Do I Need a New Battery?

Joined
Oct 1, 2013
Messages
69
Location
Minnesota
Bike
2008 Honda ST13
I have my original battery and it seems like I need a new one, but thought I should run it by y'all before I buy one. The reason I suspect a bad battery is because if I leave the headlight on for a few minutes I can't start the engine. I can charge it up or get a jump and then everything is fine. I would say 5 to 10 minutes with the light on drains the battery. What do you think?
 

Blrfl

Natural Rider Enhancement
Joined
Aug 24, 2005
Messages
5,689
Age
55
Location
Northern Virginia
Bike
Fast Blue One
STOC #
4837
"Doc, it hurts when I do this."

"So don't do that."

Five minutes is more than enough time to make the battery go flat. Repeated deep discharge isn't great for longevity, so try to avoid it.

If you measure the voltage of a fully-charged battery during cranking and it falls below 10, your battery's had it.

--Mark
 

ST Gui

240Robert
Site Supporter
Joined
Sep 12, 2011
Messages
9,263
Location
SF-Oakland CA
Bike
ST1300, 2010
if I leave the headlight on for a few minutes I can't start the engine.
Welcome to the world of the ST1300. The battery capacity for the 1300 is really lower than it should be and I believe a smaller battery (with less capacity) than the 1100.

What you're experiencing is normal for a good ST1300 battery. An indicator of a failing battery is the bike starting (when you haven't left the lights on) but your clock now shows the incorrect time. Reset it start the bike again and the time is off again. Almost always a failing battery.

So listen to your doctor. Don't leave the lights on with the engine off any longer than you have to. There are mods to infall a higher capacity battery but they require some work. Replacing your lights (especially your headlights) with LEDs will lessen the drain on your battery. If you needed to have some light on with the engine off you could add a small LED light controlled by a switch separate from the ignition. Or you could just listen to your doctor.
 
Joined
Mar 13, 2012
Messages
5,047
Location
soCal
Bike
'97 ST1100
STOC #
687
even with the known weakness of the 1300 battery, if you have a 9 year old battery (you said its the original battery on a 2008) you're living on borrowed time.
 
Joined
Jun 3, 2006
Messages
3,513
Location
British Columbia
Bike
2021 RE Meteor 350
+1 what dwalby said. It is going to fail at some inopportune time and leave you stranded. Nine years - you got your money's worth out of it.
 

ST Gui

240Robert
Site Supporter
Joined
Sep 12, 2011
Messages
9,263
Location
SF-Oakland CA
Bike
ST1300, 2010
(you said its the original battery on a 2008)
Wow I glossed right over that. Sleep depravation is a witch with a capital b. But nine years seems pretty— incredible especially for an ST1300 battery.
 
OP
OP
Joined
Oct 1, 2013
Messages
69
Location
Minnesota
Bike
2008 Honda ST13
Thank you for the responses. I don't intentionally leave the headlight on but sometimes have a brain fart. I have gotten to the point of not even turning the key while I'm getting ready to mount the bike. I wait until I'm on and ready to start. I think I will test the battery for "goodness", then decide if I should replace.
 
Joined
Dec 27, 2004
Messages
829
Location
Medina, Tennessee
Bike
2021 Tracer 9GT
STOC #
375
Thank you for the responses. I don't intentionally leave the headlight on but sometimes have a brain fart. I have gotten to the point of not even turning the key while I'm getting ready to mount the bike. I wait until I'm on and ready to start. I think I will test the battery for "goodness", then decide if I should replace.
If it is really nine years old, you need to replace it, now, I don't care if it does load test ok. It will fail, at night, in the cold, in the rain, on the side of the road in BFE. Better to R&R in a controlled environment. I learned the hard way. There are tons of posts here on which batteries are good, which are not so good (Scorpion AGM), in a ST1300.
 
Joined
Apr 25, 2007
Messages
4,954
Age
62
Location
New Jersey
Bike
st1300 '04
STOC #
7163
I believe it's some place in Egypt?:confused:
LOL. Just west of Jabip.

OP make it a habit of no key unless starting. My glasses always go missing when I put them down somewhere, just for a second, instead of their designated spot. Sucks getting old :)
 
Top Bottom