Battery question

[bhfromme]

Ok it's time to ask the experts. I'm in Southwest Florida so my bike doesn't usually sit for more than a day or two at a time without being ridden but when it does sit for three or four days the battery is well let's say less than peppy. I actually had to put the tender on it today to get it started. :banghead: So I have two questions. First off, is this normal? And secondly, does the battery receive a full charge while it's running or should I be charging it periodically? Bill

[OJ UK]

I think that it will depend upon how many miles you're riding when you do go out.
You may not be fully replenishing the charge it takes to start the Spyder.
If you're doing 20 minutes plus on each trip out then it may be worth having the
battery checked out. HTH

[bhfromme]

I read that you need 4.000 RPM's to fully charge the battery. When I ride it's always at least 20 minutes with RPM's up in the 4,000 to 5,000 range.

[Bob Denman]

You might want to make sure that your battery connections are nice and tight...:shocked: :thumbup:

[Bob Ledford]

You need to supply more data to give you a good solution!

Age of battery?

Miles driven on an average?

Voltage at the battery terminals at idle, 2,000 and 4,000 RPMs?

Accessory load if any has been added to include lights?

[ARtraveler]

A little more information might be helpful.

Sounds like it could be old battery, loose connections, or lack of use of the :ani29:. Beyond these issues, you may have something electrical going on that needs to be checked out.

I have two :spyder2:,s, and one gets ridden every day. The second gets ridden one day as the test ride for the weekend. Weekends usually see between 300 to 400 miles on the :ani29:,s. Have never had an issue with battery going weak in between use.

Only use the Battery Tender during the winter layover.

[DragonLorD]

I read that you need 4.000 RPM's to fully charge the battery. When I ride it's always at least 20 minutes with RPM's up in the 4,000 to 5,000 range.

thats misinterpreted or misunderstood

...........and, ....if your driving style is 4 - 5000 revs, no wonder battery is weak
imagine it would be fully charged on 4K? - what would happen on 8K revs?

Mileage between starts is a key, not time, revs, age ( of battery, not yours ), capacity, magneto, temperature, humidity, connectors, etc, contributes

according to your riding habits there is nothing wrong with your bike or battery, it's normal in conditions/circumstances given, - which also contribute to shortening of battery life

[NancysToy]

Have your dealer check the amp draw from the radio when the Spyder is not running. A number of them had excessive parasitic draw, quickly depleting the battery. There is a service bulletin or tech notice on this issue, I believe.

[Lamonster]

:agree: and the D.E.S.S. may be drawing more than it should too. Either way the dealer should have a look at it.

[BikerDoc]

Spyder batteries are downright touchy... I ride over 2000 miles monthly, usually in increments of 100 miles or more my second spyder battery just failed at 26000 miles in 14 months, my first one failed at 21000 miles over similar period. and that is with using battery tender whenever not riding for more than two days in a row...

[jerpinoy]

Looks like recent posts already covered most. Anything runs with electrical power eats up your battery. Heated grips, heated seat, radio, lights and whatever you got adds up. Magneto charges the battery but if the amperage used is not replenish then you have deficit. This will cause weak battery in the long run.

[MikeinGA]

Ok it's time to ask the experts. I'm in Southwest Florida so my bike doesn't usually sit for more than a day or two at a time without being ridden but when it does sit for three or four days the battery is well let's say less than peppy. I actually had to put the tender on it today to get it started. :banghead: So I have two questions. First off, is this normal? And secondly, does the battery receive a full charge while it's running or should I be charging it periodically? Bill

Yes you should keep your battery fully charged. I use a Battery Tender Junior 12V Battery Charger and I charge my 2011 RS-S when it's going to sit for more than two days. With all the electronics the Spyder have it good idea to have a fully charged battery. That's IMHO.

Mike

[rock]

you wouldnt by chance have a ipod in the trunk...if so take it out for a day or so and make sure it is not over drawing juice