Question: the Yuasa instructions online say that after you've added the electrolyte from the bottles that the "...new battery is approximately 75-80% charged. After the “stand” period described in step 6, charge the battery to bring it to a full state of charge. The battery charger used for initial charging should be able to charge at 12.8+ volts for an AGM battery."
so for that last line, do you need a special charger to deliver a constant 12.8 volts or will my Optimate 4 (which analyzes and adjusts the voltage as it charges) do the job?
I would say you missed part on the instructions. Should use a 1 or 2 amp charger for 18 hrs or so. You had a bottle supplied with battery, that when bottle electrolyte is put in and cap pressed on, that is NOT charged to 75-80%. A slow charge is the best way to fully charge a new battery. I have a charger that can change per battery. I put in on AGM.
I just bought a Yuasa, and my instructions were as what I wrote above
When my battery died in 2021 on my 2016 Spyder RTL I went to our local REXX battery and they had a KOYO KTX24HL-BS rated at 22Ah and 350CCA. They put in the acid and charged it overnight. Next day $75 and they replaced it. In my roadster operator's guide the only specification for battery is 12V and a nominal rating of 21Ah. I rarely use a tender as she rarely sits more than 2 weeks without a good exersize. If I do use the tender I put it on a timer set for 2 hrs/day. Heard too many horror stories of cooked batteries.
When my battery died in 2021 on my 2016 Spyder RTL I went to our local REXX battery and they had a KOYO KTX24HL-BS rated at 22Ah and 350CCA. They put in the acid and charged it overnight. Next day $75 and they replaced it. In my roadster operator's guide the only specification for battery is 12V and a nominal rating of 21Ah. I rarely use a tender as she rarely sits more than 2 weeks without a good exersize. If I do use the tender I put it on a timer set for 2 hrs/day. Heard too many horror stories of cooked batteries.
I don't know which "Battery TENDER" you are using, so a timer may be necessary .... Most folks here use a "Battery MAINTAINER" .... which is designed to ONLY charge if the battery is below a certain level. To put less stress in your life, think about getting one of those! ..... JMHO ...Mike.
Last edited by Peter Aawen; 03-08-2024 at 05:12 AM.
I would say you missed part on the instructions. Should use a 1 or 2 amp charger for 18 hrs or so. You had a bottle supplied with battery, that when bottle electrolyte is put in and cap pressed on, that is NOT charged to 75-80%. A slow charge is the best way to fully charge a new battery. I have a charger that can change per battery. I put in on AGM.
I just bought a Yuasa, and my instructions were as what I wrote above
https://www.yuasabatteries.com/resou...n-agm-battery/
Step 6.
For batteries with ratings of less than 18 AH, let the battery stand for 20 to 60 minutes. For batteries with higher AH ratings or having the High Performance rating (designated by an “H” in the part number/name), allow the battery to stand for 1 to 2 hours. Yuasa AGM batteries have amp hour (AH) printed on the front of the battery case. The stand or rest period allows the electrolyte to permeate into the plates for optimum performance.
Step 7.
You have nearly completed activating your AGM battery, the remaining step is to give it a full initial charge. After activating with the electrolyte, a new battery is approximately 75-80% charged. After the “stand” period described in step 6, charge the battery to bring it to a full state of charge. The battery charger used for initial charging should be able to charge at 12.8+ volts for an AGM battery.
I don't know which "Battery TENDER" you are using, so a timer may be necessary .... Most folks here use a "Battery MAINTAINER" .... which is designed to ONLY charge if the battery is below a certain level. To put less stress in your life, think about getting one of those! ..... JMHO ...Mike.
It is a stanley and it shuts off (light goes from yellow to green at 14.13v) but don't know at what voltage it kicks on back on. The $10 timer is only for peace of mind... it doubles for christmas lights. The 4 batteries I have heard about that got fried are from 2 individuals. I can't vouch for the abilities of these individuals but I know that one of the chargers had it's cords cut and thrown away.
It is a stanley and it shuts off (light goes from yellow to green at 14.13v) but don't know at what voltage it kicks on back on. The $10 timer is only for peace of mind... it doubles for christmas lights. The 4 batteries I have heard about that got fried are from 2 individuals. I can't vouch for the abilities of these individuals but I know that one of the chargers had it's cords cut and thrown away.
A battery left on a 'battery tender' or equivalent can and will fry a battery over time. I have fried several batteries in my lifetime by just leaving a battery plugged in all the time. What I've done in the last several years is put one of my machines on the tender for a couple of days every couple of weeks or so. I just alternate between the motorcycles and lawn mower from time to time. That seems to work the best for me. My new lawn mower and Spyder now have lithium ion batteries so tending won't be necessary for those batteries in the future. I'll probably still do it, but it is not necessary. Others will argue but these have been my results over many years of motorcycle ownership. As a side note, one of my good friends owned a motorcycle dealership for 40 years and he saw these same results many, many times during his career.
2022 Petrol Metallic RT Limited / 'PYDER'
Peter Pan has struck again!
Step 7.
You have nearly completed activating your AGM battery, the remaining step is to give it a full initial charge. After activating with the electrolyte, a new battery is approximately 75-80% charged. After the “stand” period described in step 6, charge the battery to bring it to a full state of charge. The battery charger used for initial charging should be able to charge at 12.8+ volts for an AGM battery.
What is missing from instructions here is charge with 1-2 amp charger for about 18 hrs. That is what my paperwork said (bought new just 1.5 weeks ago). That charger is considered a "slow" charger, and is best for a new battery. Slow charge is better initial charge
Had the same trouble the other day, on the 6th, when I went to start my 22 RTL to go on a ride. I tried it on and off for 2 days to see how it would start. Yes, I got the VSS fault, and it wouldn't turn over. Tried to start it again and it started and no fault. Went for a 3-hour ride and it started ok each time. It's been on a tender on and off all winter. Once back home, I got onto Amazon and ordered a new Yuasa battery. Opened the box today and filled it with acid. I will let it sit for a couple of hours and then put it on my charger. Printed on the side and on a sticker on the top of battery, it says - 2.1 amp charger for 5 to 10 hours. I will take out whatever kind of battery is in my Spyder and put in this battery.
You would think BRP would learn things about the Spyders they sell and improve them instead of making some things worse on them.
Last edited by Peter Aawen; 03-09-2024 at 08:41 PM.
Installed the new Yuasa battery this morning. Spyder started right up. Reset the clock and ready to ride. Oh, if anyone wants that POS battery that BRP started putting in Spyders, if you're close to me you can have it for free... Just kidding, it has already gone to the recycling at the dump. Wouldn't want to give that POS battery to anyone!
Last edited by Peter Aawen; 03-10-2024 at 07:52 PM.
Bought the Yuasa YTX24HL-BS Battery to replace the original Haijiu 300 cca in my 2022 RTL before it left me stranded. Adding the acid is very easy and ensures you have a fresh battery. Left it about 4 hrs then charged at about 0.8 amps on my Optimate 3 slow charger.
Last edited by RealWing; 03-10-2024 at 03:31 PM.
2022 Spyder RTL- dark trim
1969 Plymouth Barracuda 340-S Fastback
1969 Barracuda, 6.1 Hemi restomod, convertible
1970 Plymouth Superbird, 440-6bbl
Folks, if you have a bike with that off-brand junk factory battery, I'd encourage you to replace it proactively. Mine suddenly went belly up in the Yukon Territory last year with replacements few and far between. Finally found one at NAPA in Whitehorse at the tune of $250.
I'm experiencing something similar to the original post, with some noteworthy differences.
23 RT S2S, purchased in Oct 2023. Drove it about 250 miles before winterizing. Kept it on the Optimate Maintainer through winter.
My buddy and I installed four front end light kits in Dec. We used the "Plug & Play" harness from Lamonster for the fender and mirror turns signal kits, while the Bright Rider frunk light and Double-AA lights were powered up from the Aux port under the starboard side body panel. https://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/...r-today/page71 (post 1774)
I installed the light kit on the upper storage trunk last month, also using the supplied "Plug & Play".
On Tuesday of this week I pulled the Sypder out of the corner, did a T-CLOC inspection, adjusted air pressures, removed the rag from the exhaust pipes, geared up and started it up for the first ride of the year. It cranked much slower than I expected after having it on the maintainer for most of the off season, but it fired up and ran very well. I put probably 50 miles or so before returning home with intensions of having it ready for my wife to ride when she got home from work. I shut it down, then about 10 minutes later went to fire it back up and it barely turned, over acting very much like a dead battery and did not start. I did not see any codes displayed during my attempts to restart the engine.
I pulled the Haijiu battery out and put it on my full size charger, which showed that it had 100% charge and 13.5 volts. The next morning I came onto the forum to look for posts with similar experiences, and found numerous mentions of low quality batteries. I came to the conclusion that this must be my problem. Since we have plans to ride the bike on Saturday I was eager to get this resolved ASAP, so I went to Battery Plus and picked up a new battery, grabbing the only one they had in the store that matched the size and specs. I'm sure it's not a high quality replacement, but I bought it and put it on the maintainer overnight then checked it after work today. It showed 100% charge, 13.6 Volts. I installed it, tried the start the engine and got the exact same results as the day before. I mean the EXACT same. Verrrry slow crank. Still didn't see any codes.
What are the damn chances that two fully charged batteries would produce the exact same results. I'd think that if this problem was in fact battery related then the engine rotation would surely be slightly different after installing the 2nd battery. So frustrating. I called the dealer, the next open timeslot they have isn't until April 3rd and I've locked that down, but sure would like to figure this out way before then. Anyone have ideas?
You ask "What are the chances of two fully charged batteries producing the exact same result??" If they're something 'less than high quality/high spec' products, then the answer to that is "A whole lot greater than you might think!" And that chance is made even greater if one or more of them are 'brand new off the shelf' items, altho your putting it on a maintainer overnight beforehand might have a slight mitigation effect!!
Do you have anyone nearby who can/will do a load check on both batteries for you? Or failing that, any way (a multi-meter?) of checking the voltage of each battery:
after they've sat for some hours off the maintainer doing nothing;
then shortly after you first turn the ignition on;
then when you're actually trying to start/physically cranking the engine; and finally
when the engine is running smoothly at idle after starting??
If you can do those load tests &/or provide those FOUR sets of voltage readings for EACH battery, we might be able to shed some helpful light on your issues.
Still, the brief answer is that while the batteries in other vehicles might be considered OK if they load test &/or never show a voltage lower than 10.5 Volts in any of those readings above; but given our Spyders & their EXTREMELY power hungry nature, I've found that over hundreds of Spyders now, that if any of those readings &/or load test results drop below 12 Volts ever, then you are likely to have the issues you describe!
So if you're replacing a Spyder Battery, you really want the best quality battery you can get that fits, provides a minimum of 12 Volts, is rated for 350+ CCA, & 21+ Amp/hours - anything less in a battery means that it is most likely only a temporary fixture in your Spyder and very likely to cost you more than paying the extra for the higher quality/better spec battery in the long run, either for the call-out & jump start (IF you're lucky!) or for the tow home, plus any incidental accom & transport fees you may need to cover cos your Spyder Battery crapped itself when you were away from home!!
Just Sayin!
Last edited by Peter Aawen; 04-10-2024 at 09:02 PM.
I agree with Peter, check out your new battery and make sure that it's "a minimum of 12 Volts, is rated for 350+ CCA, & 21+ Amp/hours ". When it comes to new batteries on my bike I don't skimp. Nothing worse being in the middle of nowhere and having it fail on you.
And for Poppie65, the VSS code comes up on the main screen as it's trying to turn over.
I forgot to mention in my original post last night (it was late, I was tired, I know...excuses, excuses) that I did take the original (Haijiu) battery up to the local parts store and had them test it, and it tested good. I also left this battery with the kind folks at Battery Plus when I bought the replacement, so there's only one battery here to perform the suggested voltage checks.
Meanwhile, I've disconnected from the maintainer and will get those readings later this afternoon.
Also, my full size battery charger is a Schumacher Farm & Ranch model FR01335. This is the one that I used to confirm the charge level and voltage reading. It also has the capability to display amps, but I am unsure of when an amp reading would actually be displayed when the battery is removed from the vehicle. As I scrolled through the readings after each recharge, the amps showed 0.0 each time.
Yesterday afternoon I was able to take 3 of the suggested readings.
1. after they've sat for some hours off the maintainer doing nothing; 12.93V
2. then shortly after you first turn the ignition on; 12.45V
3. then when you're actually trying to start/physically cranking the engine; the engine turned for maybe one rotation then stopped all together, voltmeter reading 11.3V. Each subsequent key turn resulted in a single click of a solenoid and no engine rotation.
and finally;
4. when the engine is running smoothly at idle after starting?? Wasn't able to get the engine started.
Yesterday afternoon I was able to take 3 of the suggested readings.
1. after they've sat for some hours off the maintainer doing nothing; 12.93V
2. then shortly after you first turn the ignition on; 12.45V
3. then when you're actually trying to start/physically cranking the engine; the engine turned for maybe one rotation then stopped all together, voltmeter reading 11.3V. Each subsequent key turn resulted in a single click of a solenoid and no engine rotation.
and finally;
4. when the engine is running smoothly at idle after starting?? Wasn't able to get the engine started.
The sort of issue you describe has been very much my experience with batteries that fail to maintain 12 volts or higher throughout each and all of those tests, especially of late with the 'less capable' batteries BRP is now installing as OEM! Even if 'real' load testing says the battery is 'good', if it doesn't keep & show 12 volts or better for each of those tests, including the cranking/starting test, then this slow cranking/cranking failure is either happening already, or it will be happening soon!
So, what you're experiencing sounds awfully much to me like that just like so many of the recently supplied OEM batteries, your battery simply does not have the grunt/green steam capacity to turn the motor over AND start up all the computers etc at the same time!! The only other likely scenario is that the starter &/or solenoid has failed/shorted in some way...
If your bike and the battery is still under warranty (battery's generally have a shorter warranty period than the rest of the bike. ) see if you can get them to replace it with a better quality battery than the OEM rubbish units they're installing these days; if not, make sure you get a better-quality battery - you NEED at least 350CCA & 21 A/h, preferably over 20 hrs, altho 10 seems to work pretty well for most. And YOU NEED to make sure that the battery is fully charged BEFORE installing it - don't just take the retailer's word that it's charged, especially if they just pulled a battery off the shelf & said 'You're good to go!" If they haven't had it on a charger for at least 8 hours before it goes in your Spyder, then IT'S NOT PROPERLY CHARGED!!
A new battery NEEDS to be charged at 1-2 amps for at least 8 hours before being installed - failure to do that means that there's a very good chance you'll be having battery issues again, and they'll be coming your way sooner rather than later!
Good Luck!
Last edited by Peter Aawen; 04-10-2024 at 09:05 PM.
After I took the voltage readings that Peter suggested, I decided to purchase the lithium battery pack that's sold by Lamonster, if for no other reason than to rule out a 2nd weak battery. It was delivered quickly, I charged it up overnight then installed it and got the exact same results. I don't have any regrets in this purchase, but it just proved that the problem was something bigger than a bad battery.
The Folks from the dealership came to our home and picked up our Spyder back on March 23rd.
We'd already locked in a service appointment for April 3rd, which was the earliest opening that they had.
I called today (the 4th) for an update and learned that the starter assembly tested bad and was ordered yesterday (the 3rd) with a expected delivery for the replacement from BRP sometime next week.
The dealer replaced the starter assembly and I picked up our Spyder today. I noticed that the RO listed 2 quarts of oil, so I called back and asked about that. They reported that some oil loss is inherent when the starter is removed. So to be on the safe side, I cranked it back up and let it idle for several minutes then shut it off and checked the level. Looks good and I'm happy to have it back.
The dealer replaced the starter assembly and I picked up our Spyder today. I noticed that the RO listed 2 quarts of oil, so I called back and asked about that. They reported that some oil loss is inherent when the starter is removed. So to be on the safe side, I cranked it back up and let it idle for several minutes then shut it off and checked the level. Looks good and I'm happy to have it back.
HMMMMMMM....... I don't know these engines superbly, but trying to understand why you need oil??? Starter runs in oil?? Or an outside part of the engine cover has to be taken off to get starter out?? HMMMMMM!!!!!
The dealer replaced the starter assembly and I picked up our Spyder today. I noticed that the RO listed 2 quarts of oil, so I called back and asked about that. They reported that some oil loss is inherent when the starter is removed. So to be on the safe side, I cranked it back up and let it idle for several minutes then shut it off and checked the level. Looks good and I'm happy to have it back.
I'm glad it all worked out for you and Thank You very much for reporting back. Oftentimes, someone posts a problem and then we don't know how the issue was resolved. In your case, it's particularly instructive because I, like so many others, focused on the battery. Now we know different.
Again, thanks for posting the final result.
Happy riding.
If it ain't broke, don't break it.
IBA #47122
2020 RT Limited Asphalt Grey
Originally Posted by Mikey
.... I have an Optimate #1.- and love it ..... Mike
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And that chance is made even greater if one or more of them are 'brand new off the shelf' items, altho your putting it on a maintainer overnight beforehand might have a slight mitigation effect!! 
) see if you can get them to replace it with a better quality battery than the OEM rubbish units they're installing these days; if not, make sure you get a better-quality battery - you NEED at least 350CCA & 21 A/h, preferably over 20 hrs, altho 10 seems to work pretty well for most. And YOU NEED to make sure that the battery is fully charged BEFORE installing it - don't just take the retailer's word that it's charged, especially if they just pulled a battery off the shelf & said 'You're good to go!" If they haven't had it on a charger for at least 8 hours before it goes in your Spyder, then IT'S NOT PROPERLY CHARGED!! 
