• A few people have been scammed on the site, Only use paypal to pay for items for sale by other members. If they will not use paypal, its likely a scam NEVER SEND E-TRANSFERS OF ANY KIND.

Dead Battery

  • Thread starter Deleted member 8387
  • Start date
D

Deleted member 8387

Hello Everyone,

Living in Texas, I didn't really think that I'd need to have a trickle charger since most of the year you can ride. I haven't ridden, however, more or less the last three weeks due to cold weather, with some of the nights getting down to the upper 20s. In any event, I bought a Rowe Power Distribution Module. Other than the clock and the Oxford Heated Grips (the latter shutting off 60 seconds after detecting no vibration), everything ceases to get power when the bike is off. Nothing to worry about, right? Wrong!I had 45 minutes to run to the store yesterday, backed the bike off of it's perch, tried turning the engine over and "click, click, click...." So I waited for my wife to come home, jumped in the car and went to the local Honda dealer to buy a battery tender.

I bought the standard Deltran Battery Tender and it has two options to select from, either a lead acid/AGM or a Lithium Iron Phosphate. I looked at the battery via the frunk and while I can't see the whole thing nor did I remove it, it appears to be a YTZ14S Yuasa GEL. Can anyone tell me if that is a lead acid or a Lithium Iron Phosphate?

Thanks,

hansonb4 / Bob
 
I attempted but the spec sheet doesn't list it and when googled, it seemed to only pull up replacement batteries without mentioning any type.
 
I have just Googled it and it says it is a lead calcium. So I suspect it’s NOT lithium. Also a lithium is a lot lighter weight than a lead acid battery. If yours are the same it’s going to be lead.
 
It's an AGM lead acid battery in there. Not gel. Gels in motorcycles are pretty much passed-by technology. Gel batteries needed a different charge profile with lower current or else the gel would overheat and swell the battery case. Standard modern "smart" chargers don't treat gel batteries well and they tended to have short lives. AGM batteries are much easier to live with and offer the same basic advantage that gels did - no liquid acid to maintain at correct levels and keep from leaking or venting.

All AGM means is the liquid battery acid, the electrolyte, is held in sheets of fiberous spun glass between lead alloy plates. The glass mat material between the plates absorbs the acid so it doesn't slosh around like old school flooded lead acid batteries but the chemistry and mechanics of charging and discharging is pretty much the same. AGM = Absorbed Glass Mat.

Pb is lead on the periodic table.

Iron is Fe.

Pb is on the battery case.

https://www.yuasabatteries.com/battery/ytz14s/
 
Last edited:
I’m looking at your first sentence, “Living in Texas, I didn't really think that I'd need to have a trickle charger since most of the year you can ride.”

My observation is that warm climates age batteries faster than cold climates, causing shorter battery life . Warm climates accelerate battery self discharge. I’m thinking you needed a battery maintainer in Texas as much or more than someone in a colder climate. But, it sounds like you’re on the right path to sorting out the battery issues: replace battery, get a tender.

The age of the OP’s battery wasn’t mentioned. I have noted anecdotal reports of Arizona residents getting 2-3 years from a battery as the norm. Maybe heat has killed the battery and it’s simply time for a replacement. (Meanwhile, up north, I average 8 years for battery life).

As dduelin pointed out, the Yuasa YTZ12S or YTZ14S is marked Pb on the battery case.
DEDDA502-88DB-4EF0-97EF-B58F01B0EE49.jpeg
 
Last edited:
The battery in my 2018 750 (dated in 2017) was taking longer to show green on the charger---so I decided to replace it now b/4 the summer heat finished it off. Wow--is YUASA ever proud of their batteries! I know they are good, but 3X the price is too much for me. Checked Auto Zone and O'Reilly's but theirs were weaker in cca and over $100. Finally bought one from "Battery Mart", no shipping and no tax and I get to keep the core for a bench test battery.
We will see how it performs.
 
I’m not a lover of cheapish batteries. I always try to buy the best I can afford as I’m frightened of being stranded with a knackered one. But I suppose that’s what breakdown cover is for.
 
If I go on long trips, I always carry one of these just in case.

Yep. Three things always in my bike's frunk are tire repair kit, air compressor, and battery jumper pack.
 
If I go on long trips, I always carry one of these just in case.

I carry a booster as well. My commute is 25 minutes. The battery is getting old. It will get me going if needed and I can continue with the interest in how long I can get out of the battery.
 
Yep. Three things always in my bike's frunk are tire repair kit, air compressor, and battery jumper pack.
I added a small flashlight, always end up needing one.

Do you guys leave the jump pack in the frunk all the time or take it out after riding? read a ton of feedback on batteries expanding due to temperature fluctuation over time.
 
I added a small flashlight, always end up needing one.

Do you guys leave the jump pack in the frunk all the time or take it out after riding? read a ton of feedback on batteries expanding due to temperature fluctuation over time.
Right, I carry a headlight flashlight (torch) in the frunk as well. My small battery booster is always in the NC frunk unless I'm riding a different motorcycle or scooter and then it gets temporarily transferred to that machine.
 
I added a small flashlight, always end up needing one.

Do you guys leave the jump pack in the frunk all the time or take it out after riding? read a ton of feedback on batteries expanding due to temperature fluctuation over time.
I have had mine in there for close to a year. Checked the charge on it a few months back and it had barely moved. I have a Shumacher model which I got on sale at the local auto store. Time will tell when I actually use it if it was a good buy.
 
Thanks for the feedback. I have one of those micro start xp-1s. It came highly recommended but I dug a little into forums and reviews and found a high rate of the battery expanding over time probably due to temperature fluctuations. I figured some people toss it in their trunk and just leave them in the car all year long.
Are you guys keeping your bike in a garage?

I've been bringing mine in and out since my bike is on the street hoping that would prevent it from getting to cold or to hot.
 
I’m not a lover of cheapish batteries. I always try to buy the best I can afford as I’m frightened of being stranded with a knackered one. But I suppose that’s what breakdown cover is for.
Although I've heard that pretty much all batteries are made at the same factories, but have different labels on them, I'm with you. I buy reputable batteries, usually more expensive, hoping to avoid getting stranded. MOTOBAT makes a decent battery; thicker internal pads resist vibration better; $85. I've owned two of them for motorcycles, but haven't been able to find out how long they lasted because I've sold the motorcycles. Right now I spent what I consider a too much for a battery at Battery Mart for my FZ07.
In hind site, once the NC750 battery reaches the 5 year mark (I don't let them drain in the winter; they're either on a tender or I ride it so they last a long time), I'll probably go with the $55 stock battery again. It's cheaper and all of mine did just fine.
 
As it turned out, the battery was defective and replaced by Honda at no charge
 
  • Like
Reactions: MZ5
Back
Top