[jgrazjgraz]

why does a couple of cool,not even that cold days ,40-50 degs,,drain a battery.does that mean the battery is on its way out? she starts right up after a very quick charge.
Im keeping it on a battery tender now through the nights,but I want to know if thats a bad sign and should just get a new batt.next season..

 

[bikesrfun]

Hey John, if it does it repeatedly , it's time for a new one.

 

[terrym95]

Hey John, if it does it repeatedly , it's time for a new one.

Agreed!

Bite the bullet and go get one or put the bike on a charger for now and then just wait till spring. Mine went almost dead last fall and I wasn't riding all that much so I just kept it on the charger until the riding season started again then got a new one.

 

[jgrazjgraz]

Hey John, if it does it repeatedly , it's time for a new one.

hey steve, hows it going,I guess its a new one then,,this was the third time since it started getting cool here...I wont be going to far from home now so I guess its battery tender for now,,new one in the spring..Ill be packing it in soon anyways.any luck with your bags yet?

 

[Stuweicker]

I put a new battery in every 2 years. Pushing a 600+ pound bike sucks!

 

[bikesrfun]

hey steve, hows it going,I guess its a new one then,,this was the third time since it started getting cool here...I wont be going to far from home now so I guess its battery tender for now,,new one in the spring..Ill be packing it in soon anyways.any luck with your bags yet?

I mounted them up with the EASY brackets temporarily for that ride I went on the Sunday after I helped you out. I started making a template for the new bracket today. I think it might work out well.

 

[jgrazjgraz]

I mounted them up with the EASY brackets temporarily for that ride I went on the Sunday after I helped you out. I started making a template for the new bracket today. I think it might work out well.

great,,keep me posted,,

 

[jgrazjgraz]

can this be right?236.00 for a battery?


FTZ16-BS 0.89 L

Mfg. Part Number: 26012-1371
SKU: 399283
MSRP: $259.95
Your Price: $236.55

 

[bikesrfun]

NOT!!!!!

 

[streak07]

I just got one of the glass mat sealed type batteries from Advance. No adding acid, charged and ready to go, and the guys behind the counter said they hold their charge and have a way lower return rate than the standard lead acid ones. Figured I'd give it a shot.

 

[jgrazjgraz]

where do you guys get your batts, and what should I be looking to pay,,last time I bought a batt for my 750 from sears, cost around 100...

found this....any good?
http://www.batterymart.com/p-YTX20C...=kawasaki-vn1500-p-vulcan-mean-streak-battery

 

[timdull2]

Good info in here. Had mine sitting outside as usual last week and hadn't ridden it since last Monday. Checked it on Friday to make sure it'd turn and it didn't! Temps were in the 40s for highs and down into the 20s at nights. I didn't think it'd zap so quickly, but it did. 30 minutes on the battery tender and she fired right back up. Put it on for all of about 4 hours yesterday, then a quick ride around the block. This morning, 29 degrees when i left the house and she ran just fine.

How long does a battery generally last? And since it's been asked, what's the "best" type and price range for a new one?

 

[streak07]

For bikes you can't say it'll last XX months. It had more to do with the owner and how they treat it. If you have long period of no riding, store it someplace cold, have anything wired hot on the bike, etc will all impact battery life. If you go home every night and put the battery tender on it'll last for years but who does that? The cells in bike batteries are too small so one discharge is often enough to give you a dead cell and the battery is junk. I'm giving the glass mat types a try since the lead-acid ones are absolute crap. I really wish I could get the smallest car battery in the bike but it'd take too much rearranging to get it to fit.

Some people have their batteries last 2 years, others 5-6 before issues start to show up. I like changing mine every 2 for peace of mind but I may see how long the new type lasts.

 

[Meanie]

I bought my bike in '02 and still using the original battery. After 7 years, I decided not to take the chance anymore and purchased a new one, though, I still kept the stock one on the tender. Just under a year with the new battery, it died. The good part is they replaced it for free and with a higher grade. Well, that one also blew a cell and again, they replaced it. When the second one left me stranded at work, I went home to get the stock one to get me home. Even though they provided me with a new one, I decided to leave the stock in and it's still kicking strong while I keep the new one on the tender.

I think the secret to the long life of the stock battery is cool storage (garage) and battery tender. If I don't ride for more than two weeks, I put it on charge.

 

[bumpskier]

Hi All,

I purchased a battery from Wal-Mart for under $70.00 when I brought/exchanged/recycled the old one. They knocked off $10 or something like that. Don't waste your money by spending crazy $200 on batteries. Spend your savings on a battery tender ($30-$40), that will save you a ton of battery headache. The most common mistake ppl make on batteries is that they over-charge the battery, it makes them less effective. I used to use my trickle charger, but once I switched to battery tender, I've not had battery problems.

 

[1600Marauderguy]

+1 on the battery tender. Literally the first thing I bought for my bike.

 

[timdull2]

Since I got mine in the spring, I waited to get mine just before winter last year. Battery tender Jr. from motorcycle superstore for $16.99 as one of their daily deals. After last week's dead ordeal, I decided to keep the leads on and tuck them away just in case. Figure it'll make things easier. I just wish the bolts on the battery were a bit longer! Between those and the hook-up for my LEDs, it's a bit touchy to get the bolt to match up to the square nut in there!

 

[jgrazjgraz]

. I just wish the bolts on the battery were a bit longer! Between those and the hook-up for my LEDs, it's a bit touchy to get the bolt to match up to the square nut in there!

+1,,I thought it was only me..such a PITA..I usually try to slip a zip tie under the nut and lift it gently with one hand while tryingto screw the nut with the other..

 

[timdull2]

+1,,I thought it was only me..such a PITA..I usually try to slip a zip tie under the nut and lift it gently with one hand while tryingto screw the nut with the other..

I used my pinky finger this past week. Thought for sure i was going to take some juice for some reason, but didn't.

 

[Meanie]

+1,,I thought it was only me..such a PITA..I usually try to slip a zip tie under the nut and lift it gently with one hand while tryingto screw the nut with the other..

I glued the nut to the bottom of the post. So far so good.