gel battery - Motorcycle-Journal Forums

painterbabe1 · 02-22-2007, 06:20 PM

Does anyone know why they do not make a acid battery for my vstar classic? If i leave my lights on accidently it will drain down the battery and then the bike will not charge the battery while it is running. Has anyone eles had a problem with these types of batteris?

robertc729 · 02-22-2007, 06:36 PM

My uncle has a Vstar 650 custom, he hasn't had any problems with his battery.

omegajim · 02-22-2007, 09:45 PM

Let me get this straight, you have a gel cell and want to go BACK to an acid battery? My gel cell (in my 1980, that's right '80 Yamaha) has gone through hell and back and takes a charge like nobody's business.

You may need a small charger and a voltmeter. The baby charger (I grew up on a farm, these are baby chargers) are $20 and the voltmeter/ohm-meter (useful for all kinds of dumb things, like knowing the exact voltage in your house!) will tell you when it's charged.

I'm most curious why the bike won't charge the battery and equally stumped why the battery won't take a charge. Gel cell is pretty much the future, although you may have gotten a bad one, anything is possible.

Me, I got a bad acid style battery and got a 1 1/2 out of it. I wasn't happy.

old codger · 02-23-2007, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by painterbabe1

Does anyone know why they do not make a acid battery for my vstar classic? If i leave my lights on accidently it will drain down the battery and then the bike will not charge the battery while it is running. Has anyone eles had a problem with these types of batteris?

You might check the battery connections. On most batteries there is the block that the cables attach to and there is another bolt which holds that block in place. Be sure both both bolts on each terminal are tight.
The Gell battery should be the best battery you can get, you may have a defective one, that would be rare though. Connections likely are the problem.

old codger

Old codger

D_Klein · 03-01-2007, 04:58 PM

A little trick I learned with Optima gel batteries (automotive) once they start to weaken is to drop them from about knee-level onto the ground; make sure it lands flat on the bottom surface and not on an edge. I guess it has something to do with some sort of material clinging on to the plates inside the battery, thus inhibiting its starting power.

No bull, I've had mine for about four years and it has been subjected to the extreme cold of MI, the extreme heat of AZ, and plenty of vibration (the top three battery killers). Any time the battery starts to sound weak, I just drop it a few times and it's back to normal. I was completely skeptical at first but it actually works!

PLEASE NOTE: I don't know whether or not this will work on a motorcycle battery, so please only attempt this method at your own risk!!! I think most people on here can understand the negative consequences of busting open a battery.

omegajim · 03-01-2007, 09:27 PM

Never had that problem.

The worst thing was I threw the charger on it for about 1/2 hour on the lowest setting (2 amps) and the battery sucked the juice right up and was good as new. I don't even take it out of the bike with the weather we have been getting. Probably should have (0 F) but it's already 5 years old, so I pretty much am hitting the break even point considering it has been nearly flawless.

Now I'll go out to the garage and it'll be dead as a doorknob.

raycogxxx · 03-05-2007, 08:38 PM

I was told by dealer's service dept that if you totally drain battery-leaving your lights on- the on board charger is not powerful enough to recharge it, you have to put it on an external charger-I found this out the hard way.

omegajim · 03-05-2007, 10:12 PM

No, not on a bike.

On a car, the alternator is big enough that if you turn everything off, you have twice the power (if not triple or quadruple) of what your car needs.

On a bike, however, everything is aimed towards weight reduction. As a result, a battery that is down won't be recharged driving unless you are on a longggggggg trip.

I still like like the gel cell battery, it's holding up pretty fair. Takes quite a bit of abuse.

02-22-2007, 06:20 PM	#1 (permalink)
painterbabe1 Newbie Joined: Feb 2007 Bike: honda rebel 250, yamaha v star classic 650 Location: twin falls idaho Posts: 13	gel battery Does anyone know why they do not make a acid battery for my vstar classic? If i leave my lights on accidently it will drain down the battery and then the bike will not charge the battery while it is running. Has anyone eles had a problem with these types of batteris?

03-01-2007, 04:58 PM	#5 (permalink)
D_Klein 100% Title Free Joined: Feb 2006 Bike: '05 GSX-R750 (Anniversary Edition) Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 1,544	A little trick I learned with Optima gel batteries (automotive) once they start to weaken is to drop them from about knee-level onto the ground; make sure it lands flat on the bottom surface and not on an edge. I guess it has something to do with some sort of material clinging on to the plates inside the battery, thus inhibiting its starting power. No bull, I've had mine for about four years and it has been subjected to the extreme cold of MI, the extreme heat of AZ, and plenty of vibration (the top three battery killers). Any time the battery starts to sound weak, I just drop it a few times and it's back to normal. I was completely skeptical at first but it actually works! PLEASE NOTE: I don't know whether or not this will work on a motorcycle battery, so please only attempt this method at your own risk!!! I think most people on here can understand the negative consequences of busting open a battery. __________________ "Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles, Bubba...." ~Hunter S. Thompson

03-05-2007, 08:38 PM	#7 (permalink)
raycogxxx Sprocket Pilot Joined: Feb 2007 Bike: 2006 M50-Blue Location: Ft Worth, Texas Posts: 850	I was told by dealer's service dept that if you totally drain battery-leaving your lights on- the on board charger is not powerful enough to recharge it, you have to put it on an external charger-I found this out the hard way. __________________ "So long as they don't get violent, I want to let everyone say what they wish, for I myself have always said exactly what pleased me." -- Albert Einstein 2006 M50 Blue, Jardine Slash Cuts w/custom baffles (courtesy of BlueM50Chick), Saddleman Profiler Seat, Memphis Shades Poptop shield, Tour Master saddle and fork bags, Küryakyn Dually ISO-Pegs, Stebel Airhorn.

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02-22-2007, 06:36 PM	#2 (permalink)
robertc729 Forensic Bug Splatter Analyst Joined: Mar 2006 Bike: 05 Boulevard C50 LE, 06 S40 (wife's bike) Location: Lexington, KY Posts: 4,086	My uncle has a Vstar 650 custom, he hasn't had any problems with his battery.

02-22-2007, 09:45 PM	#3 (permalink)
omegajim M-J.Com Lifetime Achievement Award Joined: Jan 2007 Bike: 1980 Yamaha XS850 Location: Washington County, WI Posts: 6,526	Let me get this straight, you have a gel cell and want to go BACK to an acid battery? My gel cell (in my 1980, that's right '80 Yamaha) has gone through hell and back and takes a charge like nobody's business. You may need a small charger and a voltmeter. The baby charger (I grew up on a farm, these are baby chargers) are $20 and the voltmeter/ohm-meter (useful for all kinds of dumb things, like knowing the exact voltage in your house!) will tell you when it's charged. I'm most curious why the bike won't charge the battery and equally stumped why the battery won't take a charge. Gel cell is pretty much the future, although you may have gotten a bad one, anything is possible. Me, I got a bad acid style battery and got a 1 1/2 out of it. I wasn't happy.

03-01-2007, 09:27 PM	#6 (permalink)
omegajim M-J.Com Lifetime Achievement Award Joined: Jan 2007 Bike: 1980 Yamaha XS850 Location: Washington County, WI Posts: 6,526	Never had that problem. The worst thing was I threw the charger on it for about 1/2 hour on the lowest setting (2 amps) and the battery sucked the juice right up and was good as new. I don't even take it out of the bike with the weather we have been getting. Probably should have (0 F) but it's already 5 years old, so I pretty much am hitting the break even point considering it has been nearly flawless. Now I'll go out to the garage and it'll be dead as a doorknob.

03-05-2007, 10:12 PM	#8 (permalink)
omegajim M-J.Com Lifetime Achievement Award Joined: Jan 2007 Bike: 1980 Yamaha XS850 Location: Washington County, WI Posts: 6,526	No, not on a bike. On a car, the alternator is big enough that if you turn everything off, you have twice the power (if not triple or quadruple) of what your car needs. On a bike, however, everything is aimed towards weight reduction. As a result, a battery that is down won't be recharged driving unless you are on a longggggggg trip. I still like like the gel cell battery, it's holding up pretty fair. Takes quite a bit of abuse.

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