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**Jerry** · 10-31-2002, 02:01 PM

Sounds like the battery is developing an internal short, causing it to go dead. Best if you take it in to a battery shop and have it tested under load, usually no charge for this. Not likely something in your electrical system is causing the problem, unless your alternator is not putting out current. If your tach is working, (it is keyed off the alt output) then regulator could be bad.

I found a small (1/2 amp) battery charger at Gemplers (farm and industrrial supplies) for $9.95 several years ago. Price is now up to $12.95. Here is the link:

http://www.gemplers.com/a/shop/produ...EN9=0&T1=15600

Watch the line wrap. Seems to do a very nice job. I have a couple of these, use one on the XJ, another on the car battery when those nights get really cold.....or else it stays on the riding lawn mower during the winter.

Have seen what looks like the same unit going for upwards of $40.00 other places. Check it out.

**nashville_bill** · 10-31-2002, 02:15 PM

Bob, I haven't had any battery problems with my XS11 but I had a similar problem with my XS650. Turned out that the alternator was not charging the battery like it should. You should have a minimum of 14 volts at 2000 rpm when measuring at the battery.

**Ken Talbot** · 10-31-2002, 03:49 PM

Unless you are running a lot of auxiliary lighting, your battery should not be going dead if you are riding regularly. It could be a battery problem, it could be the voltage regulator, it could be the charging system itself. More often than not, the problem can be traced to poor connectors from one end of the bike to the other. After all, you're looking at connectors that probably have not had a lot of attention for 20 years or so. Work on that first, the low budget stuff, then move on to more $$ problems only if you need to.

**Dark Horse** · 10-31-2002, 04:57 PM

Thanks for your input guys. The battery was new last spring. I think I have cleaned up all the electrical connectors. That was one of my last winters projects. I am getting 14.5 volts to the battery at 2000 rpm.

I'll see about getting a load test done on the battery.

Does anyone have any experience with the "battery tenders"? I have a regular automotive battery charger that I use during the winter months or when ever needed. I always slow charge at the 2 amps setting. But it is cumbersom to use and I have to remove the battery from the vehicle.

I've noticed that some of the "battery tenders" have leads that stay connected to the battery and can be quickly plugged in to the master unit for an overnight charge without battery removal. Can there be problems by not removing the battery? I know that some corrosive gasses are formed and emmited from a battery when it is charged with the larger chargers.

TIA again for your response.

**Dark Horse** · 10-31-2002, 05:03 PM

Sorry Jerry,

I didn't look at the link you sent before I responded. That is the type of unit I am referring to.

Do you charge your battery while it is in your bike?

Thanks!

**Jerry** · 10-31-2002, 09:08 PM

Mine came with 2 sets of ends, 1 set ring terminals, other set with alligator clips. I use the alligators, but don't think they come with both sets of connectors anymore. I use the ring terminals on the garden tractor (with cab) that I use for snow removeal, else I would have to flip up the hood each time I wanted to hook up the charger. Should be no problem using this connector on your battery while it is still in the bike.

Yes, I leave the battery hooked up in the bike and in the tractor, have not had a problem since I bought the chargers back in about 1991 or 1992. Had a Yamaha 400 then, got 4 - 5 battery years easily using the charger. On the XJ I replaced the battery from the PO this spring, have no idea how old it was but I had the bike 3 years and it wasn't a new battery when I got it.

For a while I had the charger on a timer, ran about 1 hour per day or so, worked out fine. Made sure the batt was topped off with fluid before winter storage, never had to add any more when I started the bike the following spring.

Have not seen any problems with corrosive gasses. Can't be much at 1/2 amp max.....plus my seat, which is from Diamond Seat, has a fiberglass base, and may not be as suseptible from corrosion. Have not noticed any discolration or corrosion around the batter or on the bottom of the seat. Course, my garage is pretty well ventilated....not by design...

I also use this charger to 'break in' a new battery. Typically leave the new batt on charger for a day or so. Very little heat generated this way and seems to show up in longer battery life.

Gempler's unit is the best price I have seen. Get a couple if you go this way, shipping is about the same as for 1 and you can probably sell one to a friend if you don't use it yourself.

I use these little chargers every winter, and think they do a good job at a reasonable price.

**Chuck Olds** · 10-31-2002, 10:36 PM

Bob, I have four motorcycle battery tenders. All are Schumacher brand and run about $20. The first one I got several years ago was not automatic, but was 1 amp. I put it on a bike battery overnight once a month and it worked well. Then they introduced the automatic units and I got one, though the output on them is now 1 1/2 amps. It worked perfectly on my bike battery, so I got 2 more, one for a collector car in storage and one for my 650 Triumph battery. The units on the car and the XS11 work fine, both are in the vehicle and show no corrosion on the metal seat pan or surrounding areas. I don't have to add water to either battery in the Spring. However, the one I used on the Triumph battery must not be shutting off automatically, because I had to add a lot of water to it last Spring. I'm going to use a timer on that one in the future. The Triumph battery is now dead, so I'm not sure if it was the charger that is bad or the battery was going dead anyway (nothing lasts forever).

Someone correct me if I'm all wet, but I remember reading somewhere that the bike runs off the battery when under 2,000 rpm. If you idle at traffic lights and run under 2,000 rpm a lot on a 4 mile ride to work, that may be your biggest problem. Have you replaced your headlight bulb with a higher powered unit? That would be another irritation to your charging system at low rpm. also, I think you said your turn signals weren't wired properly when you got the bike and you wired them as running lights (another non-stock drain on juice), so you might check those connections again for cleanliness and accuracy. Might try wiring just as turn signals and see if that helps much.

Then again, sometimes a new battery just isn't any good. Excellent idea to have it load tested and know for sure it's okay.

Good luck Bob,

**Jerry** · 11-01-2002, 08:51 AM

Chuck, you are correct on the charging output. Generally the XS/XJ output (XJ is a bit higher) doesn't meet operating demands until around 2K RPM, depends on conditon of your wiring, corrosion in the system, brushes for XJ system (XS has no brushes) and other variables. Below that you are draining from battery, above that starting to charge battery. There is an output curve either on the microfiche or in the manual that gives the output at various RPMs.

A commuting trip, short mileage with lots of idle at stop lights, and your battery won't get recharged.

Typically sediments builds up in the bottom of the battery, shorting the plates, or the plates buckle from heat or vibration resulting in an internal short. Either conditojn will cause the batt to discharge at a steady rate or reduce ouput capacity. A load test can help diagnose an internal short.

FWIW, there is another type of charger, quite expensive, that I have seen advertised. Claims to use a 'pulse' system that will rejuvinate battery plates, unlike the straight DC of conventional chargers. Have not tried one of these, nor do I know of anyone who has one. Still, interesting idea if it works in real life. Main claim is that it will resurect a sulfated battery, one gone dead from sitting unused to long. Won't help if the battery has an internal defect.

The Gempler's charger has one of those 'condition' LEDs, green when charging, red when batt is topped off. I don't pay a lot of attention to it, but the feature is not mentioned in the description and is on the unit.

I also have a Schumacher 2 (?) amp automatic unit, main use is on a gel cell battery used on my chipper-shredder (Troy-Built 8HP) which gets only intermittent use. Have used the Schumacher on other batteries as well, does a good job but still ike the 1/2 amp units for long-term maintenance.

**HadTX750** · 12-18-2002, 01:12 PM

Bob,

I have a '78 XS11 Standard and I've experienced similar problems even though I rode the bike to work daily. My trouble was that work was only 10 mi. or 15 mins. away. It seems that's not enough time for the battery to recover from the morning start (and evening start to go home). Every 2 or 3 days I'd put it on a charger (from K-Mart) at the 2 amp setting over night. It worked well. When I went on rides over several days, the battery never went low. Hope this is useful to you.

Austin

**rockyr74** · 12-18-2002, 04:13 PM

battery tender

I highly recommend the Deltran "battery tender" over regular trickle chargers. One can leave it on and forget about it - it knows when it is "done" charging. IMHO most big car type chargers give too much initial charge on a low battery.

They come with two sets of leads; traditional alligator clips and fused ring terminals you can leave attached to the bike. Additional ring terminals are availiable for your other bikes - I have a set on each of my rides.

I have spent far too much money in my lifetime on cheap batteries and stupid chargers. I only buy good Yuasa batteries and use the tender regularly when the bikes aren't being riden.

Paid about 45 bucks for it three years ago and I think they have gone up slightly since then - good investment, when you consider a good battery will cost about the same.

Deltran site :
http://batterytender.com/catalog/default.php

**sksxs1100** · 12-18-2002, 07:59 PM

I have a '78 XS11 Standard and I've experienced similar problems even though I rode the bike to work daily. My trouble was that work was only 10 mi. or 15 mins. away.

I had this same problem at one time, it was because when i got the battery, I did not let it charge fully the first time. Now with fresh battery (1 year old)it has no problems .. and i usually only ride it to and from work.. 20 min max one way. and it still fires first time, every time, and i have not cleaned the carbs in over a year... they are starting to run a little funny under 3000rpm, guess it's getting time to clean them again while it's cold

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