Battery questions

[riskadh]

Does anyone know of a way to actually test a battery to tell if it is defective or not without the pain of having it drain itself? I have replaced the stator and r/r and get full current going back to charge the battery, yet it continues to need to be recharged every other week or so. It's even worse on cold days when it just seems to not have any juice at all. So I'd appreciate any suggestions any of you may have :-D

[marvinsc]

Replace it with a Sealed Gell Battery, You Won't Regret It!

[DieMonkeys]

The price you may regret. My dad has one, he raves on and on about it, but you need to spend a buttload on it, plus you need a special gel-battery charger.

[Boondocks]

As batteries age or are otherwise abused, they typically sulfate and lose the ability to be charged to the original 100% capacity. This doesn't mean that the battery is defective as such, as all batteries eventually wear out, lose charge capacity and must be replaced. If an accurate digital voltmeter is available, you can test the battery capacity. First charge the battery, then take if off the charger and let it sit at least four and preferably up to 12 hours at room temperature (about 70 degrees F) before measuring the voltage with the digital meter. Waiting removes the inflated surface charge voltage present right after the battery charger is removed and will allow a measurement of the true battery voltage.

If you have a flooded battery (w/filler caps), the following voltages indicate the state of charge:

12.65V 100%
12.45V 75%
12.24V 50%
12.06V 25%
11.89V or less Discharged

A sealed AGM (absorbed glass mat) battery offers premium performance, will last longer, and requires no maintenance.

[marvinsc]

The price you may regret. My dad has one, he raves on and on about it, but you need to spend a buttload on it, plus you need a special gel-battery charger.

Mine hasn't Needed Charging Since I installed it Last Winter. Best 60 Bucks I have spent on My Bike. Bike Starts almost Faster than I can Get My Finger off the Button.:-D

[louisciccoli]

Most automotive supply houses will do a test for free. They can test how many volts it currently holds as well as a load test that will tell you if it is holding a charge or not.

[runewolf]

They are not as cheap as lead acid, but you can find some good deals out there.

This is a link to the one I'm buying for my gs750 $54 (includes shipping!)

http://batterystuff.com/power-sports...X14AHL-BS.html