No Charge?

[pcsof8]

Motorbike; 1987 K100RS

Problem; Will not hold charge. The battery is a Yuassa Dry cell that I installed last Summer. Does the oll gal prefer a wet cell BMW battery instead?
help:dunno

[pcsof8]

thanks for all the great suggestions. :snore

[deilenberger]

thanks for all the great suggestions. :snore

Just a tiny bit impatient aren't we? :stick

When you say "dry cell" - exactly what do you mean? There are flooded batteries (old design, usually with caps) there are absorbed-glass-mat (AGM) batteries where the electrolyte is held in a glass mat and the battery is semi-sealed, and there are gel batteries where the electrolyte is a gel - and the battery is semi-sealed.

The term "dry cell" typically refers to a fixed cell battery like an old-fashioned flashlight battery - and most of them are not rechargeable.

So - I suspect with better information from you - you might get better advice/suggestions from us.

[wndsrfr]

the latest aerostich catalog is touting a "dry cell" odssey battery and I'm like you....motorcycle batteries are either wet cell or a gel variant. I'm assuming the one they're referring to is a sealed unit so they're just using poetic license......?? Sure leaves non-gearheads (and some of us amateur gearheads) confused....

[breyfogle]

Motorbike; 1987 K100RS
Problem; Will not hold charge. The battery is a Yuassa Dry cell that I installed last Summer. Does the oll gal prefer a wet cell BMW battery instead?
help:dunno

If by "Dry cell" you mean an AGM style battery, it will work just fine in late 80's K-bikes. If you are phishing for more useful information, it would help if you provided a fair bit more detail about your problem.

[98lee]

the latest aerostich catalog is touting a "dry cell" odssey battery and I'm like you....motorcycle batteries are either wet cell or a gel variant. I'm assuming the one they're referring to is a sealed unit so they're just using poetic license......?? Sure leaves non-gearheads (and some of us amateur gearheads) confused....

The Odyssey is acctually a AGM battery. Great battery! Does not lose charge over long storrage periods. Tons of power.


:dance :dance :dance

[98lee]

Motorbike; 1987 K100RS

Problem; Will not hold charge. The battery is a Yuassa Dry cell that I installed last Summer. Does the oll gal prefer a wet cell BMW battery instead?
help:dunno

Answer: Nope


:dance :dance :dance

[pcsof8]

:beer
I think I must have been under the Scotch when I posted those, hahaha. Thanks for the input. I'll try and explian better;

All I know about the Yuassa Battery is that it's a sealed, add nothing battery. I have to hook up a trickle charger for about twenty four hours before I can even start it each time. Frequencey between starts is every weekend. After it's charged I can ride all day and the bike will strat again which tells me the alternator is fine. Im just ready to toss the Yuassa and go get an old trusty BMW battery. The kind that has caps and you add water to it if that helps.

Love my ol K bike though, runs like a top except for the electrical department. Thanks gang!!:thumb

[deilenberger]

:beer
I think I must have been under the Scotch when I posted those, hahaha. Thanks for the input. I'll try and explian better;

All I know about the Yuassa Battery is that it's a sealed, add nothing battery. I have to hook up a trickle charger for about twenty four hours before I can even start it each time. Frequencey between starts is every weekend. After it's charged I can ride all day and the bike will strat again which tells me the alternator is fine. Im just ready to toss the Yuassa and go get an old trusty BMW battery. The kind that has caps and you add water to it if that helps.

Love my ol K bike though, runs like a top except for the electrical department. Thanks gang!!:thumbIt's also vaguely possible that you have some parasitic drag that is discharging the battery overnight. To test for this - you need an ammeter. A digital one will work fine. With all switches off, ignition off - the only real draw on a K75 is the clock. I'd expect to see under 100mA of current draw. If there is more than that - you might try isolating it by pulling fuses and watching for it to drop.

Ah - I realized I didn't explain how to test for this. Disconnect your negative cable down on the left side of the transmission (easy to get to) - hook an ammeter (most inexpensive VOM's, DVM's will have ammeter settings) between ground and the end of that cable. Do NOT turn anything on - if you do - there will be a large amount of current going through the meter which will quickly reduce it to trash. This test is done with everything turned off.

Chances are probably good it's the battery - but if you would rather be safe in assuming that - I'd check for current draw with everything turned off.

[breyfogle]

Try to determine if the battery is really being fully charged, either by the trickle charger or by the alternator. A fully charged, year old, AGM battery should measure at least 12.8 to 12.9 VDC across the terminals with the bike not running.

I would probably do the following:
(1) disconnect or remove the battery and charge it overnight.
(2) test the voltage and if OK install the battery, if not OK buy a new battery or charger.
(3) Start bike and check the voltage across the battery. At any RPM above about 1500 or so, the reading should be between 14.0 and 14.5 VDC.
(4) Shut down. Check battery voltage, if OK go for a ride, if not see (2)
(5) After "riding all day..." check the voltage again. If OK, see de's post about checking for parasitic drain. If not OK you may have an alternator problem.

[pcsof8]

Thanks for all the great help everyone. I figured out what the heck was going on. The radio was on. But , I never ever listen to it. Oh well, it was silent but switch under the radio cover was set to on.
The Odesey batery sounds great. I noticed that Rider warehouse has them. Thanks again. :bikes