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Ld2002rs

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Riding season being over here in Ohio, I have my bike safely resting on the center stand. I plugged in the battery charger to the connection on the side of the motor, turned it on and it's readout says it's a 6 volt battery, it is charging it. Was wondering if this is normal? 2002 1150rs.

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Riding season being over here in Ohio, I have my bike safely resting on the center stand. I plugged in the battery charger to the connection on the side of the motor, turned it on and it's readout says it's a 6 volt battery, it is charging it. Was wondering if this is normal? 2002 1150rs.

 

Morning Ld2002rs

 

No, not normal__ Possibly something is wrong with the charger connection, or a problem with the charger, or 'something' is not right anyway.

 

It probably isn't charging but no way to know without putting a voltmeter on the battery.

 

If you have another accessory socket then try plugging into that one, otherwise verify the fuse is OK on your present accessory socket & that your charger is connected properly & that the charger settings are set correctly.

 

Is the battery OK (not run down or weak?), if the battery is real low then you might have to hook another good 12v battery in parallel to get your charger to start the correct charging sequence. Some modern electronic chargers don't know how to start charging a dead battery on their own so you have to fool them with a 2nd 'good' 12 volt battery. (read your battery charger owners manual on charging a dead battery) -- (This only applies IF your motorcycle battery is very low or dead now)

 

 

 

 

 

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Where would the fuse you speak of be located? The charger is a newer unit that automatically sets the voltage, you can select between sla/agm type battery also fast or slow charge. When charging other batteries seems to be fine.thank you!

Edited by Ld2002rs
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The battery was new this season, I will take a look at that manual, I took a look at it after posting here and your right it wasn't charging, I'm not sure what type of battery either, without getting at it.

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Where would the fuse you speak of be located? The charger is a newer unit that automatically sets the voltage, you can select between sla/agm type battery also fast or slow charge. When charging other batteries seems to be fine.thank you!

 

Morning Ld2002rs

 

It depends on-- "battery charger to the connection on the side of the motor", if it is a factory accessory socket then the fuse is in the fuse box under the seat.

 

If it is an add-on or aftermarket connection then the fuse is probably in the pigtail wire between the battery & the accessory plug.

 

You can simply use a 12v test light or voltmeter to see if the socket that you are plugging into has 12v to it now (with no charger connected). If no 12v then the fuse is probably bad.

 

 

 

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Factory socket, I will have to pull the seat and check the fuse, I don't currently have a method of testing the socket.

Edited by Ld2002rs
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Factory socket, I will have to pull the seat and check the fuse, I don't currently have a method of testing the socket.

 

Morning Ld2002rs

 

If it is a factory accessory socket then the fuse is probably fuse #3 (3rd one in from the shifter side of bike) --should be a 15 amp.

 

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Thank you dirtrider! I'll pull it apart after bit. I have noticed that when sitting for an extended period (one week or so) this summer, when I did start it , the battery appeared to be down. The aftermarket lighting does have a switch with a led that always is on (faint) but on, would this be a culprit to a complete or large discharge of the battery?

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Thank you dirtrider! I'll pull it apart after bit. I have noticed that when sitting for an extended period (one week or so) this summer, when I did start it , the battery appeared to be down. The aftermarket lighting does have a switch with a led that always is on (faint) but on, would this be a culprit to a complete or large discharge of the battery?

 

Morning Ld2002rs

 

That LED probably has very little parasitic draw but the basic electrical system does have it's own continuous parasitic draw so between the two the battery will eventually run down just sitting there unattended. (much longer than a 1 week parking time frame though). It will eventually lead to a complete battery drain but not to a large discharge drain.

 

Difficult to tell what you are dealing with on this as there are MANY individual possibilities as well as some combined possibilities.

 

Even certain AGM batteries will never become fully charged due to the 1150 bike's lower voltage output charging system.

 

To really know what your parasitic drain is you will need a good quality digital voltmeter then measure the parasitic drain.

 

 

 

 

 

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The manual for the charger says it won't charge a battery under 7.5 volts, however no information on how to get it to charge it, can a good battery be connected via the factory socket to (charge) the bikes battery up past that 7.5 volt threshold thereby then allowing the charger to do its thing afterwards?

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The manual for the charger says it won't charge a battery under 7.5 volts, however no information on how to get it to charge it, can a good battery be connected via the factory socket to (charge) the bikes battery up past that 7.5 volt threshold thereby then allowing the charger to do its thing afterwards?

 

Morning Ld2002rs

 

Possibly but that isn't a guarantee & could lead to a blown fuse or other issues. (the small diameter accessory socket wiring can't take a large amp load)

 

One way that works with some chargers is to plug the charger into the 110 outlet, then hook to a well charged battery (like in your car or truck). This gets the battery charger charging into a > 7.5 volt battery. Then without disconnecting the battery charger from the 110 outlet simply swap the charger leads over to the dead battery.

 

More difficult is to use jumper cables from a good 12v battery to you bike's battery, then once charging disconnect the jumper cables.

 

If you have access to an old (non electronic) trickle charger put that on the bike for a few hours as that should raise the battery voltage enough for your electronic marvel charger to take over & complete the charge.

 

 

 

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I do have an old charger, but will try your first method of hooking to a good ( old Harley battery that's fully charged),get it going, then switch it over, if that is fruitless, I'll try the old charger method, at least it will tell me by how much it's charging if the Beemers battery is down a bunch.

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Update,

I did have to use the old style battery charger for a bit to get the voltage up over the 7.5v threshold, then my modern marvel charger was able too take over normally. However there was a distinct odor I assume coming from the battery as it charged after a while.

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Update,

I did have to use the old style battery charger for a bit to get the voltage up over the 7.5v threshold, then my modern marvel charger was able too take over normally. However there was a distinct odor I assume coming from the battery as it charged after a while.

 

Morning Ld2002rs

 

That isn't a good sign as it might indicate a heavily sulfated battery. (when a battery is allowed to run down then sit they can become sulfated)

 

When you start riding the bike again you might have the battery load tested.

 

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Thank you! Will do!

My wonder charger does have an automatic de-sulfating feature, could be this action that was causing the odor, my wife was the one who noticed the odor, I couldn't, but being a printer for about 40yrs will take its toll on your sense of smell.

If a replacement battery is needed in the spring, what do most of the Beemer owners use?

Edited by Ld2002rs
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Thank you! Will do!

My wonder charger does have an automatic de-sulfating feature, could be this action that was causing the odor, my wife was the one who noticed the odor, I couldn't, but being a printer for about 40yrs will take its toll on your sense of smell.

If a replacement battery is needed in the spring, what do most of the Beemer owners use?

 

Morning Ld2002rs

 

If you used the de-sulfating feature then, yes, it could have contributed to the smell but it still should not have produced the smell (especially if it is a sealed battery).

 

Running a starting battery down to low voltage (especially if it sits while depleted) is very harmful to the battery so you really should have it load tested.

 

If it is a sealed battery then a smell coming from the battery is especially a bad sign.

 

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I have yet to remove the side cover, so not sure if it's a sealed battery or the older style, just know it was replaced last season.

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IMOHO err on the cautious side and replace the battery. It sounds like it is fix'n to ruin your ride at some point and the law of maximum unhappiness will have it will fail you at the least convenient time. For this vintage bike there are many choices well under $100 if you skip having to have the roundel stamped on the side of the battery. Cheap insurance.

 

If you do replace it, and you go with a SLA battery like an AGM or Gel, then be sure that your charger/ maintainer is compatible with that type of battery. If you go with an AGM, as DR said, the charging system on your bike doesn't quite supply a full charge to for an AGM, so without putting it on a AGM compatible maintainer once in a while its might not live as long. I never saw the virtue of a Gel battery as the cost is typically on the high side and AGM's are fast becoming the dominate format.

 

I began running AGM batteries 15 years ago with great success in my R1100RT, and I think has the same charging system as your bike. I never bothered to replace the voltage regulator that is suited to the AGM format either. I get 5 good years out of them and because the one I buy only cost about $50, I replace it while the old one is still cranking strong. The trick is if bike is going to sit for a week I put it on an AGM compatible maintainer which puts a full charge in it. That works out to maybe 2 or 3 times on the maintainer during the riding season and then full time over the winter layover December to April. Super easy to do if you put the accessory plug connector on the maintainer battery leads.

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I have yet to remove the side cover, so not sure if it's a sealed battery or the older style, just know it was replaced last season.

 

Afternoon Ld2002rs

 

Who replaced the battery?

 

Was it replaced before you owned the bike?

 

In any case it sort of sounds like your present battery is running down quickly or early? (is this the case?)

 

If the battery is running down quickly or early then you really need to find out what is drawing it down as even a new battery will become damaged if something keeps running it down quickly or continually.

 

Are you sure that continuously glowing light in your aux light switch is an LED & not a conventional incandescent bulb? A low glowing LED draws very little current but even a slightly glowing incandescent bulb usually draws enough to deplete a motorcycle sized battery in a week or two.

 

If you don't get a handle on your battery issue then it will plague you over & over again.

 

Might be a good idea to buy a cheap digital volt/amp meter so you can do some electrical tests to check your bike's parasitic draw while parked.

 

 

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I was considering a new AGM battery probably closer to riding season. But also I will pick up an inexpensive volt meter ( I should have one around anyway) and definitely check for current draw when the bike is static.

Pretty sure the switch light is led, it's very small maybe the size of a bb. Green light when off, red in use. PIAA is the brand.

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I was considering a new AGM battery probably closer to riding season. But also I will pick up an inexpensive volt meter ( I should have one around anyway) and definitely check for current draw when the bike is static.

Pretty sure the switch light is led, it's very small maybe the size of a bb. Green light when off, red in use. PIAA is the brand.

 

Afternoon Ld2002rs

 

AGM is probably the best long term bang for the buck & way more durable than a GEL or even most sealed lead/acid.

 

Most AGM's will work fine, with just with a few requiring a bit more charging voltage than the 1150 makes to remain fully charged without the need for putting on a maintainer frequently.

 

If you are planning on a new battery, or doing a complete load test on your present battery, then NOW might be the time to remove your present battery. Or at least do the parasitic draw test now so you have time to find & deal with it if it is high.

 

You can wait until spring to buy the new battery but finding any issues now (before you install a new battery & ruin it) will put you ahead of the curve come spring.

 

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I ran an AGM in my 1150RT without issue. As DR said it may not have all the alternator needed, but I never had issue with mine and I ran it for 5 years. I have an AGM in my R1200RT LC. I bought a new Tahoe recently. It came with a lead acid battery. I took it out in the first 25 miles and bought an AGM. I don't own anything with lead acid anymore and I won't. I changed to AGM on all my toys. They cost a bit more but worth it. No maintenance, no corrosion and eating up cables, battery boxes, etc.

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... No maintenance, no corrosion and eating up cables, battery boxes, etc.

 

+1

 

Having no direct vent like a standard LA battery, the AGM's lack of spilling acid is big plus. On my boat I went to an AGM for the trolling motor which saved me money in an unexpected way. At 65LB you tend to carry a deep cycle battery close to your body. Since going to AGMs I my jeans no longer have mystery holes show up after working on the boat in the fall and spring :grin:

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Ld2002rs here's my 2 cents:

Get the battery out of the bike, find a buddy with a three stage charger. Not the kind that buzz. Pop the caps off( if you have them) and make sure the plates are not exposed to air by adding water. Put the battery on it, and after an hour max check the temp of the battery with your hands. Warm is ok, hot is not. If its hot you have a shorted cell. No fix for that other than new. So unhook it from the charger.

If its just warm let it go until the charger shuts off. Disconnect it. Wait 48 hrs and test the voltage. 12.7dcv = 100% state of charge, 12.5dcv = 75%, 12.3 DCV = 50%

It should be over 12.5, otherwise you're on borrowed time... and should park on the top of hills.

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Will do!

 

Morning Ld2002rs

 

Just keep in mind that the above battery test should show a blatantly bad battery but can't necessarily tell if the battery is still good. A number of failed or failing GEL or AGM batteries will show good voltage 12.7+ after 48 hours but not have enough reserve to even crank the engine one revolution. GEL batteries are especially apt to show good after-charge voltage but drop into the 4-5 volt range when the starter button is pushed.

 

The only true battery test is a load test (this measures battery voltage during a heavy load) but even a load test isn't always 100% conclusive but it is about the best we have available at the local level.

 

Most motorcycle shops have a hand held battery load tester & will load test a battery for free, or at very low cost, if the (fully charged) battery is removed from the bike & brought it to them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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