'83 GS850G Electical/Battery Problem??

[dyoung]

Im new to the site but got referred to by the gentlemen that sold me this bike and love all the info. quick question - the guy i bought this from had been driving it to work for a couple weeks before i got it with no problems, at least that he told me about, so the first day i get it i want to take it out to get used to the handling. it was running great until i stopped to run an arrand and then had troubles getting it to start. i knew she's kinda a cold bike and takes a little getting used to firing up with the correct amount of choke so it took me a bit and i believe i drained the battery by using the starter too much but did barely get it going that time and proceeded to ride for another hour until i needed gas assuming the battery would recharge itself. i put kwik trip high octane in it and then tried to start it and "click click click". i tried jumping it and charging it to no avail and finally got it running by popping the clutch. got it home, charged the battery overnight and still nothing. i plan on going thru the maintenance list on the site here and updating the neccesary things but i'm wondering if this is a battery issue or if it sounds like a stator issue? im planning on buying a new battery today and starting from there since it had been running seemingly fine before i drained it, thanks

[NeyborDayfid]

Whoa there, let's not go buying things until we hear a little more.

When you say you charged the battery, how did you charge it? Trickle or manual charger? How long?
Do you have a voltmeter?
A battery that was turning over your bike yesterday most likely didn't short overnight. The only real way you can ruin a battery like that is if you charged it overnight at high amperage, like on the 6amp setting and you'd know because you'd find it sitting in a pool of electrolyte in the morning.
Don't ask me how i know :'(

Basscliff's site has a ton of good info but you're going to need a voltmeter.

[BassCliff]

Greetings and Salutations!!

Hi Mr. dyoung,

Start with a Quick Test and go from there. With a system that is under-charging I would begin by testing the stator. Keep us informed.

Let me dump a TON of information on you and share some GS lovin'.

I just stopped by to welcome you to the forum in my own, special way.

If there's anything you'd like to know about the Suzuki GS model bikes, and most others actually, you've come to the right place. There's a lot of knowledge and experience here in the community. Come on in and let me say "HOoooowwwDY!"....

Here is your very own magical, mystical, mythical, mind-expanding "mega-welcome". Please take notice of the "Top 10 Common Issues", "Top 15 Tips For GS Happiness", the Carb Cleanup Series, and the Stator Papers. All of these tasks must be addressed in order to have a safe, reliable machine. This is what NOT to do: Top 10 Newbie Mistakes. Now let me roll out the welcome mat for you...



Please click here for your mega-welcome, chock full of tips, suggestions, links to vendors, and other information. Then feel free to visit my little BikeCliff website where I've been collecting the wisdom of this generous community. Don't forget, we like pictures! Not you, your bike!

Thanks for joining us. Keep us informed.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[dyoung]

Thanks Guys, OK well I charged it at 6amps overnight so for probably a good 8 hrs but didn't find any electrolyte anywhere. The multimeter reads 12.96 V, is it safe to assume my batteries OK then?

[tom203]

Thanks Guys, OK well I charged it at 6amps overnight so for probably a good 8 hrs but didn't find any electrolyte anywhere. The multimeter reads 12.96 V, is it safe to assume my batteries OK then?

6 amp charging rate is too high( unless charger auto-switched to maintainer mode). Try the battery now- you have nothing to lose. Peruse Basscliff's funhouse for helpful tests.

[850GT_Rider]

Thanks Guys, OK well I charged it at 6amps overnight so for probably a good 8 hrs but didn't find any electrolyte anywhere. The multimeter reads 12.96 V, is it safe to assume my batteries OK then?

Battery MIGHT be ok (and probably is), but may also just have a surface charge and it can't put out any amps.

Read EVERYTHING on Cliff's site, do ALL the tests.

If you put where where you're at in your signature, you may find one of us is local and willing to lend a hand.

[Nessism]

6 amps is WAY too much. The max. recommended charging amperage for a GS battery is something like 1.5 amps. You can't judge the condition of the battery by a no-load voltage test; you need a proper battery tester (consider taking it to an auto parts store that has one).

Assuming the battery isn't toast, or after you get a new one, once you get the bike running you should check the charging system voltage using info provided by Basscliff. The bike should charge at 14 volts with the engine running at 4000 rpm or so. Go though the stator paper tests and fix the system wiring regardless of the results - the long term health of your charging system depends on it. Most newbies ignore this critical maintenance and their charging system frys at some point because of this neglect.

[dyoung]

I live in Rochester, MN and would welcome any and all help. It is a loaded battery with distilled water added I was told when i bought it, does this mean its an old battery? cuz nowadays don't they sell batteries with just acid packs? and if I end up having to buy a new one after running the tests and taking it to a better voltmeter can I buy the acid pack batteries for my GS? going to do some work on it tonight and see if i can come to any conclusions

[dyoung]

also, my battery charger runs 2/6/10 amps...would 2 amps be too high to trickle charge?

[koolaid_kid]

What you really need for a bike battery is called a battery tender. Wally World carries a Schumacher that is perfect for the job and inexpensive: Schumacher Battery Tender
It senses when the battery is fully charged and goes into monitor mode, which means it does not charge any more unless the battery voltage drops below a certain level.

[koolaid_kid]

You can still buy lead-acid batteries. However, AGM batteries are spill-proof, come fully charged and last a lot longer.

[dyoung]

Ok, so i put the battery in and it measured 12.9V with key off and 12.4V with key and light on for 10 sec. still won't start, i'm going to get into the stator wiring tonight but I was wondering if i should pop start my bike to get it running and then do some of the rev tests that i cannot do because my bike wont start to check my charging system?

[dyoung]

and what are good solutions to use for cleaning all these dirty wires/ connections? thanks

[BassCliff]

Hi,

When you say "it won't start", do you mean that it cranks slowly?

You may have killed your battery by over-charging it. Have you had it load-tested? You'll have to look around for an auto shop or parts shop that has a load tester and have them test it.

Sure, you can push-start it to get it running and then test the charging system. But if your battery is bad the tests may not be conclusive. Read the Stator Papers and the supporting documentation on the facing page of my website and in the electrical section. Electrical cleaning solutions are there too.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[dyoung]

thanks BassCliff, I have been reading your material and its been very helpful. just kind of unsure how to diagnose the problem because alot of those tests require the bike to be running and mine won't even crank, all I hear is the click of the starter. I'll have it load tested tonight for the integrity of the battery.