Bad Battery

[angus]

My battery came in a box with a container of acid they added it and charged it.

 

[Fred W]

AGM batteries can be supplied by battery manufacturers in one of two ways: Either "dry" with a separate container of acid to be added at the time of commissioning, or wet, fully charged and sealed, which is how the OE batteries are provided to Yamaha.

The shelf life of a dry battery is indefinite. It doesn't begin to age or degrade until the acid is added.

The shelf life of a charged and sealed battery is not indefinite, and will begin to age from the moment it was made. So, it is best used in an environment where it will be used soon after manufacturing, like at a factory that is cranking out X number of new motorcycles a week.

 

[HyperPete]

2004 FJR1300A

My Battery Warehouse battery, less that 2 years old, goes dead when sitting for 1 - 2 days. The only electric farkles are a charging lead for a battery tender, and fog/driving lights that come on when the key is on. I cannot imagine that the clock has enough parasitic draw to kill the battery so quickly. Is there anything else I should check, or is it just a crap battery? (Considering the source, I am suspecting the latter.)

I can ride it constantly and the battery stays fully charged. USUALLY it will start after sitting overnight, but by the end of the 2nd day not being run it's done. Dead Flat. I want to fix this before I sell it.

Thanks!

 

[RossKean]

Put an ammeter in series to measure the parasitic draw or simply unhook the ground cable from the battery and see if it still goes flat. If parasitic draw is low (a few milliamps) and the battery still goes flat with it disconnected, you have a "soft" short in the battery and it will have to be replaced. Fairly common failure mode.

 

[HyperPete]

Thank you. I'll disconnect the ground Thursday before I go away, then see if it still has a charge Sunday or Monday. I don't have a working ammeter at the moment.

 

[Mikesgts1000]

Anyone tried a Lithium Iron type? I’ve had one on an ST1300 and now thinking of changing my FJR to that as well, what do you all think, had the battery for three years and no sign of any problems. It’s a very small unit and came with foam packings to size it to normal bike type batteries, hardly has any weight to it and has its own charger / storage unit.

 

[RossKean]

Anyone tried a Lithium Iron type? I’ve had one on an ST1300 and now thinking of changing my FJR to that as well, what do you all think, had the battery for three years and no sign of any problems. It’s a very small unit and came with foam packings to size it to normal bike type batteries, hardly has any weight to it and has its own charger / storage unit.

There are a number of threads on Lithium batteries for the FJR. There were some problems with some of the early ones but not so much lately. The consensus is that while they have some significant advantages (weight, slow self-discharge, size, good cranking energy), they are not the best choice for anyone in a cooler climate. They do not put out adequate cranking amps when cold. They will "wake up" with repeated start attempts but this is doing no favours to your starter motor/relays etc. (I just swapped out my OEM Yuasa last year so I am happy with the AGM performance)

Edit: Do a search for Shorai - lots of experience on the forum.

 

[rbentnail]

Anyone tried a Lithium Iron type? I’ve had one on an ST1300 and now thinking of changing my FJR to that as well, what do you all think, had the battery for three years and no sign of any problems. It’s a very small unit and came with foam packings to size it to normal bike type batteries, hardly has any weight to it and has its own charger / storage unit.

There are a number of threads on Lithium batteries for the FJR. There were some problems with some of the early ones but not so much lately. The consensus is that while they have some significant advantages (weight, slow self-discharge, size, good cranking energy), they are not the best choice for anyone in a cooler climate. They do not put out adequate cranking amps when cold. They will "wake up" with repeated start attempts but this is doing no favours to your starter motor/relays etc. (I just swapped out my OEM Yuasa last year so I am happy with the AGM performance)

Edit: Do a search for Shorai - lots of experience on the forum.

This is still popping up now and then. There's a recent thread on another forum about exactly that.

 

[Viper Pilot]

I have used the Li Iron battery for 5 years now and have had absolutely no problems. During the cold months with temps down to the low 30's it has worked just fine. Does take a bit of coaxing (multiple start attempts) when it's in the 30's but otherwise it's been great.

 

[Fred W]

It’s a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist, IMO. There’s nothing wrong with the standard AGM batteries, so why spend more for less?

 

[philter]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/AGM-BATTERY-Fits-YAMAHA-FJR1300-FJR1300A-ABS-2003-2005-2006-2008-2013/281972527701?hash=item41a6df5255:g:HqEAAOSwBRFaKFRS:sc:USPSPriority!29360!US!-1&vxp=mtr

I know I am the odd man out, but I bought this 39.00 dollar {shipping free} AGM from Caltric a year ago and it works great for me. I left my 07 sit for 3 months after open heart surgery and it started fine. I just can't bring myself to pay over 100 dollars for a 40 dollar battery.

I also don't think that a battery that you have to pour the acid into is a genuine AGM battery. But I'm probably wrong about that. LOL

 

[RossKean]

...

I also don't think that a battery that you have to pour the acid into is a genuine AGM battery. But I'm probably wrong about that. LOL

The Yuasa replacement battery I bought is definitely an AGM battery and, yes, the acid comes separately. For this type of battery, the acid comes in a "stick" of 6 vessels. The seals are punctured and the array is upended into the openings in the battery. The acid SLOWLY drains into the individual cells over a period of time - half hour maybe? You then use a plastic plug strip to seal the cells. There is no "free" liquid - it is all absorbed by the glass mat separators.

 

[philter]

I stand corrected. Sorry, Phil

Where did you get it, and how much?

 

[RossKean]

I got the battery at the local dealer and it wasn't particularly cheap - don't remember but it wasn't a bargain.

Note: Yuasa in Japan is a different entity from the North American Yuasa and is called GS Yuasa (the batteries say GS). I don't know whether they share manufacturing processes, design and specifications or not.

See:

https://en.wikipedia...e_United_States

 

[YummYam]

My Amazon sourced battery, labeled Yuasa is just about 3 years old and about to die on me. Original Yuasa lasted 7/8 years.

Go figure.

The philter eBay type above for $39 seems attractive.

 

[Fred W]

AGM batteries come in two varieties. The completely sealed ones, like the one that originally came in your FJR, are factory filled and activated. Those are generally sold to the bike manufacturers as they need to be put in service as soon as possible after being made. For replacement batteries they are generally manufactured dry and shipped with the separate sealed acid pack so they can be activated by the end user just before installation and first use.

Leaving an activated battery sitting on a shelf is one sure way to kill it. Dry charged batteries can sit on a shelf for nearly unlimited time (in good storage conditions) and be just as good as new when eventually activated.

 

[jammess]

When it comes to battery unactivated storage life being a very long time I agree. I bought my '93 R1100RS in 2012 and it had never been started from the time it left the factory in June of '93. The battery was the original wet cell that had never been activated until 2012, 19 years later when I poured in the acid. The battery lasted 5 years which would be normal battery life. Wish the fuel pump would have been in as good condition as was the battery. At the factory a small amount of fuel is put in the tank and the new bike is run up on a dyno for final pre-shipment testing. That fuel had been left in the tank for those 19 long years the result being a frozen fuel pump and a fuel filter you couldn't blow thru. Yup, I bought a brand new '93 R1100RSL in 2012, what a find, and I got it for way less than half the price of a new in '93 cost.

 

[Nosecone]

What's a reasonable residual amperage draw for a 2006 FJR1300AE? At operating temperature the datel voltmeter will drop below 13.8 v at 1150rpm idle. Fans not on.

Stator and voltage R/R are both new. Bike has 98,200 miles on it (all mine) and it has been flawless. The cover on the stator get's HOT at operating temperature, mid scale.

As high as 205 F measured with my infrared thermometer.

I am reading about 60ma with the meter connected between the battery neg post and Brodie's wiring harness neg wire lead. Ignition obviously off. Cold engine.

John

 

[RossKean]

With ignition off and no accessories running you are seeing 60ma current draw?

If I am interpreting your post correctly, there is something wrong - this is way high.

I would expect no more than a milliamp or two (quite possibly far less). This would draw down a fully charged battery to completely flat in 10 days or so. I have had mine sit for more than 10 times that long without any starting issues.

 

[Nosecone]

BTW, the battery is a new Yuasa and is fully charged. I'll start pulling fuses and see if I can find a problem.