Another new battery in order?

[Burns1]

So I had some issues a month or two ago that I posted about and most people felt it was a problem with the battery. I coincidentally, left the darn key on right after asking on here, so since there was a question about the battery anyway, I went ahead and purchased a new battery. Everything has been great since then.

Today I go out to get ready to leave for work and apparently I did it again and left the damn key on! The battery has been draining since Saturday, so I'm pretty sure it's about as drained as it could be.

I'm getting ready to leave for Spearfish (and points beyond) in a few days. What do you suppose the odds are that I can charge this battery overnight and trust it on the trip? I really don't want to go buy another battery since I JUST bought this one.

Oh and a question about my charger. It's nothing special, but it does have a 2 amp charging position. That should be ok right? I don't need some special wiz-bang $200 charger for my bike battery do I? I've never used anything other than a regular old battery charger.

Thanks for everyone's advise ahead of time.

Burns1

 

[mcatrophy]

Charger will be ok, but don't leave it on charge more than something like 6 hours, or you risk damaging the battery more. (And don't ever use it just to keep the battery topped up if the bike is unused for a while.)

If the bike starts ok* after a charge, I'd be prepared to use it for a trip, but be very careful not to leave it on again - less likely as you wouldn't leave the key in away from home, but don't take the key out in the "Park" position . Take jumper leads with you just in case. However, that battery is likely reduced in capacity and may deteriorate, so you'll need a new one before long.

That's just one opinion, you'll probably get several others .

*By "ok" I mean easily, a normal, full turn-over speed. Any sluggishness, I'd go for a new battery straight away.

[edit]

Meant to say, wait several hours after taking the charger off before attempting the start (or try another start after several hours) to make sure the battery can hold a charge overnight. If you do a trial start, make sure to warm the engine up before turning it off to prevent any possibility of flooding.

[/edit]

 

[Old Guy]

I've recharged a completely dead battery with a Battery Tender and used it successfully for three more years. I'd give it a try. But that's not advice -- just what I'd do

And yes, I know that a Battery Tender won't work on a totally discharged battery, but I hooked up a 6-amp charger, then the Battery Tender, then removed the 6-amp. Just get it going, and it'll keep charging.

 

[RossKean]

I too have had pretty good luck with bringing batteries back from near death. The current Yuasa is over eight years old with a lot of miles and has been abused by deep-discharge on at least three occasions but has always come back after a slow (1 amp rate) charge. My luck as been extraordinary so don't assume this one will recover completely - sometimes, once is enough! I would definitely try the slow charge but would prefer to keep the rate below two amps (personal opinion).

 

[Fred W]

Give it a try. You'll know if it doesn't recover right away.

And for the root cause, get in the habit of always killing the bike with the ignition switch (not the kill switch or the kickstand interlock) that way you'll not find yourself in that position again.

 

[ionbeam]

I'll get in line with the others and say that if the battery can recover from this oops then in warm weather and without long down time (a week or more) you should be ok. With a non-AE you also have a chance to bump start the bike if necessary.

Say, I know a feller that can design an auto-shutoff circuit that could fix this. It would monitor the battery voltage with the ENGINE OFF and disconnect the battery draw when battery voltage drops below 12.2 volts (roughly 25% - 50% of battery charge remaining). Wonder if there is enough need to pay for the product... Someone has probably already done this, it may be time for a little Google action. Googled. Voltage disconnects exist.

 

[08FJR4ME]

I too have had pretty good luck with bringing batteries back from near death. The current Yuasa is over eight years old with a lot of miles and has been abused by deep-discharge on at least three occasions but has always come back after a slow (1 amp rate) charge. My luck as been extraordinary so don't assume this one will recover completely - sometimes, once is enough! I would definitely try the slow charge but would prefer to keep the rate below two amps (personal opinion).

+1

Same here, I have totally drained my battery a couple of times. Just threw it on the old car charger at 2 amps both times. I am still running it and it still is cranking strong. 75k later

Knocking on wood,

Dave

 

[HotRodZilla]

Regardless of what you do with your battery, start taking your key inside with you. Leaving it in the ignition is a very bad habit anyway.

 

[08FJR4ME]

AJ,

I must be a ******* then cause I always leave my Key in the ignition. On that note its been so long since I killed the battery I don't remember what caused it to go dead. If I didn't leave them in the ignition I sure as **** would be looking all over the house for them. This morning I was looking for my reg. which I usually keep inside my jacket. Finally after going through all the pockets of two jackets it dawned on me it was in my stich hanging in another closet.

See what I mean,

Dave

 

[HotRodZilla]

No Dave, that does not mean you're a *******. That means you can leave your key in the ignition and still remember to turn off your bike. IF, like some people, you cannot do those things, removing the key fixes the problem.

I always take mine out, but I also always put my keys in the same place. Otherwise, like you, I would lose them. I'm anal about where stuff goes. Lol...

 

[Old Guy]

No Dave, that does not mean you're a *******. That means you can leave your key in the ignition and still remember to turn off your bike. IF, like some people, you cannot do those things, removing the key fixes the problem.
I always take mine out, but I also always put my keys in the same place. Otherwise, like you, I would lose them. I'm anal about where stuff goes. Lol...

Same here. My bikes stay in a locked shop with its own alarm with the forks locked. The keys stay in the house in my safe when I'm gone. Talk about anal

I had a friend that laughed at me. She and her husband parked their bikes in the garage with the keys in the ignition. But I came home from work one day (when I still earned an honest living) and found my shop had been broken into and a lot of stuff stolen. But the bikes were still there. Maybe removing the keys and locking the forks wasn't so silly after all. Locking the keys in the safe on the other hand .........

 

[08FJR4ME]

AJ,

You haven't met my wife. she moves the **** out of everything. I came home a couple of weeks ago and the living room was all switch around. I try and keep my car keys in the same spot on the key rack. I think she plays games moving the keys around on me.

I wouldn't trade her for anything though,

Dave

 

[Big Sky]

I have regrets about leaving the key in my first FJR back on Aug. 22, 2005. The meth heads who took it from my garage pretty well trashed it. Good thing FJRs have a rev limiter as the bad guys spun the tire until molten gobs of rubber were stuck under the fender. That bike is still in faithful service, by the way, owned by my brother-in-law. I did have the satisfaction of sending these guys up the river for a couple of years (they were habitual vehicle thieves); cops wouldn't have caught them but I did. I even got restitution - about $300 of the $1500 the judge levied. Apparently prison wages suck.