When you detect a short in the electrical system of your bike, the first thing is to visit an experienced mechanic to get it sorted out. That is why you have to inspect them regularly and repair or replace them and one you find faulty. The bike off voltage should be between 12 and 13 volts, while the running voltage should be between 14 and 15 volts. That is huge for an electric motorcycle! A Short in the electrical system. Before tearing into your alternator, you going to want to take some time and give the rectifier a test with a multimeter. 0 0. yulia. My battery drains (sometimes) while I'm riding my bike. Also, ensure you keep the number very low. A common overlooked culprit for dead motorcycle batteries is poor ground connection between either the frame and battery. This should help increase the lifespan of your battery. The best way to inspect for leaky circuits is to install a multimeter between your battery’s negative cable and the negative terminal of the battery. The type of drain that occurs when the motorcycle is meant to be off is regarded as a Parasitic power loss. After you’re parked the motorcycle and you shut it down, take a quick glance at your ignition and make sure that your key is really in it’s off position. Leaky Circuit. It can lead to confusion about where the source of the problem is. If you plan on doing any cleaning whether with a product or a do it yourself remedy, make sure that you disconnect your battery from the system so you don’t get yourself zapped. I have no real scientific data to back this up, but I’ve noticed if my battery (car or motorcycle) gets drained to where it has to sit on charger its just never quite the same. Motorcycle Touring Tips is reader supported and is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Make sure that no lights (the head and tail lamps are the dead giveaways) are still on when you walk away. If something is draining the juice, I'd start looking at the starter and relay, in case you shorted or fused something. It is essential to note that your bike regulator and the alternator will not last forever. If you’re going to be messing with your bikes electrical system and wiring extra’s into it, you may want to consider adding a voltmeter into the mix so you can keep a close eye on the electrical system. No accessory goes on my motorcycle that doesn’t serve a function. Understanding how to load test your motorcycle battery can help you get started getting to the bottom of what’s gong on. I just purchased my set, so here’s my Dunlop Elite 4 motorcycle tires review. Checking this right away can save you hours of frustration. Circuit Leakage. We've have lots more on the site to show you. With all of the different items and components in an electrical system, finding a ground issue is going to be a frustrating experience. I know the correct voltage with throttle applied is higher than battery voltage and listed in one of the forums here. It’s just plain done, and no amount of hooking it up to any machine will bring it back to life. However, this can lead to your battery draining before the day breaks. Check for loose connections, and ff they test out OK check for a power drain. I created the site to share things I've learned, places I go and the gear I use. Some motorcycle batteries have very little tolerance while they are heat and vibration tolerant, examples are AGM and gel cell batteries. You really should test for battery drain with the ignition off. They often last longer than the common wet lead-acid battery types. A weak battery in my motorcycle almost left me stranded at the Grand Canyon on one occasion. You made some inspection and then discovered that the battery is dead. A motorcycle that worked perfectly fine on the previous day. A good battery should not drop below 9.6 volts over 10 seconds or so. 4917, Made to go the distance, these tires are designed to last, provide grip and keep you touring for miles to come. The good news; Some of these are easy no brainers. You can wrap the battery on a Thermo-heat shield. Sounds like charging circuit needs troubleshooting since it dies as battery power is drained. Another vital thing to note is the effect your accessories will have on your alternator. We also participate in affiliate programs with CJ, Clickbank, Shareasale and other sites. Leaky circuits slowly drain the battery and suck it dry. Look for Bad or Broken Wiring – observe the wiring in your motorcycle. I checked for a parasitic drain, stator cks OK as does VR. If it never goes above the 13 its in the charging system, if it goes to the 14+ side its the battery or some other load issue. With the key off, place the multimeter in the amps mode and place a lead between the terminal and the cable. If you use our partner links we earn a commsission at no extra cost to you. Ensure you are carrying out safety procedures while cleaning battery terminals such as wearing gloves and preventing contact with the chemicals in your battery. How did this happen? Q. I have all sorts of electrical problems with my bike. It is a common problem and can stop your battery from charging normally. Even when you take good care of the motorcycle battery, heat or vibrations can still reduce the lifespan. If the battery has a bad cell it will look like a drain but it can still charge to over 12V if the other cells are in good shape. Having a bad regulator is problem that happens frequently in motorcycles that have high mileage. Riding range is dependent on speed – that is, higher speeds drain the battery faster. Perform a current draw test Voltmeter when running will normally read 13–15 VDC. It could be more. Dan and Bill have you on the right track. There are different reasons for such a problem and BPZ would look to highlight some of these. The starter should be running at normal speed. Placing too big of a load with accessories can stress the battery and reduce its lifespan (motorcycle batteries are supposed to last two years, but you usually don’t get all of that). Remember the more stuff you add, the more potential for a system failure that can drain your battery. Term of Service | Privacy Policy | About Us | Contact Us, Causes of Motorcycle Battery Draining Overnight, 4) You Forgot To Turn the Key Off Last Night. Clean the top of the battery – Keep the top of the battery clean and wipe off grime. There are two drive modes – Sport and Eco. Do Deer Whistles Work On Motorcycles; Effective Or Scam? Generally, the reading should be zero, but if the draw is over an amp your going to need to take a closer look at what’s going on in the system. Have you ever had the unfortunate experience of starting your bike, and it refuses to come on? This is why you must use a battery tender on the bike. Deer whistles are a possible solution to ward off the animal, but do deer whistles work on motorcycles? The accessories that are stealing power can be anything from the stock accessories your motorcycle came with to aftermarket items like GPS power supplies anything extra on your bike that uses power. Even with proper care and feeding of your motorcycle battery, some batteries have a difficult time with excessive heat and vibration. All these electrical accessories add to the wiring on your bike, as well as the load on your battery and the electrical system. There are many motorcycles where it’s possible to pull the key out of the ignition before it reaches the full ‘off’ position. Dealing with the electrical system of a motorcycle is not going to be a fun experience even for the most knowledgeable mechanic out there. I have no idea what could be causing the problem. Some motorcycles do not have alternators but have a generator or magneto that will provide a charge to the battery while you are riding. I get the kickstand down and the bike settled and give the key a quick flip and a yank and off I go. It cranked over twice, then I heard the dreaded clicks! Use a battery tender – Ideally, you want to keep your motorcycle battery at 100% all the time. If you have a motorcycle with multiple instruments or a dashboard, take a quick look to ensure that everything is powered down. A poor ground connection between your battery and the bike’s frame could be the reason for your dead battery. Other problems that can cause problems with grounding are corrosion, rust, ground straps that are connected properly. If your having trouble keeping your battery charged after a ride, either the Stator or alternator might be the next culprit to investigate. We like adding some stuff to our bikes, some are necessary, but most are not needed. So, I replaced it....went for a ride. All the other answers are good, but I’ll add a little. The leaks can form accessories … Circuits that are considered leaky drain your battery until it is dead. This will make it seem as if you have problems with your electrical system when all you really have is a bad fuse. Watch for fumes. In some cases, it overloads the system and drains the battery very fast. The damage with heat and vibration occurs to the internal components of the battery. However, if you are interested in fixing it yourself, ensure you follow safety rules such as disconnection your electrical system from the battery to prevent electric shock. The Alternator and stator work with each other to help generate the power it takes to start your motorcycle and power all of the goodies mounted on it. Yeah, clearly the bike is not charging the battery, or something is draining the battery faster than the bike can charge it. Therefore, it is essential not to be in a hurry to switch off your bike. Need a basic toolkit? Some factors are responsible for a battery drain, and treated below are those factors as well as possible ways of fixing them. You can still remove the key from the ignition in some motorcycles before turning them off or on. It is not easy to explain the whole process of troubleshooting in a single video. Therefore, it is important to regularly check and ensure that the connections that join the regulator to the alternators are in perfect condition. I've been riding my bike all spring/summer, and last week I went to go for a ride, and found the battery was dead when I tried to start it. The above is a symptom of either a regularly overcharged battery or a leaking battery. If your battery is of the lead-acid type (not gel batteries) you want to … Only ever riding short distances (this does not allow the bike’s charging system to fully recharge the battery) Running excessive electrical accessories on a bike (these drain the battery much quicker than a stock bike would) Faulty or incorrectly installed accessories or wiring; Using the wrong type of charger and over/undercharging The source of the damage can be heat and vibration or the battery draining out on one occasion or more. This means that you’ll be paying more money in repairs to take stuff off so you can even get to the problem. There are a bunch of different products and methods you can use to clean corroded motorcycle battery terminals. When you get your friends meter be sure to check the charging system. Examples are GPS, alarms, different types of lights, especially high beam lights, among others. Make sure that you leave the quick connect ‘pigtail’ exposed so you can get it whenever you want. Anon A. This motorcycle toolkit is the one I carry on my motorcycle. Disconnect light and do test! Knowledge of how to test load your bike’s battery will be helpful and should give you a head start on what the problem is. – Video Guide: Tip of the Week (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWU2TbEePsY). It is important to double-check after this and inspect other parts of the connection while ensuring everything is connected correctly. Check the batteries instruction manual if you still have it. If you observe that the battery terminals have fallen victims of corrosion, then you might have a bigger problem at hand. We woke up to a chilly morning and I went out to start my motorcycle. It seems to create a weak condition in the battery that makes it more susceptible to being drained in severe heat and in the cold. But it is important to know that heat and vibration will generally reduce the lifespan of any battery. Corroded electrical connections can cause a heap of problems to the electrical system of motorcycles. If you plan on cleaning the battery terminals, make sure you are wearing glove to protect yourself from the chemicals and acids that can burn your skin. One thing that often causes concerns among motorcyclists is that their batteries start to drain while riding. I’ve done this very thing several times being in a hurry to get off of my bike. You did not mention whether or not the bike has had any accessories added to it, like light bars or radio or phone charger, etc. The faster, the better. Adding too many accessories on your motorcycle tends to cost you much apart from the effect it has on your battery. This can give riders the wrong impression as they may feel they have switched off the ignition all to wake up and find a different story. If you've had the bike on a charger, this drain would have to be bigger than the chargers capacity. It severely damages some internal components of the batteries. Decide on the preferred charging mode and select it. If it is a bad regulator, or in the case of a Harley-Davidson, regulator-rectifier, the alternator output would not keep the battery charged, to again restart the next time. Check Your Main Fuse – A faulty main fuse will shut down all the electrical components of your bike. An answer to your question might be a battery drain. The result will be to immediately to jump on the phone to make an appointment with your local mechanic. Circuits that are considered leaky drain your battery until it is dead. It is also essential to have at least a spare of this stuff wherever you go to with your bike. You can isolate a limited number of circuits by pulling the fuses out until the drain stops. What you wind up with is a rat’s nest of wires and the potential to overload the motorcycles electrical system and drain your battery. Make sure that when you store the battery that it’s in a place warmer than 32 degrees and not sitting directly on a concrete floor. In some cases, you may need to clean the connections using light sandpaper or similar material. If your battery is located in an area on the motorcycle where is can be subject more heat than usual, you may want to consider wrapping it in thermo heat shield to keep it protected. We're an Affiliate. It is part of the electrical system of a motorcycle. Ensure that you have switched it off properly before leaving. A low or failing battery can cause crazy readings during your testing. Be on the lookout for unprotected wires, bad connections, or exposed cables as they may be responsible for the short in your bike’s electrical system. You can measure drain with VOM. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies at no extra cost to the reader. It is recommended that you return to your garage after your ride in case the bike refuses to start up again after being shut off. This problem is usually common in bikes with high mileage. If you have your motorcycle plugged into a tender when your not riding it, you may not notice the extra power draw as long as the tender is keeping up. Check your headlight for a bad connector. Nowadays, motorcycles have more wirings compared to older ones. With the immobilizer system, ECU memory, ABS module and other computers there will always be a current draw. If the motorcycle will start, probably not the battery as a bad battery would not hold a charge to start the bike again. The best way to do that is keep your battery hooked up to a battery maintainer or tender when you’re not using it. This also applies to motorcycle batteries and, as batteries grow older, they get closer to the end of their useful life. Except in this case, the parasite might be any of your accessories that drawing low levels of current from your battery until its dead. The next day I tried starting it for another ride, but found the battery was drained again. While the starter is spinning, observe the voltage. As an Amazon associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Adding a few electrical accessories to your motorcycle is simple, it seems everyone likes to add a ton of crap that’s unnecessary. When it comes to tolerance of heat and vibrations, there are different degrees different motorcycle batteries can take. Just like the regulator, if either of these two doesn’t produce enough power back into the system, your battery will begin to drain every time you start or ride it. Once the internal components of the battery have suffered damage, the life span of the battery is reduced. 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