DickB
07-12-2023, 10:30 AM
I see a lot of posts by people suspecting a battery problem, or suggesting that the battery is bad, with absolutely no testing being done. It is easy to make some basic tests with a multimeter. If you don’t have one, you should. An inexpensive one for $10 or less is fine.
If you’re replacing a battery without doing these basic tests, you may be throwing money away.
Basic tests are
Resting voltage
Starting voltage
Charging voltage
Parasitic current
Here is a good article on how to make the first three tests:
https://studentlesson.com/how-to-test-a-car-battery-with-a-multimeter/
It’s a car article, and the Ryker has a magneto not an alternator, but the tests are the same for a motorcycle and specifically a Ryker.
If your battery is going dead after a few days of non-use, a parasitic current test is called for.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBnbsrrwMkk&t=32s
Many accessories such as LEDs with a remote control and Bluetooth amplifiers and speakers will draw current when “off”. If you’ve connected these directly to the battery, they may be adding to the parasitic current draw. Making a parasitic current test will tell you if these are a problem. Parasitic current should not be more than a few milliamps.
If you’re replacing a battery without doing these basic tests, you may be throwing money away.
Basic tests are
Resting voltage
Starting voltage
Charging voltage
Parasitic current
Here is a good article on how to make the first three tests:
https://studentlesson.com/how-to-test-a-car-battery-with-a-multimeter/
It’s a car article, and the Ryker has a magneto not an alternator, but the tests are the same for a motorcycle and specifically a Ryker.
If your battery is going dead after a few days of non-use, a parasitic current test is called for.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBnbsrrwMkk&t=32s
Many accessories such as LEDs with a remote control and Bluetooth amplifiers and speakers will draw current when “off”. If you’ve connected these directly to the battery, they may be adding to the parasitic current draw. Making a parasitic current test will tell you if these are a problem. Parasitic current should not be more than a few milliamps.