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New battery?

bikerdad

bikerdad

Junior Member
I have been having trouble starting my bike. Sometimes the starter runs strong and it starts right up, but other times the starter seems to stall and barley turn, and then the bike will start. The battery is 7 years old and I always use a tender. The charging system checks fine. I am trying to decide if I need a new battery or new starter motor.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
 
As suggested by wazzle, it's probably your battery going bad, seven years is quite awhile.

You can check it with a voltmeter, should read 12.7 when fully charged, if not I would replace it.

HD carries your replacement battery, but I found a better deal at Batteries Plus, less money and higher cold cranking amps, an exact fit as well, good luck!
 
Time for a new battery. +1 on battery plus, got my last 2 battery's there and have no complaints.
 
Load test that battery, you got your monies worth on that one
 
atm33 said:
How do you do a load test? I'm guessing that's a better gauge of the battery condition than a voltage test at rest?
Click to expand...

Auto Zone or any auto parts house can load test the battery but, as has been suggested, it's time to replace. Seven years, even on a tender all the time is past the service life of most batteries. Replace it before it stands you somewhere.
 
atm33 said:
How do you do a load test? I'm guessing that's a better gauge of the battery condition than a voltage test at rest?
Click to expand...

A load tester is a meter with a heat coil, like an electric stove coil,that draws current from the battery and reads the voltage and cold cranking amps on the meter.
 
Last edited:
atm33 said:
How do you do a load test? I'm guessing that's a better gauge of the battery condition than a voltage test at rest?
Click to expand...

You can hook up a volt meter in line with a car high beam headlight, after 30 seconds of the light staying on your voltage should not drop below 10 volts, and when you un hook the set up the voltage should recover to about 12.5
A poor mans @ home load tester, caution the light will get HOT
 
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