park, but I forgot to plug it in last time I moved the bike. A trickle charger, and not a 'smart' charger or battery tender? This could cook a battery, too. Battery is 5 years old..
Five years is a pretty long life for a motorcycle battery, so even if it wasn't cooked by overcharging, it is probably due. At five years, I wouldn't bother testing it, just buy a new one, and use the proper charger or tender. You can get a Battery Tender brand charger that is rated 1.5A, which is enough to fully charge this battery overnight, and won't cook it. There are others, that's just the one that comes to mind, because I have one. |
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98 Honda Valkyrie GL1500CT Tourer
Photo of my FIL Jack, in honor of his WWII service
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Ramie
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« Reply #7 on: February 04, 2016, 04:44:39 AM » |
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After 4 hours,went out and put the charger on "Start" and she rolled over fine, but no start.
If it turns over fine but doesn't fire, Kill switch or no fuel in carbs. |
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“I am not a courageous person by nature. I have simply discovered that, at certain key moments in this life, you must find courage in yourself, in order to move forward and live. It is like a muscle and it must be exercised, first a little, and then more and more. A deep breath and a leap.”
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Patrick
Member
Posts: 15433
VRCC 4474
Largo Florida
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« Reply #8 on: February 04, 2016, 05:29:07 AM » |
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These monsters are famous for spinning and not starting if the battery is questionable. Most engines need 9.5v to crank and start, but, the starting system on the Valk needs so much that at least 10.5v is required.
A jumper battery being used could tell you what the problem is. The first thing that is suspect in this instance is the battery.
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Chrisj CMA
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« Reply #9 on: February 04, 2016, 05:41:05 AM » |
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After 4 hours,went out and put the charger on "Start" and she rolled over fine, but no start.
If it turns over fine but doesn't fire, Kill switch or no fuel in carbs. Probably need a new battery. To verify, jump it to your car, if it starts, go buy a new battery and put a FULL charge on it before installing. |
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« Last Edit: February 04, 2016, 06:03:11 AM by Chrisj CMA »
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BradValk48237
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« Reply #10 on: February 05, 2016, 10:11:19 AM » |
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Thanks All..
The Main reason, and I don't know if I was clear on it, is that My battery CHARGER is one of those that has many functions and charging levels...
Has 3 charging levels... 12 fast, 12 slow and 6 volt.. I charge the motorcycle on slow... I have been told that doing it on "fast" can overload and wreck the battery and is for Car or larger batteries.
It Also has a "start" feature that sends a full power to start the bike.. this has never failed to start the bike before.. I don't use it much as there is a possibility of hurting the electronics (or so Ive been told), but it has always started the bike before, just not this time... thats why I asked if it was battery or charger as the battery seemed to take a charge, and it wouldn't keep cranking even with the charger set to START... The bike cranked and then slowed to "Click-Click like it was starting ONLY on the battery... but the battery did take some charge, as it rolled the bike over for 30 seconds....
And the gauge on the charger was showing 100% charged after just and hour on the charger
I probably will be getting a new battery anyway as it is cheap insurance, but I want to make sure the charger is going to work when i need it..
Normally the bike is on a battery TENDER when not ridden regularly, but it got unplugged some time ago... most likely why the current dead battery.. whew!!!!
So the question really might be... how would you test the charger??
B
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WintrSol
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« Reply #11 on: February 05, 2016, 10:59:28 AM » |
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The Main reason, and I don't know if I was clear on it, is that My battery CHARGER is one of those that has many functions and charging levels...
Has 3 charging levels... 12 fast, 12 slow and 6 volt.. I charge the motorcycle on slow... I have been told that doing it on "fast" can overload and wreck the battery and is for Car or larger batteries. Does it say how many Amps are provided in each level? 2A is fast with our batteries, and will kill it before it actually reaches full charge. It Also has a "start" feature that sends a full power to start the bike.. this has never failed to start the bike before.. I don't use it much as there is a possibility of hurting the electronics (or so Ive been told), but it has always started the bike before, just not this time... thats why I asked if it was battery or charger as the battery seemed to take a charge, and it wouldn't keep cranking even with the charger set to START... The bike cranked and then slowed to "Click-Click like it was starting ONLY on the battery... but the battery did take some charge, as it rolled the bike over for 30 seconds.... This could really be hard on such a small battery; do you push the starter button before activating the 'start' feature, or the other way around? It is likely it only goes into high power for a few seconds, which may be why it stops cranking. And the gauge on the charger was showing 100% charged after just and hour on the charger See above - too much charge current in such a small battery will make the Voltage go up fast, without really charging the battery. So the question really might be... how would you test the charger??
You would need a nearly discharged auto battery and a high-current DC Ammeter to verify how well the charger is working, along with a fairly accurate Voltmeter to see what it considers 'full'. Even better would be an Ammeter that has an AC mode, as most chargers like this do not provide a steady current, but a pulsing current. That is actually good for a battery, but makes it hard to really measure. |
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98 Honda Valkyrie GL1500CT Tourer
Photo of my FIL Jack, in honor of his WWII service
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john
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« Reply #12 on: February 05, 2016, 01:41:02 PM » |
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if I may ... when is the last time you took battery cables off and cleaned (wire brush) them real good ... ??? special attention to ground cable at motorcycle end ... oxidation is the enemy ...  no ground no charge from alternator .... $0.02  YUASA YTX14-BS Maintenance Free Battery $65.17 + Free Shipping Sold by: Derby Cycles ...... amazon |
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« Last Edit: February 05, 2016, 01:49:48 PM by john »
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vrcc # 19002
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BradValk48237
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« Reply #13 on: February 08, 2016, 04:10:22 PM » |
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Well good news is , I charged the battery on slow/trickle for a solid day and today went out and hit the starter and she fired right up!
SO must be I rushed charging it or didn't charge it long enough previously...
12 volts at the battery terminals after running it for 20 min at 3K on the tach....
Its now on a battery tender... I will see what happens in a couple of days....
But Im still ordering a new battery.....
B
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WintrSol
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« Reply #14 on: February 08, 2016, 05:57:33 PM » |
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After a rest from charging, a fully charged battery would be 12.6V to 12.65V, no less; if it drops from there during a resting period, you either have a drain, or the battery is failing.
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98 Honda Valkyrie GL1500CT Tourer
Photo of my FIL Jack, in honor of his WWII service
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Chrisj CMA
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« Reply #15 on: February 09, 2016, 06:28:29 AM » |
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Well good news is , I charged the battery on slow/trickle for a solid day and today went out and hit the starter and she fired right up!
SO must be I rushed charging it or didn't charge it long enough previously...
12 volts at the battery terminals after running it for 20 min at 3K on the tach....
Its now on a battery tender... I will see what happens in a couple of days....
But Im still ordering a new battery.....
B
You will have trouble with that batter again soon. After days of not riding a good battery should be closer to 13V. Just keep an eye on it. If it fails to hold the 12V after rest you should replace it to avoid being stranded |
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