Reviving a Dead Battery Procedure Question

[Shoegazer]

Hi, my 2009 Honda St1300 battery has died on me a couple times since purchasing last year. Once when the bike was off for 20 minutes with the lights left on. And twice when it was just sitting for over a month or two in cold temperatures. I've used my car with jumper cables to get it started twice, successfully. my dealership tells me I may not need a new battery----just that these batteries do tend to freeze and deplete over winter months if stored outside etc.....so today I'm starting the spring tune up stuff and of course my bike wont start. My appointment with the dealership is on March 24th and I'm wondering if I should just go ahead an jump it with my car again, or if I should get a battery charger and plug into that. If I do get a battery charger (I'm in Canada) I'm looking at the Motomaster 4 amp model with 6v and 12 v settings. Can someone walk me through how I should do this and any opinions on car jumping etc.....I'm preparing for a long trip this spring and I suppose the dealer will tell me if I need a new battery but I just gotta get it started first to get to the dealer.

 

[T_C]

Once when the bike was off for 20 minutes with the lights left on.

\
That will do it.

And twice when it was just sitting for over a month or two in cold temperatures.

This makes it worse

just that these batteries do tend to freeze and deplete over winter months if stored outside etc.....

Yeah... probably not or else it has gotten a whole lot colder in Canada then I heard it did.

If your battery truly froze you would have a split case. Cracked, busted, acid spilled out. Doesn't take much to do that too the plastic. As the battery approaches a zero state of charge, it's freezing temperature does come up closer to zero.

Fully charged, -80? F (-70? C)
Half charged, -10? F (-23? C)
Complete dead, -20? F (-7? C)

Now when cold, a battery does not have the same ability to generate power as when warm. So a partially discharged battery that is also cold will appear to be even more dead. Just think of it in terms of chemical reaction, remove heat, chemical reaction slows down.

But the problem really involves draining the battery all the way down. Lead-acid batteries don't like to be discharged more then about 75%. You took it to zero with the discharge by leaving the lights on. Even one time can do permanent damage to a battery. The more times they are over-discharged the less and less life they have left. (Yes there are deep-cycle lead-acid batteries, they still have limits and they are optimized for that anddon't make good high current starter batteries.)

You could try a charger, but first I would bring it inside and let it warm up and see what voltage it has. If it is really low again, I would consider a replacement. Skip the charger. Yes you could jump it agaoin and ride for an hour plus to charge it, but it's overall life is limited.

For the future, if the bike will be sitting for a month without starting, disconnect one of the battery leads. The bike's have a very small drain, while very small, it adds up over time, or invest in a float charger.

 

[Blrfl]

I'm looking at the Motomaster 4 amp model with 6v and 12 v settings.

That's too much current for motorcycle batteries. A good rule of thumb is 10% of capacity, so a 14 AH battery should be charged at no more than 1.4A.

--Mark

 

[Al Gully]

The best piece of mind I have for you is purchase one of these high performance batteries for Evapar.
Many have done so with excellent results. These are OEM Batteries that our bikes came with.
You won't have to worry about your battery for years.
Here is the thread that you an purchase these from. Regular price is $200, he's selling them brand new for $60 + $15 shipping.

https://www.st-owners.com/forums/sh...A-YTZ14S-battery-sale-(for-ST1300)&highlight=


Also, I use a 2 amp Schumacher SC-600A charger from Walmart. It's a smart charger and does more than just charge. Finding it has worked well for me for years.

 

[RaYzerman]

I agree with all the above good advice..... that battery has been compromised maybe to the point of dying on you one day this summer when it's hot. You can't beat the deal from Evapar, and I would strongly recommend buying a new one and a maintenance charger for future.

 

[Byron]

If I was in the market to try and revive a failing battery I would look at the Ctek line of chargers. They have the ability to reverse the damage done to the plates in a battery and return it to working form.

 

[Svrdhd]

The Evapar batteries only become available occasionally, but your timing might be good. Bought mine about 2-3 weeks ago.

 

[Shoegazer]

Thanks Everyone, My dealer said a new battery is 300 so this sounds like a great deal if there are any left. I have no idea if my battery is stock because I bought the bike used so it may be 5 years old now. Probably is. If I can get one of these batteries for 65 bucks it's a no-brainer. Just hope it fits my 2009 model. As for the bike I guess I'll jump it with the car again. And from now on I store it indoors for winters. I just always get nervous charging from the car but since it worked fine last 2 times I guess I'm paranoid. Visions of explosions of frying the electronics pass before my eyes. lol

 

[Shoegazer]

For anyone who wants to see my bike on a short ride last summer on a cool scenic road just north of Toronto last summer here is a Go Pro Helmet video I shot. It gets better when I make the left turn so wait for it ....nice road called Forks of the Credit (river).

http://youtu.be/t5B00FHZzAE

 

[Mark lowes]

$300.is a little steep,you should be able to find something more reasonable.I'm going to try a shorai next time,bayside has them here in Vancouver .they are online.pricing is about the same the USA.insallation is easy,no point in paying the dealer for the re&re

 

[Shoegazer]

$300.is a little steep,you should be able to find something more reasonable.I'm going to try a shorai next time,bayside has them here in Vancouver .they are online.pricing is about the same the USA.insallation is easy,no point in paying the dealer for the re&re

I used to do oil changes and battery replacements on my BMW K1200RS but this bike is a different animal and I'm not mechanically inclined. Any walkthroughs on how to change the battery and do an oil change here?

 

[Al Gully]

If I can get one of these batteries for 65 bucks it's a no-brainer. Just hope it fits my 2009 model.

It's a no -brainier, it will fit like a glove.

I just always get nervous charging from the car but since it worked fine last 2 times I guess I'm paranoid. Visions of explosions of frying the electronics pass before my eyes. lol

Just make sure your car or truck is not running when you jump start your bike.

 

[Shoegazer]

It's a no -brainier, it will fit like a glove.

Just make sure your car or truck is not running when you jump start your bike.

So just the car powered (key switch with lights on) but not engine started up right?

 

[Avtrician]

Nope, no need to turn the car ignition on. Just connect the jumper leads, red to positive and black to negative.

As to battery chargers, the current rating ie:- 4 Amps, is the maximum it can supply not the current it will supply. The charger current will drop off as the battery voltage approaches charger voltage until they are equal and it all stops. There are specialised chargers available that can force a fixed current but they are very expensive.

A battery tender is an excellent idea, it will keep the battery topped up whennot in use, and will stop the battery freezing in winter.


(Or you can move to Oz with the bike, and be able to ride all year round)

 

[Blrfl]

The charger current will drop off as the battery voltage approaches charger voltage until they are equal and it all stops.

Chargers have no way of knowing what the capacity of the connected battery is and will bulk charge at the full rated current. When the battery reaches full charge, charging will stop, but not properly limiting the current will still have forced the battery to dissipate more heat than it can handle.

--Mark

 

[st1300r]

Sounds like if it's not toast it will be compromised.
20 minutes will completely discharge a new stock battery.
Sitting dead will also compromise its capacity.

Normal drain on the bike is 2.5ma iirc about the same as the self discharge rate disconnected.
Any aftermarket gizmos alarms etc that put a load on the battery when the bike is off?
A good battery should be able to sit a month and still start the bike.

Changing a battery is very easy pop the seat off, remove the right saddle bag then 3? screws on the right side panel and you're looking at the battery.
Two bolts hold the metal battery strap and it just slides out.

The evapar is the same battery as a oem st battery. Just happened to be a pulls from new generators.

Clean up the cable lugs while you're in there.

If your battery actually froze it was discharged so it was toast anyway.

One of many oil change LINK LOL.

Tips
Dending on the gorilla who put the last oil filter on battle it with the bike cold then just hand tighten and warm up the oil.
Do it on the side stand so the center stand doesnt get oily. Just push it out of the way,
Little aluminium on the down side pipe to direct the filter oil into the catch pan.

Purolater pl14610 here and a gazzilion oil threads to pick the proper "motor cycle" oil what ever that is

 

[Shoegazer]

When I bought the bike it had a CB radio and antenna installed by previous owner. I don't even know how to use it. Is it causing a drain on my battery when the bike is off? I wouldn't even know how to disconnect it anyway but I think it might come in handy when I learn how to use it some day.

 

[st1300r]

What model CB is installed, someone here probably has one. Maybe a clock drain but it should be next to nothing.

Check the schedule for a tech day or ride to eat.

For a beverage of their choice most STrs will talk your ear off about farkles and bike tech.

 

[Shoegazer]

Ha! Well that's cool. Planning a loooon trip down to Mexico in April so any human voice will be good company!

 

[SMSW]

When a lead acid battery is discharged all the way down, the material pressed into the plates inside the battery can swell and flake off. This obviously will reduce the capacity of the battery. What is worse is if this material accumulates between the plates and shorts them out. Then that individual cell is toast.

I second the suggestion for you to get a 'battery tender' type of charger. You hook it up when the bike is stored for a long time and it keeps the battery at full charge. There are quite a few different brands out there - 'battery tender' is only one name but it seems to be used generically like band aid or formica to describe all such units. Some of these mini charges come with a pair of leads and an SAE connector on the end - you attach the leads to your battery and tuck the wire under the seat. It is connected all the time. Pop the seat and plug your charger in when you store your bike. I plug mine in when the weather turns bad and it looks like I might not be riding for a couple of weeks or more. I have four of these going all winter long and rotate them through my lawn tractor, bikes, and mower. i even use one on a car that only sees occasional use in the winter. They will pay for themselves in increased battery life.