question on low battery.

[shadowfist]

ok, so i got my bike running again the other day, it had fouled the plugs, popped new ones in and it started right up.
drove it once thursday night, and drove it to and from work friday, both times worked fine (aside from my battery being low as my tender didn't seem to charge it up nicely).
now last night after hooking my battery up to my tender after several hours the light went green. (battery charged full, and i tested the voltage with a DMM) but this morning when i came back the light was red again and the voltage was a little low. i started up the bike and it seemed to be ok, so i went for a ride. i got about 3 miles from my house and the bike started to backfire and loose power.
I pulled to the side of the road and tried to start up the bike again but it didnt fire up (didnt have enough to turn over the engine and it wouldnt kickstart either). I called re-enforcements and proceded to try and start it using a car battery. (un successfully) i pulled the plugs out and checked to see if they were sparking, and it appeared that the plugs were fouled again as they were not sparking. i cleaned the plugs with a wire brush and using the car battery again i started up the bike and started to drive home. at about the mile and a half mark the bike again started to backfire and sputter to a stop. same thing again, my plugs were fouled and it wouldnt start up, i cleaned the plugs a second time, and this time i was able to make it all the way back to my carport.

so my question is, is this a problem with my battery not producing enough juice to fire the plugs fully and thats why its fouling the plugs so quick in comparisson to the last weeks? or has something else gone bad in my bike in the last day seince i drove it to work?

[skidMarkNZ]

I would say replace your battery if even the charger isnt keeping it up to grunt.....

also check your stator windings, and see if your R/R regulator/ rectifier, is working properly...

thats all i can think of buddy.

[duaneage]

Get it started somehow and see if you have 14 volts across the battery with it running around 3000 rpm. If not, the RR is probably toast and I can help with getting a replacement Honda Kit RR for that,

The stator could be damaged so that should be checked with the engine running as well. Stator should have 60-80 volts from any two yellow wires (that is AC not DC like the battery so change your meter accordingly) so if a pair shows low the stator may be bad.

The RR goes bad on GS bikes and takes the stator with it. Honda RRs are really robust and protect the stator from shorts and damage.

[argonsagas]

First NEVER trust the idiot lights on batteries. I have seen a 12 volt car battery show green and be unable to run the car radio or light up the under-hood bulb.

It sounds like yours lost much or most of its charge overnight, and that usually indicates a failure of the battery, although you may also have a short somewhere.

Disconnect the cables from the bike, then charge and test the battery by itself.

[tkent02]

Do you leave you battery on the tender long term?
Seems to me those who leave the battery on a battery tender are the ones with failing batteries, as well as those whose batteries sit unused for a long time. Constant charging cooks them IMHO. I know they are supposed to be only charging when it needs it, but I'm guessing it doesn't figure out correctly when charging is needed or maybe the tiny bit of current that flows when it's not charging is too high? Not really sure, just guessing.
A tender is probably great when the bike can't be ridden for a few months, hooked up one day a month or one day a week or something.
Don't use one myself, try to ride each bike at least once a month all winter, for at least an hour or so.
Batteries always last for years with no troubles, will always start the bike right up after sitting a month or two.
They last longer than I ever keep a bike anyway.

[Steve]

First NEVER trust the idiot lights on batteries.

Some GSs have an "idiot light" that is labeled "BATT", but it has nothing to do with charging.
It only checks for electrolyte level in one cell of the battery.

Do you leave you battery on the tender long term?
Seems to me those who leave the battery on a battery tender are the ones with failing batteries, as well as those whose batteries sit unused for a long time. Constant charging cooks them IMHO.

True, constant charging can and will cook a battery, but a proper battery tender will monitor battery voltage and switch itself on and off as necessary.
Deltran makes the official "Battery Tender" brand, others are called the same thing because they work the same way, kind of like calling all tissues "Kleenex". Personally, I have four or five units made by Schumacher that are charger/maintainers. The MSRP in the link is $37.82, but they are less than $20 at Wal-Mart and work as well as (or better than) the Deltran units. (The Battery Tender Jr. has a .75 amp charge, the Battery Tender Plus has a 1.25 amp charge, the Schumacher Battery Companion has a 1.5 amp charge.) I leave batteries connected to them all winter without problems. If there is a warm day and I want to ride, I know that battery is ready to go.
Only thing to watch for with any charger is to maintain your electrolyte level. Although a proper maintainer minimizes fluid loss, it can still happen. I use sealed batteries, so that is not a problem here.

.

[tkent02]

If there is a warm day and I want to ride, I know that battery is ready to go. .

I know that my battery is ready to go too.

I use sealed batteries, so that is not a problem here.

.

I would too if the lead acid batteries the POs always buy would ever fail. :-)

I still think the tenders tend to overcharge, at least sometimes, just from reading battery threads on here and other forums.

[trippivot]

battery tenders SUCK!!!!

the amperage from a tender is so low it NEVER really excites the 6 cells in a 12V battery. it will shadow your battery and make it never take a charge.

a real 6 and 2 amp charger is the best tool you can buy for your bike jet ski lawnmower etc... Schumaker is #1

this is a powerful tool and you can overheat the smaller batteries on the 6 amp if left on too long.. 2 amp for 6-8 hours once a month will keep a battery alive for 5 years or more depending on the QUALITY of battery you buy...


FIRST INTERSTATE EXIDE BATTERIES....A#1 best inner construction on the market. wallmart-junk , batteries plus-junk,
other cycle pro batteries - junk

[shadowfist]

so, i guess my main question was if a lack of power (due any combination of fried R/R, failing stator, or dead battery) could cause my plugs to foul themselves, i know there is an issue with my charging system which i will track down using the awesome flow charts available to test which/ how many of my components are bad. but i also want to know if my extremely fast fouling is also related (in about 6 miles i had to clean them off 2x just to make it back home.) or if this is some other issue?

[SqDancerLynn1]

Replace the battery !! When the voltage gets low you have less voltage at the coils and as a result you get a weak spark. The Results is a set of fouled spark plugs. Get your charging system working too!!!!

[jacora]

Since your bike starts easy each time you clean your plugs I am sure that your problem is in the carburetor, it could be pilot jets, fuel float level, fuel float valve O-ring or something loose in the carburetor that is cause of unwanted fuel flow.
Identify which cylinders are fouling then check the pilot jet corresponding to that cylinders. Pilot jets must be tight in its place. I had this problem before and the problem was loose pilot jets in cylinders 3 and 4, so ignition problems was discarded.
Checking the charging system and ignition system is always a good idea.