Sparks on New Battery

Bene · Nova Slayer Joined: 10 Feb 2013 Karma :

Hi, can anybody help? I've just replaced my old battery because I've been having trouble with it. I've charged my new battery and connected it. Now when I start the bike I'm getting a lot of sparks coming from the negative terminal. The bike starts up, but obviously I'm worried about the sparks, any suggestions?

I've cleaned the connectors. The only thing I'm wondering is that I've had to squash down the positive wire a little, it is a little squashed. This is because the shape of the battery is different to the old one. It is the correct battery for the model. Yam sr125.

Any suggestions please? I've very worried about these sparks.

Thanks.

Raffles · World Chat Champion Joined: 14 Apr 2009 Karma :

You did tighten the battery connectors didn't you?
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Bene · Nova Slayer Joined: 10 Feb 2013 Karma :

Yes they are tight. A friend of mine said I could have got the connections on the wrong terminals is this possible?

Bene · Nova Slayer Joined: 10 Feb 2013 Karma :

The problem is the shape of the battery terminals are the opposite way on the new battery, so I have had to swing and stretch the wires to meet the new shape. Is it possible that the terminals should be the other way around even though I am matching + to + and - to -?

andy_uk · World Chat Champion Joined: 13 Aug 2011 Karma :

No, don't swap the terminals round!!!
If it starts then it's the right way round.
Is the spark between the battery terminal and the connector or between the wire and the connector?
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Bene · Nova Slayer Joined: 10 Feb 2013 Karma :

Cheers. I didn't think it was a good idea to swap them around. I have try tried it again and it starts fine, been riding around and stopped it a couple of time and starts OK. I wonder if it was just a little wet or something, though I did clean it. This means it must be the right way around then definitely?

Turkish · Crazy Courier Joined: 09 May 2012 Karma :

Why didn't you buy the correct battery? Doh!

You shouldn't be getting sparking from the terminals. Apart from being a fire risk it's hardly a nice load for the regulator rectifier to cope with.
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Bene · Nova Slayer Joined: 10 Feb 2013 Karma :

I did buy the right battery for my model. However when it came the terminal shapes were the other way around. It is difficult to explain, unless you get what I mean. The last time I tired it I didn't get any sparks, so I don't know. Is it possible to start it up and ride it around if it is connected to the wrong terminals? If not then it must be correct.

Bene · Nova Slayer Joined: 10 Feb 2013 Karma :

This is the battery I have bought.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lextek-Motorcycle-12N7-3B-Motorcycle-Battery-for-Yamaha-SR125-SR-125-/181033584716?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts_13&hash=item2a2671484c

It says Yamaha SR125 so it must be the correct one. As you see the terminal plus is on the right hand side in the picture. Well my old battery the terminal + would be on the left hand side. So I have swapped the wires around so + meets + and - meets -.

Turkish · Crazy Courier Joined: 09 May 2012 Karma :

Nexus Icon · World Chat Champion Joined: 26 Aug 2010 Karma :

Do the wires have to reach across the battery, crossing each other, to the correct terminals? Surely spinning the battery through 180 degrees to shorten their path is the way forward?

Keeping -ve to -ve and +ve to +ve of course.
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Bene · Nova Slayer Joined: 10 Feb 2013 Karma :

Thanks for help. It must be the correct way then. I'll put some vasaline on.

No the wires don't have to cross but one is squashed down a little. Yes I spinned the battery around, but this alters the position of the terminals, again hard to explain, but in the image the terminals are facing you, when you flip it they point the other way. This means that where the wires were it wouldn't fit so I have had to pull the wires around. Do you know what I mean? Hopefully there will be no more sparks. I will take the panels off tomorrow and check when I start it up.

All of this would be solved if the battery was just the same as the old one. I can't understand why manufacturers mess about with such things.

Thanks again for you help.

scotthx1 · Derestricted Danger Joined: 23 May 2013 Karma :

can you get pics of your problem

MattEMulsion · World Chat Champion Joined: 29 Aug 2004 Karma :

If the terminals are in a different place then it quite clearly is a different battery to the old one, possibly not the right one, don't rely on ebay sellers 100%!

As long as it fits, it is secure and wired up correctly then it will be fine, but you should not be seeing sparks!
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andym · World Chat Champion Joined: 16 Nov 2010 Karma :

This might sound a bit stupid here, but one I've just noticed on my bike.

Are you using the correct screws for the battery, if they are slightly too long then even though you've tightened them up properly the cables could still be slightly loose and causing them to vibrate slightly.

(this is the one I've noticed on my bike). Is any part of your battery tray metal? Is it near the battery terminals

Bene · Nova Slayer Joined: 10 Feb 2013 Karma :

Thanks. It's been fine the rest of this week, the only problem was on the same day I fitted it, so it is possible that there was just some water or something on the connections.

Cheers.

andy_uk · World Chat Champion Joined: 13 Aug 2011 Karma :

I've had a thought (yeah, I know - scary!!)
Were the connectors and terminals clean?
It there was a little corrosion then that could cause them to spark initially when starting the bike due to the high current involved.
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Bene · Nova Slayer Joined: 10 Feb 2013 Karma :

One of the bolts and nut on there is a bit old and rusty. Maybe that could be it?

moonzoomer · World Chat Champion Joined: 01 Jul 2012 Karma :

new batteries are normally supplied with new connectors, angled adapters are also available for the battery terminals which may have been supplied in the bottom of the box along with the nuts/bolts

temeluchus · World Chat Champion Joined: 01 Oct 2008 Karma :

get yer phone out and take a picture.
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moonzoomer · World Chat Champion Joined: 01 Jul 2012 Karma :

That battery with front terminals will only suit 1996-1999 SR125 models, what year is your bike and did the original battery have end terminals? I think you need this universal type for SR125 models or you could adapt the battery using the angled terminals supplied in this battery kit

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MotoBatt-QuadFlex-MB9U-Battery-for-a-Yamaha-SR-125-All-Models-1982-2003-/140778664933?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts_13&hash=item20c70ff3e5

This kit will adapt your existing battery to suit the wiring layout if your bike is not the 1996-1999 model.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Motorcycle-Battery-Terminal-Conversion-/180798979244?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item2a18757cac

Bene · Nova Slayer Joined: 10 Feb 2013 Karma :

It's the 1993 model. So that would explain why the terminals are the other way around. I could just buy the adapters I suppose but it is working fine now, so I don't know if to just leave it.

Edit: oh I would take photos but I don't want to be pulling the battery out now that it is working fine. Not broke don't fix!

moonzoomer · World Chat Champion Joined: 01 Jul 2012 Karma :

Bene · Nova Slayer Joined: 10 Feb 2013 Karma :

Thanks for the link, I have saved it so if I have any issues I can order it. Cheers.