ice_station_zebra
Well-known member
My OEM yuasa is 5 1/2 years old and shows 13.2 volts at rest. When riding it shows up to 13.8 volts. Is it time to replace or do you think it's good for the rest of this season...2-3months?
Yuasa battery
- Thread starter ice_station_zebra
- Start date
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Top_Speed1
Panama Canal Crosser
I Vote- run with it.
gixxerjasen
Well-known member
Has it left you stranded? Nope? Then keep riding.
SkooterG
Purveyor of Crooked Facts
A better test is while cranking to start. How many volts does it show then? But if you have had no issues like clock reset while cranking I wouldn't worry about it.
Finn
Active member
My 07 started this riding out just fine. Rigged a Montana 650 and used the battery tender SAE plug for about a month and no problems. Go out to the garage to get ready for ride to work and all is dead. Plug battery tender in an come back from work bike fires right up. Leave tender on over night to get to green light on tender. The next week I replace battery with new Yuasa, install FZ1 fuze block to isolate the key off accessory and all is well. New battery starter much faster than old battery. Did not check the voltage, just changed it, Murphy was whispering to me.
08FJR4ME
-WYNPRO-
I am still running with my original battery also. By November I will most likely need another. I ride whenever I can even during the winter months. Last winter season it wasn't cranking over so fast but summer months are just fine. Don't leave anything on and take chances. I made a set of jumper cables up but they didn't work very well when I needed them. Don't ask!
Keeping mine for now, 59K for miles on the bike.
Dave
Keeping mine for now, 59K for miles on the bike.
Dave
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Yabbut Dave, you probably weren't cranking over all that well in the sub freezing days either, right?
Battery performance (ampacity) will always suffer somewhat with a dip in the mercury. Just ask all of those guys who waste invest their money on those expensive Shorai batteries!!
It's why there is a battery spec for "CCA" (Cold Cranking Amps)
What the battery voltage is during charging is not a very good indicator of the battery condition. More of the charging system than the battery unless the battery is really FUBARed.
How low the voltage goes during cranking is a better one (who is that SkooterG guy anyway?) also what the charge voltage gets to after a good charge and then sit for a bit or turn something on to drain off the surface charge.
Battery performance (ampacity) will always suffer somewhat with a dip in the mercury. Just ask all of those guys who waste invest their money on those expensive Shorai batteries!!
What the battery voltage is during charging is not a very good indicator of the battery condition. More of the charging system than the battery unless the battery is really FUBARed.
How low the voltage goes during cranking is a better one (who is that SkooterG guy anyway?) also what the charge voltage gets to after a good charge and then sit for a bit or turn something on to drain off the surface charge.
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I say go with it. I'm still using my original battery and haven't had any problems yet. If you're really concerned about it do what I did: expecting it to crap out "any time now" I bought a new battery for when the time comes. It's been sitting on the shelf for more than a yr and a half.
08FJR4ME
-WYNPRO-
Fred,
That is correct, Pulling the bike out of the 48 degree plus garage during the dead of winter wasn't an issue. Sitting in the parking lot all day in the teens was. Last winter it was a guessing game when I got out of work if it would start. I am sure the oil viscosity wasn't helping either. Now that gives me an idea. Since our company installed a whole bunch of electrical outlets in the parking lot for the one Chevy Volt that does ocasionally show up, could I install an engine heater to keep the bike warm and plug it in. The question then becomes is there some type of engine heater for the feej?
Need to research this,
Dave
SilverHound
Well-known member
Why not just get a small float charger instead of an engine heater? I bought one from Harbor Freight for about $10 and modified it to plug into a powelet socket instead of using the clamps. You could just as easily modify it to plug into the ANSI type connectors that a Battery Tender uses. Have used it on five different bikes over the past 8 years and it has kept my batteries in good shape while sitting for extended periods of time. I've never used it "on the road" but could easily fit it in a side case if you wanted to use it at work. Took it with me on a little cross country ride this past January "just in case" but bike had no issues starting up on several mornings that were below 20 degrees F. Original battery from 2008.
It's similar if not the same to this one: https://www.harborfreight.com/battery-float-charger-automatic-69594.html
RadioHowie
I Miss Beemerdons!
escapefjrtist
Searching for Dry Roads
Damn, I'm with Skooter again...If the instruments haven't reset during cranking, all is well. Run the battery until 'ol man winter shows up!
--G
--G
SkooterG
Purveyor of Crooked Facts
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="RadioHowie" data-cid="1090236" data-time="1377568827"><p>
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="SkooterG" data-cid="1090153" data-time="1377542992"><p>A better test is while cranking to start. How many volts does it show then? But if you have had no issues like clock reset while cranking I wouldn't worry about it.</p></blockquote>
<br />
Son! You're home and didn't call yer muther???</p></blockquote>
Naaaah, not the case mi Bastard step-daddy. Just an easy day in Denver. A couple posts and a LOT of Colorado twisties. Check Pikes Peak of the bucket list!
Next time you are buying me beer remind me to tell you how I spanked four sport bikes in the twisties with my retard tire!
Edit: Damn phone posting. I don't know why the quotes got fucked up.
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="SkooterG" data-cid="1090153" data-time="1377542992"><p>A better test is while cranking to start. How many volts does it show then? But if you have had no issues like clock reset while cranking I wouldn't worry about it.</p></blockquote>
<br />
Son! You're home and didn't call yer muther???</p></blockquote>
Naaaah, not the case mi Bastard step-daddy. Just an easy day in Denver. A couple posts and a LOT of Colorado twisties. Check Pikes Peak of the bucket list!
Next time you are buying me beer remind me to tell you how I spanked four sport bikes in the twisties with my retard tire!
Edit: Damn phone posting. I don't know why the quotes got fucked up.
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RadioHowie
I Miss Beemerdons!
Jesus In A Jeep!!! That's what you call a "clusterquote"!!!! :rofl:
So, yer back on the 04 cookin' up that calamari? How'd the POS Gen II handle the cross-countries???
RaYzerman19
Go Wings!
Mine's older than yours, and I had a handful of oh shit occurrences....... Battery life depends somewhat on how you took care of it all this time. If it was on a Battery Tender while sitting, or never sat for more than a week or two without one, if it never discharged below 12.5V more than a half dozen times (mine has, but recharged it right away), it should be good to go. The cranking voltage test is a good indicator and something you should do.
My worst oh shit abuse of my battery..... Had an issue with mine last spring when I was using heated gear, forgot to charge it when I got home, a few days later went on an all day ride with heavy use of heated gear. Had to boost it to start it that morning, it never really got fully charged all day, mid morning left the key on when I stopped for coffee (doh!), had to boost it again. Datel said 12.8V most of the day, higher in the afternoon. Recharged it when I got home, it's been good ever since, but it hasn't been tested in the cold weather yet obviously. I will do a cranking test, but I have a new Yuasa battery on the shelf if needed. I am carrying a lightly used Shorai in case I need a boost.
My worst oh shit abuse of my battery..... Had an issue with mine last spring when I was using heated gear, forgot to charge it when I got home, a few days later went on an all day ride with heavy use of heated gear. Had to boost it to start it that morning, it never really got fully charged all day, mid morning left the key on when I stopped for coffee (doh!), had to boost it again. Datel said 12.8V most of the day, higher in the afternoon. Recharged it when I got home, it's been good ever since, but it hasn't been tested in the cold weather yet obviously. I will do a cranking test, but I have a new Yuasa battery on the shelf if needed. I am carrying a lightly used Shorai in case I need a boost.
08FJR4ME
-WYNPRO-
I have managed to totally kill my batery twice in its lifetime and it still works. Not sure what effect that would have.
Dave
Dave
ice_station_zebra
Well-known member
Ok I checked the voltage on starting and it dropped to 10 volts for a millisecond. The ambient temp was 70 degrees. Bike starts instantly, but I'm starting to think at colder temps/higher altitudes back and forth to EOM there's not going to be enough cranking power to turn the engine over the 4 or 5 times it would take to get going. There were times last year on the way back when temps went into the low 30's all night and there was frost on the seats in the morning!
Dropping to ~10V during cranking is pretty much standard.
ice_station_zebra
Well-known member
Then I think I can get through the rest of the season, but I'll take my jumper cables to EOM just in case! I appreciate everyone's input on this, thanks.
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