If not the fuse, it is possible a +12 wire came off or you lost ground from the battery. The most important tool you’ll need to diagnose your dead motorcycle battery is a multimeter. #Answered – Why Does My Motorcycle Battery Keep Dying. Do any of the components seem like they’ve melted together? Can you clean a stator? It should be reading somewhere between 13-14 volts. The battery is probably so weak, that the amperage draw from an indicator bulb is enough to suck the power out of the battery. This will allow you to see the standing voltage of your battery. Leave the cell caps off during charging. Do not use a regular charge rate as you would for an automobile battery. It sends an electric current to the spark plugs which then creates the combustion that occurs inside the engine. If the battery cannot reach higher than 10.5 volts when being charged, then the battery has a dead cell. When the battery on your bike has completely discharged you should be able to jump start the bike and ride it long enough that the alternator on the engine will recharge the battery. Without a stator, your motorcycle’s power would quickly drain and ultimately be unable to run. It was trying to run off the generator power instead of the battery. Locate the stator connector and unplug it. It’s a pain to pull a battery out of a bike. If one is reading different from the others, that means you have a faulty stator. You may find yourself sometimes wondering how your motorcycle battery works and what keeps it’s life up, especially if you use your motorcycle fairly often. So I just got my bike ('86 suzuki intruder 700)back from the shop which just painted it. There are also magnets on the flywheel, so when the flywheel spins around the stator and it’s spokes, the two sets of magnets (the stationery ones on the stator and the moving ones on the flywheel) generate the necessary power to the battery that is required for the battery to fully function. A fully charged battery is much more resilient to cold weather and will not freeze until it gets to about – 75 or -76 degrees fahrenheit. Then turn the charger off, remove the Leeds, and replace the cell caps. If you have a dead motorcycle battery that won't accept a charge, the problem is normally sulfation. A healthy 12 volt battery should ideally register around 12.7-12.8 volts at rest, but anywhere between 12.5-13.5 volts indicates a serviceable battery. If you have a dead motorcycle battery that won't accept a charge, the problem is normally sulfation. It is possible to clean a stator. You might suspect that your motorcycle battery is good, but you aren’t entirely sure one way or another. If your bike will start and run as normal, the bike's battery is dead. Cannon Entities LLC 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. Turn the charger on low the battery to charge overnight or until the charger indicator says charging is complete. A short in the electrical system can definitely … The mechanism of a motorcycle does charge it’s own battery while the motorcycle is running. If you are guilty of not riding, take your motorcycle out for a long ride, including a nice stretch at highway speed. I’m currently working as a mechanical engineer and I’ve been able to restore over a dozen rides. Will a motorcycle battery freeze? Some may be familiar with how a car power charging system works and wonder if the same system applies to motorcycles. The average motorcycle battery will die after 2 – 4 months without running. Some motorcycles do not have alternators but have a generator or magneto that will provide a charge to the battery while you are riding. Test the battery (fully charged) with the motorcycle off. Never use tap water in a battery because it contains chemicals that may damage the battery. It is not recommended to use harsh chemicals or use abrasive cleaning items as it can damage the stator. There is a device inside a motorcycle engine, usually referred to as a stator, that charges the motorcycle battery while the motorcycle is on. If you store your motorcycle for long periods, put the battery on a trickle charger while it's not in use to avoid draining the battery. He became a member of the Society of Professional Journalists in 2009. Motorcycle died while riding? Start the motorcycle and hold the RPMs to about 3000. A Short in the electrical system. It also takes electrical energy from the battery to run the motorcycle. In most cases, you will not be able to start your motorcycle if you have a dead battery or no battery at all. The alternator in a car was also made to be somewhat accessible and easily replaceable because it’s very common for a car to need an alternator replacement several times throughout the car’s life. Check the overall stator condition. Within a stator, AC power is generated as the flywheel rotates around it. Besides the stator, an alternator has several more components compared to a simple stator in a motorcycle. If the battery is fully charged (according to the battery charger) but the voltage is 12.5 or less, the battery is sulfated. A motorcycle stator and a motorcycle battery go hand-in-hand. 2) You have been regularly letting your bike sit for long periods without running it (a motorcycle battery will lose about 1% of its charge per day when not run). If you have any suspicion that your stator is going out, you can do a few things to confirm your suspicions. You can remove the alternator cover to check it out, but an easier way to check would be to get a multimeter and probe at the battery while the bike is revving at around 2-3k rpm. Furthermore, it may also damage the battery and you won’t be able to fully charge the b… If you have looked at your motorcycle stator and noticed it needs to be cleaned, you can clean it with a light lubricant such as WD-40. A motorcycle battery contains sulfuric acid, which is extremely toxic. It is usually located on the side of the engine where you will be able to see it once the engine side cover is removed (each motorcycle is a little different with it’s location). Jump-Starting the Battery Get jumper cables. People drive cars much more than they do motorcycles, therefore more miles are put on cars and their alternators. He writes about business, personal finance and careers. You cannot have one without the other because the two parts help each other out with their functionality. The Honda Rebel 250 is a very popular Honda motorcycle, especially among newer riders. This blog is where I report everything I’ve learned about motorcycles and what I continue to learn. It’s a good rule of thumb to be aware of the symptoms of a bad or malfunctioning stator. The battery should now operate normally. The motorcycle battery charging system has multiple components. The spark that ignites fuel comes from the electrical system of the motorcycle. Do you notice any major “burn” marks? Some motorcycles may do okay at lower RPM’s with a bad stator, but once it’s revved higher, the bike will stall simply because the motorcycle doesn’t have the power supply needed by the engine in that sort of state. A low or failing battery can cause crazy readings during your testing. Remove the battery. ... Motorcycle died while riding. A lot less miles are put on a motorcycle, so it is more efficient to put the basic system of an alternator, the stator, inside the motorcycle as part of the engine. Take the proper safety precautions. Your bike may end up slowly and even completely dying because it’s solely relying on the power from the battery; battery power alone isn’t powerful enough to keep a motorcycle running for very long. Remove all … If your battery is reading 0 volts, chances are the battery experienced a short circuit. A car obviously has a lot more complexity to it compared to a motorcycle. Technically, the battery is getting a charge while the motorcycle is idling. I’ve owned many motorcycles throughout my life and have become quite familiar with their charging systems. Once a battery drops below 12.4 volts, your bike will struggle to start, and at under 11.8 volts, 12 volt batteries are considered to be dead. You can also test the voltage of the stator using a multimeter. Battery charging on motorcycles has come a long way; stators in motorcycles are the best they’ve ever been due to their efficient performance. Connect a car battery to your bike's battery with jumper cables. The leaks can form … The voltage read on each terminal should be similar to each other. Adkins holds master's degrees in history and sociology from Georgia State University. The mechanism of a motorcycle does charge it’s own battery while the motorcycle is running. An alternator in a car and a stator in a motorcycle are very similar in their functionality. Start with the battery charger off and hook the positive lead to the positive terminal and negative to negative. The sulfur also corrodes the lead plates, but as long as the corrosion isn't severe, you can fix a dead motorcycle battery without spending a lot of money. It is not easy to explain the whole process of troubleshooting in a single video. It is possible for a motorcycle battery to freeze. They used a magneto which is a small system run by itself in the engine. If the motorcycle is discharged, it can freeze starting at 32 degrees fahrenheit depending on how much charge is left. This site is owned and operated by Cannon Entities LLC. If the voltage is below 13.5-14V then you know your charging system has failed and you can start debugging that. Motorcycle battery died while riding. Change your multimeter reading to AC and check for the voltage on the stator connector terminal tabs. Even if the battery dies while riding, you will not kill the bike because the stator is generating electricity. For example, if you stop riding a motorcycle in the winter, the battery will slowly lose charge. You probably have an AGM battery which is the best available at this time. Copyright 2021 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media. Keep open flames away from the battery and always allow the battery to cool to room temperature before working on it. Electrical issues on a motorcycle can be incredibly frustrating. In this case, you may need to connect your battery to an external charger/maintainer. There are several spokes systematized around the stator with a copper magnet wire coiled around each spoke. Famous Motorcycle Builders: Past & Present. A feared nemesis at the beginning of every motorcycling season, the notorious dead battery often rears its ugly mug as a result of neglect, extreme weather or age. One of the components was damaged doing this. Batteries need to be used to stay healthy. Add to this the fact that short trips at low rpm and multiple accessories deplete a battery's power quickly, and you have the recipe for a dead battery (our opening scenario). The battery starts up the stator and in return, the stator keeps up with the battery. Motorcycle batteries are six-volt lead acid batteries, small versions of the12-volt batteries used in automobiles. Batteries stored in a motorcycle will lose energy for things like powering the clock but additionally they lose energy just sitting. The first thing to check is if you are getting enough voltage at the battery at mid-range engine RPM. Most car drivers tend to always carry a pair of … The stator inside the alternator of a car essentially does the same thing as a stator in a motorcycle. The alternator in a car consists of many parts, one of them being a stator. Seemingly an alternator would require more components to keep up with the more complex systems of a car. The quicker you’re able to identify the problem, the quicker you can fix it and save yourself time and perhaps hundreds of dollars. Wear goggles and gloves and work only in a well ventilated area. When a battery dies, it’s important to understand why it died. One of the most important factors determining the lifespan of a motorcycle battery is that of how frequently the battery is used. While most people are best served by a float charger to prevent something from happening to a battery beforehand, trickle chargers still have a place in the motorcycle world. So check the wires at the battery, starter relay and for any disconnected things or broken wires from the ignition switch. First, try taking off the side engine cover to expose the stator (be sure to check your owner’s manual to identify the stator’s exact location). However, you’ll notice that a motorcycle battery dies within months if it is not in use. Once you understand a little bit about how the electrical components work, you can save yourself a lot of frustration and may find yourself becoming much more of a motorcycle pro. It's clear that many battery killers are overrepresented in the cruiser genre, with our bikes' V-twin vibration and our preference for warm-weather trolling. A motorcycle electrical system is created to keep a good battery topped off but is not designed to charge a dead battery. Use a plastic funnel to fill each cell of the battery with the solution. But it is such a small amount of charge that it will not be able to top off a battery, especially a battery that is about dead. Step 4. Because a motorcycle has limited space, the stator is located inside as part of the engine itself rather than have a whole entity dedicated to it like it does in a car. Leaky Circuit. The stator plays no part in the process of starting your motorcycle. So how long can a motorcycle sit before the battery dies? There have been many individuals in the last 100 years that have shaped motorcycle culture as we know it by their contributions to the industry. Turn your motorcycle on. The motorcycle battery is what gives your motorcycle the power it needs to get your motorcycle to start. Another symptom to be aware of is if your motorcycle struggles entering high RPM’s. This point is precisely when the battery kicks back in to keep the good times rolling. You may especially notice this if you aren’t turning the throttle at all and letting your motorcycle coast while on a ride. The battery died in the shop but we got it to go with a jump and it ran fine. Once each cell is filled, shake the battery gently to make sure the solution is well distributed inside the battery. I have a 2008 Ninja 250, not the greatest shape, carbs are dirty, I have to have the choke half way down all the time to ride. Remove the battery from the motorcycle. The magneto helped make the necessary spark needed for the spark plug to make the combustion required to start the motorcycle. This is a very obvious sign to observe because your motorcycle will start acting sluggish and lights will start to lose power while it’s running. Low and behold on my way home it just died and I'm no longer getting any power (no lights or anything) battery seemed fine a minute ago. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, W D Adkins has been writing professionally since 2008. So, does a motorcycle battery charge while riding? Remove the small plastic caps on the top of the battery (called cell caps) and drain the battery fluid completely. A battery tender for a motorcycle is a device that plugs into any standard AC wall outlet and transfers power via amperage to a motorcycles 12-volt battery to keep it charged. Are any of the copper wires frayed or broken? Place the battery on a six-volt trickle charger or a charger with a slow charge option. You can purchase a solar or conventional trickle charger designed for six-volt lead acid batteries for less than the cost of a new battery. It is less likely someone will need to replace it near as much as an alternator is needed to be replaced. Many wonder that if the stator is really the one running the whole electric show on the motorcycle, what does the battery even do and why is it necessary to have one? Once the motorcycle is started, the stator then kicks in, generates the necessary power, and replenishes the battery with electricity, or “refills” the battery since the battery used a lot of it’s juice to start up the motorcycle. Click here for more information I wrote about this. There is maintenance required and a little bit of knowledge that can be applied to save you a world of headache down the road. The biggest sign you’ll notice is that your battery isn’t getting a charge at all. The stator is the stationary half of the alternator. Too many times I’ve run into issues with my motorcycle batteries which forced me to learn a lot about where their charge comes from. However, if you’re stuck in traffic for instance, listening to your fave tunes while the satnav is recalculating your route, then the alternator at tick-over speed just can’t cope. This occurs when a lead acid battery is deeply discharged, causing sulfur from the battery acid to adhere to the lead plates inside the battery and block the flow of electric current. Many of these great builders have passed on and many... My name is Kyle Cannon and I love everything about motorcycles. If the battery is going dead while you are riding you are using more current than is being replaced by the charging system so while your charging system may be providing the specified current, still you are using more than it will replace. For example, if you accidentally leave your headlight on overnight and find that the battery has died in the morning, the alternator in your bike may not provide enough power to fully replenish the charge after you jump start the engine. The 37-year-old rider of a red 2012 Aprilia RSV4 motorcycle died on Tuesday from injuries he suffered during a crash on Monday night in Deerfield Beach, deputies said. In other words, it’s an electric motor that provokes an electrical supply to the motorcycle and keeps the battery charged. Honda is notorious for making incredibly reliable small engines. How to Tell Whether Your Motorcycle Battery is Good. Keeping the battery charged and used over and over again will expand the lifespan. But other then that, it's fine. You'll probably need to use a small crescent wrench to loosen the battery connectors. If your battery is charging perfectly but your motorcycle still seems to keep killing the battery. The stator in a motorcycle looks a lot like the electromagnet that Iron Man uses in his chest and it works similarly to an alternator in a car. The earliest motorcycles used a similar yet much more basic system. There is a device inside a motorcycle engine, usually referred to as a stator, that charges the motorcycle battery while the motorcycle is on. Safety goggles and gloves Crescent wrench Plastic funnel Battery charger Epsom salts Distilled water. Motorcycle batteries are six-volt lead acid batteries, small versions of the12-volt batteries used in automobiles. You should be getting slightly over 12 volts. If my battery dies, can I recharge it? Leaky circuits slowly drain the battery and suck it dry. Do any of the pieces look out of place or missing? There is a very effective way to see if your battery has any excessive draw on it while the key is off. If it’s not clear from looking at the bike when you turn the key (the lights come on, for example), you might need to take a few steps to see whether the battery is the problem. The bike has a battery powered ignition system so that is why it wouldn't run right with the fuse blown. The functionality of a stator is fairly simple, but it’s important you know how it works; a good motorcycle rider should know the basics of how their machine functions. Reinstall the battery in the motorcycle, making sure the connectors are secure. Motorcycle batteries are much smaller, and a powerful charging current will damage them and can produce flammable gases. Check the voltage again. Repeatedly draining the battery will eventually damage the lead plates beyond repair. Note that two chargers should never be connected at the same time. (do not run the car) Turn your bike's ignition switch to on. Both the stator and the battery are vital parts of a motorcycle. Prepare a solution of 8 ounces of Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) and one quart of distilled water (it's much easier to dissolve the Epsom salts if you heat the water first to about 130-degrees Fahrenheit). So, does a motorcycle battery charge while riding? Here is a video explaining this procedure. So, what are some signs that your stator is giving out? If your stator is going out, you may also hear a whining sound coming from your engine, similar to an electric motor being turned manually. This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies, link to Common Problems With Honda Rebel 250, link to Famous Motorcycle Builders: Past & Present. If you are not riding your motorcycle every day and one of the best things you can do a lot of who battery is to purchase a battery tender, sometimes also known as a battery saver. Replacement for 2004 Suzuki VL800 Intruder Volusia, 800 CC Factory Activated, Maintenance Free, Motorcycle Battery - 12V, 10Ah, UB-YTX12-BS … Stators are especially important to modern motorcycles because they have more electrical components that older motorcycles and therefore rely more heavily on the stator generating the needed electricity. Cranks up fine when put on a battery charger but will eventually die again. Reading different from the battery is the stationary half of the battery while the motorcycle battery in. 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