Battery dead *Fixed*

[samold55]

I'm new to biking so dont really no much yet but was wondering if I could get a little help. My battery died all of a sudden yesterday and I had to call out the RAC because I couldnt get home. Now when he tested it the battery had dropped from 12 volts to 5. He charged it back up and said half an hour of riding would fully charge it however it didnt. Also I got it working by doing that thing were you run with the bike and kind of jump on it to start it (not sure what it's called) and it started. I then left it running for about an hour and the battery still does not seem to want to work :/.

The bike is 2 years old and has done 3500 miles.

Thanks

[Richtea]

I'm certainly no expert, and I'm sure that you'll get a more useful reply from someone else, but it will either be your battery needs replacing or it is not being charged when the engine is running.

I had a similar problem with an old Vespa, let the battery run completely flat once and then whenever I charged it up would only hold its charge for a matter of hours before it went flat again. Got a new battery and problem solved.

I'm presuming that you havent got a kick start on the bike you can use? And running with the bike and jumping on is commonly known as a 'jump start'.

Hopefully you'll solve your problem,
____________________
2005 Honda Varadero 125xl > 2005 GS500F > 2007 DRZ400 SM > 600 Bandit & Yamaha YP250

[pits]

[fatpies]

What is it? Let me guess its a Honda?

My guess is that the regulator rectifiyer is toast, thus causing the battery not to charge and go flat.

Its a quick 5 minute swap for £40-£70.

If the battery goes flat more than 3-4 times then its toast and won't hold a charge.
____________________
"It's easy to attack and destroy an act of creation. It's a lot more difficult to perform one"

[samold55]

Okay thanks also I forgot to mention the bike was working fine untill it was in the rain for about 9 hours whilst I was in work do you think the water could of damaged anything ?

[Rogerborg]

It could be the battery, it could be the regulator / rectifier (or possibly even the dyno).

You'll want to get yourself a cheap battery charger (so you can get the battery charged and the bike started) and a multimeter and find out. Don't guess, a charger and a multimeter cost less than a battery or a reg/rec.

With the engine running, you should see 14V+ across the battery terminals. If you're getting 12.5V or less then your reg/rec is shagged. If you're getting 14V+ with the engine running, shut it off, leave it for 20 minutes, and check the voltage. If it's under 12V then your battery is shagged.

What make and model is the bike? Does it do long runs or mostly short commutes? Have you owned it from new and did you fully charge the battery when you first got it? (First thing you should do with any new battery, it's not going to be fully charged when you get it and might never become so if you do short runs).
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[samold55]

Okay I will do all that were can I get a cheap battery charger an reader from as I will do that first Also the bike is a chinese sanya 125 I bought it from a owner who had only done 1,300 miles on it. Also because of my new job I do commute quite a bit on it now around an hour of travelling about 5 days a week with a speed of about 30 - 50 mph.

Thanks

[pinkyfloyd]

Welcome to winter. This time of year is a killer of batteries. Honda also has a problem with the reg/rec as mentioned above and it is simple to change.

Best thing to do is get a trickle charger and a new battery.
____________________
illuminateTHEmind wrote: I am just more evolved than most of you guys... this allows me to pick of things quickly which would have normally taken the common man years to master
Hockeystorm65:.well there are childish arguments...there are very childish arguments.....there are really stupid childish arguments and now there are......Pinkfloyd arguments!
Teflon-Mike:I think I agree with just about all Pinky has said.

[samold55]

Okay thanks everyboy you've been a real help Were can I get these charges etc... from I need them asap so a shop would be best.

Thanks again.

[pits]

[Rogerborg]

Argos, Halfords, Maplin, any independent motor factor, although you'll get gouged to varying degrees. eBay will provide much cheaper basic items.

I'd suspected a Chinese-branded bike, and I'd bet the battery was never been fully charged on it and suffered sulfation damage early.

You may be able to rescue it with a more expensive smart charger like an OptiMate, but it's a gamble. Your bike will take a generic Yuasa battery (check by dimensions and any marked current rating on it) that a local factor may have in stock. I wouldn't bet on it though, and if they don't you'll likely be cheaper ordering online.

See if you can bump or kick start it now without charging the battery. If you can, and it runs, then your reg/rec is likely OK and it's just the battery that's died.

If you do end up needing a reg/rec then https://www.cmpo.co.uk keep a big stock of Chinese-branded parts. They don't list your bike (that's a bit weird) but if you give them a call then they should be able to sort you out with a reg/rec, they're essentially generic. If you're feeling braver, then a Honda CG125 reg/rec is likely to work, although anything that you buy now is likely to just come out of the same factory as a Chinese-branded one.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[samold55]

[Rogerborg]

OK, then in that case you almost certainly do need a new battery. I'd recommend that you also get a cheap charger and charge it thoroughly before use and then regularly over the winter - if you're going to not be riding for a while then take it inside and tuck it up somewhere warm and cosy. Lead acid batteries get damaged by deep discharging and don't always recover, so keep the new one as fully charged as possible.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[samold55]

[Rogerborg]

Any 12V charger will do, and unless you're going for a proper "smart" charger like an OptiMate then I'd just go for whatever looks cheapest.

However, try to get one with a low minimum charge rating, ideally no more than 500 mA (less than 1A). It sounds perverse to go for less, but small bike batteries can be damaged by a high current designed to recharge a car battery. You're looking for a "trickle charger".
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[pits]

[blade023]

[samold55]

Would you say this would be okay ?

https://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.jsp?action=detail&fh_secondid=11387631&fh_location=//catalog01/en_GB/categories%3C{9372016}/categories%3C{9372052}/categories%3C{9822020}/specificationsProductType=chargers___adaptors

Also what amp would it need to be ?

[Rogerborg]

Absolutely not. That's an 8A charger, you want much lower. Think 2A or less.

I'd go under 1A. You're not in a hurry to over-charge it. If you can wait a couple of days, an Oxford Oximiser 600 (or equivalent) will do a better job for under £20 from eBay, or maybe you can find a stocking nearby.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[samold55]

Okay I am going to buy the charger today I just hope it works

[samold55]

Got the charger how long would you say to charge for ?

[samold55]

Okay so I charged the battery up and it seems to be working fine let's just hope it dosent die on me again In the meantime though I will order a new battery.

[samold55]

Just an update battery got charged for 18 hours and it's holding it's charge

Thanks for the help everybody.

Sam

[pinkyfloyd]

Glad you got it sorted. When the new one arrives keep it as spare. Charge it up when you need it.
____________________
illuminateTHEmind wrote: I am just more evolved than most of you guys... this allows me to pick of things quickly which would have normally taken the common man years to master
Hockeystorm65:.well there are childish arguments...there are very childish arguments.....there are really stupid childish arguments and now there are......Pinkfloyd arguments!
Teflon-Mike:I think I agree with just about all Pinky has said.