Battery Failure

This AM=no start, clicks only. Bike has been in service over 2 years, so will pick up new battery this afternoon from my local Honda Dealer.

I have in past gotten 3-5 years service from battery, bike is in daily use. But now?.

On trip to Nova Scotia---ran battery down using air compressor pump.....and things have never been the same since.

New battery OEM----walking sucks and as there is no other means of starting bike I have to spend the money.

Once one runs a battery down it's like a severe injury, the older the battery the more it's affected. After running it down you have to fully recharge it, just not enough to get a vehicle started.

Bad luck there John.
Two years doesn't seem like much, especially when used daily.
It obviously didn't like being run flat - even just once!
Hope your dealer had one in stock and you're up and running again.

Dealer had a battery in stock. Going to install now. My bike was left over, probably sat on dealers show floor from 1-2 years with battery in stalled.

Two lessons learned----usually I get a new bike/scooter every year, and only take leftovers with severe discount.


#2 new bike every year=always under warranty. No new bike this year, nothing really interesting to buy and bottom has fallen from used scooter market, so my trade-in not worth much.

Have to see what next year brings.

I've got a new battery waiting to be fitted to my Silver Wing. The OE one is nearly six years old and starting is no problem but more often I'm getting a red light from the Optimate telling me the battery is weak. If I disconnect then reconnect the lead again it goes the procedure again and after a time goes to green and there it stays. But the last couple of months I've been getting the red light more often.

My battery tester shows the battery is strong so maybe it's my Optimate 3 that's being temperamental. So I have a new sealed maintenance-free battery and a different type of battery charger/conditioner all ready to use. When I do change batteries I may go back to using leads connected to the battery and not the 12v socket in the glovebox. So with winter not all that far way and my MOT due, I've got new Iridium plugs, new high performance headlight bulbs, recently fitted all season tyres, parking brake pads, and a new battery ready to fit if needed.

John, after you got home from your trip, did you fully charge your battery using a battery charger? Battery tenders will not bring your battery back to full charge.

I have two batteries for my Burgman. One, I call my winter one, and my summer one. As I don't use the Burgman as much as the Silver wing. I had my last Silver wing for four years and it was three years old when I got it. The only time I ever charged the battery was when the under seat light discharged it. I have never used the 12volt socket, as my heated vest is connected directly to the battery. Maybe I've been lucky.

Charge battery? why-----if several days of highway running do not charge battery---whole electrical system is marginal in my opinion, or battery bad. As I hate walking and trouble on the road...easy solution buy new battery. I do not have charger or maint. charger, no intend to buy one. I hope and think chargine system ok-----I do not want to put money in machine I will trade off soon I hope.

Buying and operating a battery charger is not an investment in any particular motorcycle. It is an investment in the maintenance of the battery of every motorcycle one owns.

The fact that you buy a new bike every year has masked your over look of routine battery maintenance.

Another route of battery maint. is to ride year around----even in cold climates.

john grinsel wrote:

Another route of battery maint. is to ride year around----even in cold climates.

Charging a battery reverses the electrons on the plates within your battery. Just running the bike daily is OK for a battery that has not been fully discharged. You need a hot charge that only a battery charger can do to fully reverse the electrons. Could have got a charger for what you paid for your battery. I have a tender for my generator, truck, old race car, Swing, and two for my boat batteries. I have had the need before to charge my batteries or start my vehicles. Anyway, your new battery should last until you decide to sell your Swing.

Running something everyday with a decent charging system SHOULD do the job providing the running after the initial start put all back into the battery that you drew out, short runs won't do it. Even with my use of the battery tenders if I know I'm going to use something that day I take the tender ( on float ) off put my regular charger on at 2 amps, that charger ALWAYS adds more charge until it goes on float, if I feel like it I'll kick it to 6 amps, now it charges again until it reaches float. The time differences between charging at 2 or 6 is kind of a battery health check, the shorter the time the better the health. Lead Acid batteries really don't reach their potential until after some use and recharging, then they reach that working well stage until they eventually start their decline. Lithium Ions do a great job holding their charge without a maintainer and their only fault I see is when they are running low there is almost no warning when the are about to give up, i.e my electric trimmer goes like all get out until the last 30 seconds.