Battery or starter?

[Steve]

I wish there was someplace that just kept them in stock so I didn't have to order them. Even the dealerships around here have to order them so you still have to wait.

I did not know that Brooklyn had no shopping establishments.

Around here, I can go to just about any auto parts place, Batteries Plus, WalMart, Sears, even Menards and get Motorsport batteries.

.

[posplayr]

Ya, I charged it on a trickle charger until it said it was full yesterday, and then some . Looks like I put the cap on the sealed battery a little too tight so I messed up my new battery. No refund for me. Damn!

A trickle charger is to keep a battery from discharging. They vary but they are not nessesarilly good for charging a discharged battery.

[Wheelbreak]

I have always heard the trickle charger is the best way to charge because it's 1-1.5 amps. I have a 6 amp smart charger as well but I don't like to use it unless it's an emergency and I need to charge the battery fast.

Ya you would think all the New York stores would be great. Basically any chain store here is the worst example of that store. Always out of everything, terrible service, and usually because of lack of space, a really terrible selection. It seems all of the auto parts stores have very little if any love at all for motorcycle parts here. I don't know if that's everywhere. I didn't start riding until after I moved here. The bike was a way to get out of the city. Now it's just an obsession.

[posplayr]

I suspect if you put the battery on your smart charger over night your battery will be fine in the morning.

what do you have to lose?

[Wheelbreak]

Well it's definitely the starter. Has anyone had luck with a rebuild kit or should I just order a used one? How often do these things fail?

[nejeff]

Well it's definitely the starter. Has anyone had luck with a rebuild kit or should I just order a used one? How often do these things fail?

Someone had a starter for $20 shipped in the parts section, go get it!

[Wheelbreak]

so I just cleaned the brushes and where they contact per this guys video,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EHQJDhxZc0

And it's working like new again. I should of known when I tested the voltage of the input of the starter and it was getting 11.5 volts that it was the starter.

what a waste of money on the battery. I probably could have held off until spring. Oh well, live and learn.

[posplayr]

there was an early recommendation in this thread to do the quick test. The first part of that is a battery test.

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?225973-Battery-or-starter&p=2103909#post2103909

[Wheelbreak]

I did it, and according to it the battery was not holding it's charge the way it should, but I think I could of got another month or two out of it. I'm doing a few hundred miles next weekend so maybe it's for the best.

[Brendan W]

so I just cleaned the brushes and where they contact per this guys video,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EHQJDhxZc0

And it's working like new again. I should of known when I tested the voltage of the input of the starter and it was getting 11.5 volts that it was the starter.

what a waste of money on the battery. I probably could have held off until spring. Oh well, live and learn.

While you were in there did you happen to notice if the rotor was striking the stator? In my case the motor had been reassembled incorectly - the shim stacks were gone.

[Wheelbreak]

I just pulled the starter out without opening the covers, so I couldn't/didn't check.