Battery Life?

[RandyO]

I was told that mc batteries can only take a few complete discharges before they are toast, (like leaving a radar detector on for 3 days) and that charging systems need a good battery to work properly

even if I leave my battery on a tender when parked and leave for a 4-5 hour ride with a full charge, my the charging system can't keep up with my electric vest any more, I am told not to worry about my charging system, get a new battery

opinions?

my battery is 2½ years old (original with bike) and 49k miles, and has been completely, and I mean completely so that it wont even start by coasting, won't even light up my neutral light, discharged. maybe a half a dozen times.

[Stoneman]

I'm tellin' ya, that thing's toast! I don't care how old it is, it's been used to start that thing 18,342,962 times PLUS you've got all that shit running off it. Not to mention, the absolute worst thing for a m/c battery is freezing weather and complete discharges. I don't care how long you've had it on the Tender, it can't take it anymore....

[RandyO]

none of my complete discharges were in freezing weather.

PLUS you've got all that shit running off it.

only the radar detector for the most part, what's that draw, 100 milliamps
ok, in the winter, the electric vest too, but thats only 44 watts on high


I'm sure my battery is toast, but actually I'm more concerned with my charging system, Is it true you need a good battery for you charging system to work properly, my logic tells me that once the bike is running, the alternator should supply all the juice I need to run my electric vest without draining the battery, I completely understand that with the electric load, it will not recharge the battery as quick, but heck, shouldn't it be able to keep up with the load as well as it does with a good battery

[Edited on 11/12/01 by RandyO]

[Stoneman]

You DO keep it outside in freezing weather though, thus my point...

Radar detector, radio, computer, and electrics. I thought you ran all that shit too...

If your battery is too weak, the alternator will expend all it's energy trying to charge it. I've known of bikes to run like total shit with weak batteries....

[RandyO]

computer? you mean my sigma? that runs on its own tiny watch battery. I guess I'm gonna have to find a lead for my radar detector that is switched.

[Stoneman]

computer? you mean my sigma? that runs on its own tiny watch battery.

None the less, your battery's beat! If you let it go much longer, eventually you won't even be able to rev your bike. It'll seem like you're dropping a cylinder....

Soooo......FREEZING TEMPS + SEVERAL DISCHARGES = DEAD BATTERY

Do yourself a favor and go get a new battery. You'll be glad you did...

[RandyO]

yea, I already had one ordered, yep, zombie when it drops to an idle, the headlight gets dim, then brightens as the revs come back, the fucking battery in my volvo is dead too, I guess you get away with shit like that during warm weather

[oreo_n2]

correct me if i am wrong, but i was also under the impression that most bikes dont have alternators, but generators.
yielding a much harsher charging environment for batteries and your electrics. they are alo quite current limited compared to other vehicles. MC batteries aren't made to hold or produce the cranking power that a car battery does.
I am pretty sure the rectifiers used in mc's are also pretty harsh as far as signal conditioning, usually just a bridge, maybe a cap at the output, but not much to make the voltage output very regulated.

overall, the system is meant to run the bike and its lights, not much more.

i just reread that and it seems like more of rambling then information, but i am a little short of time for edtis at the moment.

enjoy!

[RandyO]

nol, bikes have alternators, meaning the power that it produces is AC (alternating current hence the reason its called an alternator. until it goes thru the regulator/rectifier. the rectifier is a bunch of diodes that converts the power to DC

in bikes, a rotor wit permenant magnets spins inside the stator. the RR rectfies and regulates the power by shorting out the excess and dissapating it as heat

in a cage, the alternator doesn't have permenant magnets rather a wire wound armature, voltage is regulated by regulating the armatures field strength to a cage alternator only produces the amount of electricity that there is a demand for.

[Stoneman]

Say that ten times fast...