Battery Tend

[BoilerAnimal]

Maybe it's not a good idea to put a Battery Tender on your Spyder after every ride. We're sitting at a Caseys waiting on our son to bring us a new battery to replace the one on our Spyder.

We we were riding and got a low battery voltage screen and made it about a mile and a half to the convenience store before the DPS and all the other assorted warnings went off. Parked safely and got ahold of our son. Hope to be back on the road in about an hour or so.

It seems that we were keeping a weak battery limping along and didn't get any warning signs until it failed by putting the Tender on after every ride. After this I will only put it on once every couple of weeks except during the winter, when it'll be on continuously.

[Bob Denman]

I wonder why you got the alarms after you were already out on the road
The charging system of the bike should have been enough to keep you going...

[BoilerAnimal]

Oh oh! We'll see!

[Chupaca]

I would do two things right off....one check the battery after a full charge and check the charging output of the engine. You should be able to ryde with a dead battery if the charging system is operating properly. You may have been running on the battery and a system not putting out enough to keep you going and slowly getting worse....

[TicketBait]

if you have a 2013, maybe four years is about right.
I will continue to keep mine on the battery tender.
Did read on here where someone had a superior battery tender,
went looking and was not able to find the thread which
even had a picture of the superior tender.

[BoilerAnimal]

Got a new battery and road about 40 miles, so far so good. Will check the charging system.

[BoilerAnimal]

Setting alongside I-74 waiting on a tow from the dealer. Started out OK and was for about 45 miles, then the charging screen came up, made it about 6 or 7 miles. Missed getting to the dealer by about 8 miles.

[BoilerAnimal]

Ten days left on our extended warranty!

[ARtraveler]

I note you are driving a 2013. If that is the original battery, it is time for a change out. When the battery decides to go, you will get funny electrical things going on.

Not sure why the new battery failed in 45 miles. There may be more going on than just the battery. Hopefully the dealer can come up with the right answer for you.

We changed out the battery on the 2011 (bought in 2012) this spring and the 2014 gets a new one next spring--just in case.

[Easy Rider]

It seems that we were keeping a weak battery limping along and didn't get any warning signs until it failed by putting the Tender on after every ride.

I tell people this every chance I get......and am generally ignored.
Experience is the best teacher.

There is NO good reason to attach a charger every day to any vehicle that is driven every few days.
And as you have found the hard way, there IS a good reason not to do that.

P.S. Batteries don't always fail the same way. It is possible for them to fail in a manner that it will drag down the charging voltage too.

[Bob Denman]

I tend to replace batteries after four riding Seasons... I'd rather choose the time and place; than let the battery do the choosing!
I've only used my Battery Tender during the Months of storage. If the bike will be sitting for a Month: it gets the plug!

[BoilerAnimal]

Turns out the battery was not the problem. It has quit charging but they don't know why yet. Hopefully they will find the problem Tuesday.

[ARtraveler]

I tend to replace batteries after four riding Seasons... I'd rather choose the time and place; than let the battery do the choosing!
I've only used my Battery Tender during the Months of storage. If the bike will be sitting for a Month: it gets the plug!

x 2

[youngers]

did I read some where here that the charging system is -- a magneto system , not an alternator ?

[BoilerAnimal]

did I read some where here that the charging system is -- a magneto system , not an alternator ?

That's correct but apparently with a few modern electronics added. A step above a garden tractor system.

[Bob Denman]

The 998s got a 650 watt magneto... The 1330s get a 1200 watt alternator!

[Gary]

and they fail once in a wile I think they blow a diode.

mine did also

[BoilerAnimal]

If your battery gets too weak with an alternator, your engine will die because an alternator needs electricity to excite the fields to make it charge. And the electronics on a Spyder suck the juice right out of a battery very quickly!

[Bob Denman]

I there is a "bright side" to this story; it has to be that your warranty is still in effect!

[BoilerAnimal]

I there is a "bright side" to this story; it has to be that your warranty is still in effect!

Thank goodness for that!

[Ranman42]

Keep us posted. Sounded like a charging issue when the new battery quit so soon.

[jaherbst]

Rotor failure is my guess. (some call it a magneto) Usually though you will smell some electrical smoke when this happens. Just a good reminder to change my own battery.

Jack

[Easy Rider]

Turns out the battery was not the problem. It has quit charging but they don't know why yet. Hopefully they will find the problem Tuesday.

Well......after not charging for a while, the battery probably WAS part of the overall problem.

[BoilerAnimal]

A discharged battery as a result of charging system failure. As long as the problem wasn't the result of mice chewing on wiring, the extended warranty should help out a great deal.

[BoilerAnimal]

Talked to the dealer this afternoon and was told that the stator had shorted to ground. NO MICE chewing on the wiring so the extended warranty WILL cover it!!!!! Will get an oil change out of it because they have to tear it apart. They said they didn't know if BRP would cover the cost of the oil kit......about $70 plus $50 for the deductible. Possibly a charge for the tow.......only about 8 miles.......we'll see. It could be a lot worse!

It will be sometime next week though before it's done. I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN SURVIVE!!!!