Is this more than a battery issue....

[Valhalla]

Last summer I bought my 97 Valk Standard.  On safety check it was noted she needed a new battery and that was easy.  After a winter in warm storage, the battery is not only dead, but won't take a charge. 

any diagnostics hints out there on what might be laying in wait behind my dead battery issues...before I head out onto the highway?

Valhalla

[Chrisj CMA]

Did the new battery get a full charge pu ton it or just filled with acid, installed and let the alternator charge it?

If the latter, thats why

[BF]

Buy a Battery Tender to keep on that battery for when it sits months on end without being charged. 

If your battery ever gets lower than 8 or 9 volts (could be wrong, but not by much) it's pretty much gonna be toast.  Even if you're lucky enough to get it to take a charge, it probably won't hold it for long. 

[R J]

If you are saying this battery is a little over a year old it should have a warranty on it.

If you do get a new one and you have top charge it,  charge it properly or you are just wasting your time and it will go flat like the last one.

Put the juice in each hole from the white container, don't spill it.    Just fill each pigeon hole, to the top of the plates.    If you have any left over then fill each hole a little more, then top it off with distilled water.

Put it on a very slow amp charger.   Mine is a 3.0 amp.   I don't really recommend a Battery Tender, I've had too much bad luck with them. They have replaced each one that has failed.    Finally after the 3rd time on each, I sent all of them to the land fill.   The CTEK S3000's, I have are a little pricey but well worth the $$$$ for them, it will charge any and all vehicles, mowers, snow throwers, and MGM & my Chevy Trike, my pickup or mom's Toyota Highlander.  I paid $65.00 each for the 3 I have.    One for the snow thrower or lawn mower, depends on the season, 1 for MGM and 1 for the Chevy Trike.    I can go out anytime, hit the bump stick and they will fire right off.

[old2soon]

Just throwing this out there-a draw on the battery you are not aware of? RIDE SAFE.

[Brian]

Do you have stuff on your bike that draws power when the bike is off. I just initiated a brand new battery I had on the shelf. The directions that came with the Yuasa battery explain the process very well on how to fill the battery and charging it. I used a battery charger for the time they recommended and then switched over to the battery tender after the battery was placed in the bike. I believe the directions for the battery tender state that it is not used to bring up a dead battery.

[Valhalla]

I have to admit, the new one went in last year and the fat girl started and never had an issue, so never had cause to check if it was ever fully charged.  I have no extras or plug ins.  I was curious if there was a known issue with the slow drain thing...

I will check for the full charge before install this time.

Cheers.

[Farther]

There is a procedure described in the shop manual to test for parasitic draw.  If you don't have a manual, a free one is available on Dag's Norwegian Valkyrie site.

[Valhalla]

Having trouble finding that link... it seems others have the same issue.  Any clues?

[Farther]

http://www.valkyrienorway.com/download.html

[whitestroke]

Parasitic draw?  Check by disconnecting one of the terminals, then touch it to the battery post and look for a spark.  Preferably in the dark.

[9Ball]

Measure the battery rest voltage before charging.

12.8 to 13.0V = 100%
12.5 to 12.8V = 75%-100%  charge for 3-6 hours at 1.4A rate using constant current charger
12.0 to 12.5V = 50%-75%  charge for 5-11 hours at 1.4A rate
11.5 to 12.0V = 25% to 50%  charge at least 13 hours-verify state of charge
11.5V or less  = 0% to 25%  requires complicated variable rate charging

This is from the Yuasa battery brochure.  They also state that when you measure the resting voltage of the battery 30 minutes after completion of the charge, a battery that reads 12.0V or lower is "unserviceable" and needs replacing.

Good luck...hopefully you get a reading 12.8V or higher.