After 13 years of service, Red Battery retires

[Rdt1953]

Went out to the 2007 ST a couple years back - original battery - wouldn't crank . Thought " oh well - time for a new battery- this one doesn't owe me anything "
Replaced battery - still wouldn't crank . You guessed it - kill switch . Duh !
BTW - saved original battery- put it on tender overnight - still puts out 11. 7 volts

 

[fnmag]

Went out to the 2007 ST a couple years back - original battery - wouldn't crank . Thought " oh well - time for a new battery- this one doesn't owe me anything "
Replaced battery - still wouldn't crank . You guessed it - kill switch . Duh !
BTW - saved original battery- put it on tender overnight - still puts out 11. 7 volts

Not to worry. Many a rider has had problems with not remembering that dad gum kill switch.

 

[Larry Fine]

Went out to the 2007 ST a couple years back - original battery - wouldn't crank . Thought " oh well - time for a new battery- this one doesn't owe me anything "

If it's the battery, the tail, marker, gauge lights, and indicators will all dim or extinguish when starting; if they stay bright, it's not the battery.

As an electrician, I troubleshoot first, and only then spend money on parts second. For example, I've had many a customer with a clothes dryer that tumbled but didn't heat, and bought a new one that did the same thing. Troubleshooting first would have uncovered the bad circuit breaker.

Replaced battery - still wouldn't crank . You guessed it - kill switch . Duh !
BTW - saved original battery- put it on tender overnight - still puts out 11. 7 volts

I would have put the old one back in until it really died, and "tendered" the new one until needed.

 

[Kevcules]

I've used dielectric grease on every battery terminal I've owned for the last 20 years, I've never had an issue yet. I also use the green cans of rust check on them when I'm low on grease. I never see the green/white crust on the battery terminals anymore that is present on a lot of them.

I actually wasn't aware that dielectric grease was non conductive until about 10 years ago. Either way, I never applied it to an open connection.

Thanks for the info on the issues that were had with this grease, in case I ever do see a problem....

 

[wjbertrand]

Went out to the 2007 ST a couple years back - original battery - wouldn't crank . Thought " oh well - time for a new battery- this one doesn't owe me anything "
Replaced battery - still wouldn't crank . You guessed it - kill switch . Duh !
BTW - saved original battery- put it on tender overnight - still puts out 11. 7 volts

At 11.7 volts resting voltage, that battery is pretty much toast.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[ST Gui]

Many a rider has had problems with not remembering that dad gum kill switch

I wonder if Honda will make the ST1800's kill switch available on other models if it hasn't already. The 'kill' position being spring loaded means never leaving it in that position after each use. It'd save a lot of red faces and colorful vocabulary.

 

[dwalby]

I would have put the old one back in until it really died, and "tendered" the new one until needed.

In the old days with fixed magnet alternators I had a "learning experience" with that theory. Replaced the alternator windings on my KZ1000 because they had shorted out and died, and the battery was kinda weak as well. Limped along on the weak battery for a few months because whenever it wouldn't crank I'd just roll down the driveway and bump start it. Eventually the new alternator windings also died, presumably because it was over-worked compensating for the weak battery. I guess that alternator may have been a little under-designed, or maybe I was just unlucky, but that taught me the lesson to not bother trying to squeeze every last day out of an obviously weak battery.

 

[mortenk]

I wonder if Honda will make the ST1800's kill switch available on other models if it hasn't already. The 'kill' position being spring loaded means never leaving it in that position after each use. It'd save a lot of red faces and colorful vocabulary.

Or do like my FJR: kill switch is the same as the start button...so it's impossible to have it in kill mode if you want to start your bike. Makes perfect sense!

 

[fnmag]

Or do like my FJR: kill switch is the same as the start button...so it's impossible to have it in kill mode if you want to start your bike. Makes perfect sense!

Now that's called practical.

 

[T_C]

Or do like my FJR: kill switch is the same as the start button...so it's impossible to have it in kill mode if you want to start your bike. Makes perfect sense!

Solves one problem, yeah... but not much help if you want the bike to just be runnning. BTDT... reach over and accidentally brush a red button...

 

[wjbertrand]

Solves one problem, yeah... but not much help if you want the bike to just be runnning. BTDT... reach over and accidentally brush a red button...

My Super Tenere is the same as the FJR, not sure I'm following your point? Couldn't you accidentally brush either a separate kill switch or an integrated start/kill switch design?

 

[AV8R]

Update

The Scorpion is handling its new role as the power source for my STP brilliantly. This with the 30W radio, LED headlamps and disco lights running with the engine killed for 10 - 20 minutes and then still getting a fast startup over and over all day long.

 

[ST Gui]

Or do like my FJR: kill switch is the same as the start button...so it's impossible to have it in kill mode if you want to start your bike. Makes perfect sense!

With the ST1800's spring loaded kill switch an accidental brush would be unlikely to move it. It would need a bump but it would return to the Run position on its own. It's always in Run mode unless your digit is pushing the button. And you can flash to pass.

How does the FJR/Super Tenere starter/kill switch work? One push starts the bike and a second stops it? Practical but it loses the headlight flash to pass function. Not a big deal I guess as most riders probably don't use it anyway.

I don't feel that one method is significantly better than the other but either is significantly better than the current implementation.

 

[T_C]

My Super Tenere is the same as the FJR, not sure I'm following your point? Couldn't you accidentally brush either a separate kill switch or an integrated start/kill switch design?

Yeah.. I could see how some folks might thin the integrated kill/start switch would be good. But if you have to work on your bike, say intentionally turn over the starter without starting, then it's not such a good idea. Any switch can be accidently brushed, but momentary one won't stay there.

One push starts the bike and a second stops it? Practical but it loses the headlight flash to pass function.

How/what does the kill/starter work with flash to pass? Lights hi/lo are on left side and engine control is on right. Flash to pass (high/low/high/low) is on left, start/stop/kill is on right. No??

 

[ST Gui]

How/what does the kill/starter work with flash to pass? Lights hi/lo are on left side and engine control is on right. Flash to pass (high/low/high/low) is on left, start/stop/kill is on right. No??

Are you reading or skimming my posts? Your interpretation mischaracterizes what I'm writing. I'm contrasting the functionality between having a separate Run/Kill switch vs an integrated start/kill switch.

By hitting the starter switch on an ST1300 you can flash the headlight in either beam OnOffOnOff. While this may not fit Hoyle's definition of flash to pass, 99.99% of the populations wouldn't know the difference assuming they know what a flashing headlight means in the first place. There might be the one rider out there how looks in his mirror and thinks 'Hm. I know what HighLowHighLow means... But OnOffOnOff... That's a new one on me... What to do... What to do...'

 

[T_C]

Sorry.. too many conversations at once.

Hitting starter doesn't kill light's on my bike. Bypassed that wiring too long ago to remember.

Having an integrated start/kill will save someone from the embarrassment of trying to start a bike where the switch is off but does not do much for accidentally hitting the kill in the middle of a ride. Fixing one problem doesn't help another. Reference post #48 and #49.

So your use of start for lights was jumbled somewhere in the middle of all that.

Apologies

 

[fnmag]

Update

The Scorpion is handling its new role as the power source for my STP brilliantly. This with the 30W radio, LED headlamps and disco lights running with the engine killed for 10 - 20 minutes and then still getting a fast startup over and over all day long.

Good stuff. The one scorpion battery I bought lived a useful life.

 

[ST Gui]

My preference is for the spring-loaded Run/Kill switch. Testing the feel of the GW/ST1800 switch it would take a fairly deliberate accidental tap to activate it. And I wouldn't have to develop new muscle memory.

 

[wjbertrand]

How does the FJR/Super Tenere starter/kill switch work? One push starts the bike and a second stops it? Practical but it loses the headlight flash to pass function. Not a big deal I guess as most riders probably don't use it anyway.

It's essentially a 3-position rocker switch. Rocked forward it kills the ignition, rocked back (middle) puts it in the run position. So far this is the same as the ST1300's kill switch. With the FJR & Super Tenere (and probably other Yamahas), instead of a separate starter button, you just press the rocker a little bit past the run position to activate the starter via a momentary contact switch. To kill the bike you rock the switch forward just like the ST1300 and about 99% of the bikes out there. I haven't tried pressing it while the engine is already running to see if it flashes the headlights off and on or not. There is however a momentary flash to pass function built into the H/L headlight switch on the left bar.

I don't think I've ever seen a spring loaded kill switch. Does this mean you have to physically hold the switch in the kill position until the engine stops?

Having an integrated start/kill will save someone from the embarrassment of trying to start a bike where the switch is off but does not do much for accidentally hitting the kill in the middle of a ride. Fixing one problem doesn't help another.

I fail to see the difference in potential for accidentally hitting the Yamaha's kill switch vs. the ST1300s. If you are saying the potential to do so is the same then I agree. If you are trying to say the Yamaha design create a new problem, then I disagree. I actually accidently hit the kill switch a few times on my ST (leaving me scratching my head for a split second as the traffic behind me suddenly grew closer), but so far it has not happened on the Tenere, even in rough off-road stuff. There's no way to crank the engine on the Yamaha with the ignition killed with this design, such as one might do to perform a compression test, but the ST's starter button is disabled when its kill switch is in the off position anyway so that's a wash.

 

[ST Gui]

Does this mean you have to physically hold the switch in the kill position until the engine stops?

Possibly. Based on the use of my ST's kill switch the hold time would probably be a fraction second if that. It's pretty near instantaneous. I'm sure an owner can provide the what's what.