Sorry to bring up another battery thread, but.........

KABarash · Post by **KABarash** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 4:24 pm

I can only assume by battery is fried, it won't keep a charge, even after being on my tender I need to kick start. Same after riding nearly 100 miles the other day it doesn't want to start after sitting 36 hours, it does try however.
It's an 08 I bought in the spring of 09 and the battery is still the original and I have over 12000 miles on it, it doesn't owe me a thing.....

Question is;
My local dealer mentioned XXX brand battery, I don't remember what he said, quoted me a price of "about" $60 BatteriesPlus has a direct replacement I can get for about $20 less. Would there be any benefit of one battery over the other? And what might that be?
Also: When and if I do get the replacement, even though I will probably be riding through out the winter, would it be wise to 'tender' it as well?

Tocsik · Post by **Tocsik** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 4:32 pm

Can't compare the batteries without knowing the cranking power of each. If your local dealer is a scooter shop, the battery may be a Prima.

I would recommend "tendering" a battery over the Winter even you ride. The cold can be tough on batteries so using the tender is always a good idea.

I have the original battery in my '08 Pamplona with 25K miles and I run heated grips. I use a tender frequently.

PeteH · Post by **PeteH** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 5:01 pm

KAB - same thing happened to me last month - even though I got the Bud in Jan 11, it was an '09. The cold snap probably didn't help, plus I had a constant drain (alarm system) that took the battery all the way down to zilch. Two days on the Tender and still a red light. Even a Jr. should bring a dead 6Ah battery pretty close to full in 8 hours (6.0 / .75 amp forward current in base charge mode).

I bought an AGM at BatteriesPlus, and got around to running an extension cord outside for my BTJr.

pdxrita · Post by **pdxrita** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 5:11 pm

KABarash wrote:Also: When and if I do get the replacement, even though I will probably be riding through out the winter, would it be wise to 'tender' it as well?

Given how much life you got out of your original battery, I wouldn't think that tendering it is necessary. I also still have the original battery in my '08. I have 8k miles and it's still going strong; I've never tendered it and I don't think the original owner did either. In fact, it just sat for about 2 weeks over the holiday and it fired right up this morning for my commute. If my battery died tomorrow, I'd still feel like I got my money's worth out of it.

PeteH · Post by **PeteH** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 5:22 pm

I don't use the BT when I'm riding almost every day, but I'm using it in the winter months where the two factors of (a) less-frequent riding/recharging and (b) environment (scooter cover/no warm garage) come into play.

KABarash · Post by **KABarash** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 5:24 pm

PeteH wrote:Two days on the Tender and still a red light. Even a Jr. should bring a dead 6Ah battery pretty close to full in 8 hours (6.0 / .75 amp forward current in base charge mode).

I bought an AGM at BatteriesPlus, and got around to running an extension cord outside for my BTJr.

My TenderJr will go to green light in about an hour, yet no start, tries though, so I know my battery is 'kicked'

As for what Tocsik said, CCAs I don't know specifics of the new batteries mentioned however at my shop it wasn't the Prima.

Drum Pro · Post by **Drum Pro** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 5:42 pm

Could something be loose like a wire or something? I'd get it checked out.

KABarash · Post by **KABarash** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 5:57 pm

Drum Pro wrote:Could something be loose like a wire or something? I'd get it checked out.

Once I get it running a while I get enough 'surface charge' to be able to re-start after a short stop.

siobhan · Post by **siobhan** » Wed Jan 04, 2012 1:03 am

re: battery tender when riding every now and again throughout the winter

Those who are saying don't bother probably don't have to deal with the downright FREEZING temps we have up here. You absolutely should tender, especially on nights when it's going to be in the 20s and below. I got a new battery last year, an upgraded one, and it still gives me trouble starting on really cold mornings (read: in the single digits to the teens). And the poor boy took some coaxing this evening, after sitting all day in the 20s and the teens. It gets damn cold up here for long stretches of time, not just a day here and there, and that takes a toll on the batteries.

I have three tenders now so I can switch them between all the bikes, because you never know when that gorgeous 45F Saturday is going to get all the boys out for some nonsense in the woods.

And, my Buddy absolutely must start every weekday morning. I don't have any other way to get to work except walking, and we all know, I ain't gonna settle for that.

robby · Post by **robby** » Wed Jan 04, 2012 1:36 am

Yeah I'll second that. On bad days here in MA I have to kickstart my scooter on the way home even when it was charged overnight the evening before.

And speaking of cold weather, it's looking like an absolutely brutal week here.

viney266 · Post by **viney266** » Wed Jan 04, 2012 4:19 am

If it a motorcycle shop they may have quoted a yuasa. Good battery, but not cheap.

Have them check a price on a Tucker rocky "bikemaster" one

Or a Parts Unlimited one of the same spec...These are usually about 2/3 the price of a yuasa, and darned near just as good IMO. I run Bikemasters in almost everything

agrogod · Post by **agrogod** » Wed Jan 04, 2012 10:15 am

Check this out http://www.impactbattery.com/catalogsea ... &x=12&y=11

jmazza · Post by **jmazza** » Wed Jan 04, 2012 2:58 pm

My current battery (no pun intended!) came from Batteries Plus. It is a 10ah battery vs the OEM 6ah battery. I've had it now for about 9 mos and have been happy with it.

BuddyLicious · Post by **BuddyLicious** » Wed Jan 04, 2012 9:39 pm

jmazza wrote:My current battery (no pun intended!) came from Batteries Plus. It is a 10ah battery vs the OEM 6ah battery. I've had it now for about 9 mos and have been happy with it.

jmazza,

Do you by chance have the model number for the 10ah battery,I'd really appreciate it!

Thanks.

jmazza · Post by **jmazza** » Thu Jan 05, 2012 2:16 am

I think it was this.

It wasn't cheap unfortunately - $80.

michelle_7728 · Post by **michelle_7728** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 8:55 pm

Tocsik wrote:I have the original battery in my '08 Pamplona with 25K miles and I run heated grips. I use a tender frequently.

Do you run your heated grips directly to your battery? And do you have to use the tender every night?

Just curious, as I might check in to them as well.

What brand of heated grips? Would you recommend them, or would you buy a different brand if you had to do it all over again?

50CC Cape Cod · Post by **50CC Cape Cod** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 9:55 pm

KABarash wrote:I can only assume by battery is fried, it won't keep a charge, even after being on my tender I need to kick start. Same after riding nearly 100 miles the other day it doesn't want to start after sitting 36 hours, it does try however.
It's an 08 I bought in the spring of 09 and the battery is still the original and I have over 12000 miles on it, it doesn't owe me a thing.....

Question is;
My local dealer mentioned XXX brand battery, I don't remember what he said, quoted me a price of "about" $60 BatteriesPlus has a direct replacement I can get for about $20 less. Would there be any benefit of one battery over the other? And what might that be?
Also: When and if I do get the replacement, even though I will probably be riding through out the winter, would it be wise to 'tender' it as well?

kabarash you may want to check the connections if tight or any corrosion
make sure you have a good ground aty the battery and starter.
Regarding batteries many are made by a few manufacturers and then relabelled. I think Yuasa may also have GS USA battery which are also labelled Johnson Controls which are very good and then have seen at Walmart under Everstart label a sealed AGM battery. Did you check with a volt meter what range you are getting that will let you know the amount of charge it has.
If less than 12.8V power starts to drop off.
Cold definetly has a direct impact on the battery.

TenaciousA · Post by **TenaciousA** » Sun Feb 19, 2012 10:01 pm

My two cents.

Always use a good floating charger (Battery Tender !!!!!) when ever possible.

Batteries Plus sells excellent batteries that are often made in the US.

Check all electrical connections especially the chassis ground. I would remove the chassis ground to verify there is no corrosion.

Good Luck

Tocsik · Post by **Tocsik** » Mon Feb 20, 2012 2:50 pm

michelle_7728 wrote:
Tocsik wrote:I have the original battery in my '08 Pamplona with 25K miles and I run heated grips. I use a tender frequently.
Do you run your heated grips directly to your battery? And do you have to use the tender every night?
I run the power for the grips directly to the battery and I hook up to the tender almost every night. I park in my garage and I have run a power chord that sits on a sports rack right next to where I park so, for me, it's very easy to hook up to the tender.

Just curious, as I might check in to them as well.

What brand of heated grips?
I bought Oxford Heaterz. Well, sort of. I originally purchased Oxford Hot Hands because they draw a little less power and I wanted the ability to remove them in warmer months. When I bought them (eBay), the vendor sent the Heaterz by mistake but charged me for the hot hands. I went ahead and kept them after a bit of research. I think they work very well. Mine have the controller that you set at 25, 50, 75 or 100% power. Older controllers have a dial, I think. I usually run them at 50% but sometimes I bump up to 75%. My commute to work is about 50 minutes so I worry about draining the Buddy's battery because of its weak electrical system. I'm glad I stuck with the Heaterz because I think the Hot Hands wouldn't have worked out as well and they don't look as good when installed. In Denver, there can be pretty cold mornings for many months during the year so it works well to just leave the heated grips available year-round.

I just bought ScooterLogic hand mitts to replace my home-made mitts but haven't had a chance to ride with the new combo yet - too snowy in Denver lately. I did have to make significant alterations to the ScooterLogic mitts to get them to work on the Buddy but they came out pretty decent for a guy with very little sewing experience (just replaced buttons on stuff and sewed up some ripped collars on t-shirts after getting too aggressive removing labels).

Would you recommend them, or would you buy a different brand if you had to do it all over again?
The Oxford Heaterz have worked out well for me since I can hook up to the tender easily. I think it would be tough for anyone living in an apartment or any other situation where you park outdoors. I have seen a lot of other heated grip options lately but haven't looked into them since I am pretty well set-up. I think the biggest factor will be the power draw. The Oxfords are also pretty well proven in the motorcycle community.

Hey,I posted my responses in red above. Hope it helps!

Modern Buddy

Sorry to bring up another battery thread, but.........

Sorry to bring up another battery thread, but.........

Re: Sorry to bring up another battery thread, but.........

Re: Sorry to bring up another battery thread, but.........