Dead battery?

Stilts · Post by **Stilts** » Mon Jul 07, 2014 2:09 pm

I'm 99.999573% sure that my battery is dead, but I want a still want a second opinion.

Key is in on position. Electric start not working. Lights not on. Turn signals not working. Tail and brake light not turning on. Horn not sounding.

Kick start bike. Light is on. Turn signals are *trying* to work but not strong. Brake light works when lever is engaged. Horn weak but working (sounds normal while riding at speed).

Dead battery, right?

Dooglas · Post by **Dooglas** » Mon Jul 07, 2014 3:52 pm

Sounds right. I suggest you (and every scooter rider) own a battery tender, which is an electronically controlled low amperage battery charger. It will recharge your battery if it is still functional, and tell you if it is shorted out. A trip to a battery store to have your battery load tested is an alternate strategy. That will tell you how much storage capacity is still left in your battery - if any.

Stilts · Post by **Stilts** » Mon Jul 07, 2014 3:57 pm

I should've mentioned that. I do have a tender but havent been using it (sheer laziness on my part). I charged the battery up, or at least that's what the tender told me. When I put the battery back in and turned on the key, still nada.

az_slynch · Post by **az_slynch** » Mon Jul 07, 2014 4:35 pm

Check the fuse to the battery? It's in the rear side of the battery box above the turn signal relay.

Stilts · Post by **Stilts** » Mon Jul 07, 2014 4:55 pm

the ends of the fuse are a little corroded but the fuse strip itself is otherwise fine. getting a new one of those on the way home today.

az_slynch · Post by **az_slynch** » Mon Jul 07, 2014 6:09 pm

Stilts wrote:the ends of the fuse are a little corroded but the fuse strip itself is otherwise fine. getting a new one of those on the way home today.

Good plan to get a new one. Even if they look OK, it's always a good idea to check it for continuity with a multimeter.

Neurotic-Hapi-Snak · Post by **Neurotic-Hapi-Snak** » Mon Jul 07, 2014 8:37 pm

az_slynch wrote:
Stilts wrote:the ends of the fuse are a little corroded but the fuse strip itself is otherwise fine. getting a new one of those on the way home today.
Good plan to get a new one. Even if they look OK, it's always a good idea to check it for continuity with a multimeter.

Yep, the ends of the element in those glass fuses can vibrate loose over time, and the fuse can still look "good".

Stilts · Post by **Stilts** » Tue Jul 08, 2014 8:14 pm

Got new fuse and installed it. After a bit of riding and sitting overnight, everything appears to be working, including the electric start. However, the right front signal is out. It's not the bulb, it's the socket, so it looks like that's going to need replaced. The bike did fall over in a wicked thunderstorm we had this past weekend that didn't look like it caused any damage, but apparently it did.

Still going to check the battery with a multimeter later on, but this gets weirder and weirder.

jimmbomb · Post by **jimmbomb** » Tue Jul 08, 2014 8:59 pm

sometimes, a battery tender will do nothing for a totally dead battery. You may I have to hook up a more powerful charger to get some charge to the battery first, then switch to the battery tender. Good luck

Stilts · Post by **Stilts** » Tue Jul 08, 2014 9:26 pm

Thats what i figured. On the plus side, this gives me the incentive to get those completely clear front signals i've been eyeing up. Hopefully this is the end of it!

Stilts · Post by **Stilts** » Wed Jul 09, 2014 5:50 pm

Visited my friend today and, using the multimeter, we've determined that its probably a bad stator. Battery seems fine at 12.5v. However, when we unhooked it, the multimeter showed, at best, the stator throwing 8.5 v when fully revved, maybe 2.0 or 3.0 at idle.

With the crack in the mounting plate of the new exhaust and now this, looks like a trip to the dealer very soon!

How bad is it to ride on a bad stator?