Is it normal for the Venture to drain the battery so fast?

I had an accident and broke my ankle at the end of July and some buddies from my bike club went and picked my bike up in Quebec and brought it home for me the next day (about a 260km trip). That was on August 2nd. Since then the bike sat in a friends garage and today he went to take it back to my place for storage but the battery was completely dead. At first he thought it was because I had my GPS charger plugged in the accessory outlet, but that outlet is switched. Then I read the owners manual and saw the note about pulling the battery if the bike will sit for more then a month.

Is it normal for the Venture to drain a battery so fast? My last bike, a Honda Shadow, could sit for 4 months in minus 20 and below winters and it would fire up in the spring no problem. Seems kinda weird for a bike for go completely flat in just 2 months. Especially since the bike is almost brand new (9 months old).

Anyhow, it's on the way home now and first thing I will be doing before I winterize it, is make a small harness up so I can hook my tender up with the battery still installed. On long rips, i might start carrying some jumper cables as well.

Two months is quite a while. But in answer to your question yes and no. When switched off there should be very little drain on the battery. Under 20 milliamp. This small current is used for keep alive memory for the audio system and dash. How long your battery will last depends on how strong the battery is and it's state of charge at the time it was turned off. A bigger, stronger, well charged battery will last much longer than an older, weaker, undercharged battery. Use the amp hour rating of the battery for comparason. A milliamp meter placed in line with one of the battery cables will read the current flow (parasitic draw) with the key off. 5 to 20 milliamp is normal. Over about 50ma and something is draining the battery. Over 100ma indicates a serious problem.

So eventually any battery will go dead if left connected. Even if the bike tests good, under 20ma. It will just take a little longer. Weak or dead batteries are subject to freezing and other internal problems. So Yamaha recommends disconnecting the battery for extended storage. When you do this your radio will loose its presets and your trip meters may return to zero. Hence the battery maintainers are a good alternative. If the bike tests good and the battery still goes dead very quickly or goes dead even though it is disconnected there are internal problems with the battery.

Mike

Two months is quite a while. But in answer to your question yes and no. When switched off there should be very little drain on the battery. Under 20 milliamp. This small current is used for keep alive memory for the audio system and dash. How long your battery will last depends on how strong the battery is and it's state of charge at the time it was turned off. A bigger, stronger, well charged battery will last much longer than an older, weaker, undercharged battery. Use the amp hour rating of the battery for comparason. A milliamp meter placed in line with one of the battery cables will read the current flow (parasitic draw) with the key off. 5 to 20 milliamp is normal. Over about 50ma and something is draining the battery. Over 100ma indicates a serious problem.

 

So eventually any battery will go dead if left connected. Even if the bike tests good, under 20ma. It will just take a little longer. Weak or dead batteries are subject to freezing and other internal problems. So Yamaha recommends disconnecting the battery for extended storage. When you do this your radio will loose its presets and your trip meters may return to zero. Hence the battery maintainers are a good alternative. If the bike tests good and the battery still goes dead very quickly or goes dead even though it is disconnected there are internal problems with the battery.

Mike

Ya, I am aware of all this thanks. Just seems like it's rather excessive drainage though. Especially since it was parked right after a 3 hour highway trip. I'll do a current leakage test on it when it get's home. It's really no biggie, but I am glad I found about it now and not down the road on the first day of a trip or something.

On my Shadows, the only draw was for the Trip ODO. But I guess the Venture, with 3 trip ODO's and the radio presets, draws a bit more.

Anyone know if there's a higher capacity battery that will fit in the Venture's compartment?

YES!!!

There is a better battery for your Venture!

http://www.bohannonbattery.com/html/deka/etx20l.html

This one fits your bike.

Get ahold of Skydoc_17. He handles them also.

You CAN NOT find a higher quality battery for the bucks. AGM 12.8 volt. Tough as nails.

AMERICAN MADE!!!

I've had one for two seasons now. Sat for two weeks and still showed 12.8 on the meter when I hit the switch.

Just sayin' ya know.......did I mention I like the DEKA's?

Mike

YES!!!

 

There is a better battery for your Venture!

 

http://www.bohannonbattery.com/html/deka/etx20l.html

 

This one fits your bike.

 

Get ahold of Skydoc_17. He handles them also.

 

You CAN NOT find a higher quality battery for the bucks. AGM 12.8 volt. Tough as nails.

 

AMERICAN MADE!!!

 

I've had one for two seasons now. Sat for two weeks and still showed 12.8 on the meter when I hit the switch.

 

Just sayin' ya know.......did I mention I like the DEKA's?

 

Mike

Hehe, Thanks I'll check them out.

I just picked this one up at battery plus . it is one of the highest cca batteries I have found. Works very good compaired to the stock one. It is in my 2006 venture

http://www.batteriesplus.com/product/40582-X2--20L-X2-Power-AGM-Battery/558-CC/5380-Motorcycle-Batteries/130128-Yamaha/XVZ13-Royal-Star_Venture-(All)/1300CC-1996-to-2009.aspx.

There has also been some problems with the cassette player drawing power even with the key off. Do a search in the tech section and you may find what to do.

Hope this helps

EDIT: Removed comment as I had missed that your accident involved the bike...

Many people, INCLUDING lots of dealers, have been surprised to find that they did not actually turn off the ignition. If left in ACC, it does drain the battery very quickly.

Under normal situations and a good battery, it should handle two months without any problem at all. Even my six year old battery will still start the bike fine after six weeks (but the voltage is lower than it would be with a younger battery!). No way to say for sure if your bike might have a problem, but after an accident, anything could be happening.

Goose

Many people, INCLUDING lots of dealers, have been surprised to find that they did not actually turn off the ignition. If left in ACC, it does drain the battery very quickly.

 

Under normal situations and a good battery, it should handle two months without any problem at all. Even my six year old battery will still start the bike fine after six weeks (but the voltage is lower than it would be with a younger battery!). No way to say for sure if your bike might have a problem, but after an accident, anything could be happening.

Goose

Sorry, I wasn't clear.. the accident was just to my ankle. Bike is fine. I broke my ankle when my leg twisted a weird way while I was trying to mount my bike with a pile of junk on the passenger seat (I'm too old and too fat to do those acrobatic leg kicks anymore )

Looks like the problem is fuel related not battery. Seems the person who drove my bike back from Quebec let it run down almost empty and it sat like that for two months. Now it starts OK when cold and with choke, but as it warms up, it starts to run rough and sounds like it's missing... maybe running on only 3 cylinders?? I can't be sure as I am still not familiar with this engine. Unfortunately, I can't handle the bike with my ankle probably until next season, so for now, i was going to try a little sea foam in the gas and flush the carbs. If that doesn't fix it, then Ill probably winterize it and get it looked at under warranty in the Spring.

At least I have it home and snug in the shed finally. Poor friend who drove it hear not only had to deal with the battery draining down with his starting problems, but then got stranded on the highway when it hit reserve and he couldn't find the petcock in time and then the bike wouldn't start. CAA came and gassed him up, boosted him and he made it here but the bike was running crappy. Wouldn't run at all with the choke off. i let it cool down and it started up fine.. battery seems ok

Kinda sucks because the bike was running like a top before. I'm also thinking that maybe they filled up with skunky gas. On my 750ace forum, that seems to happen a lot more often these days, according to the members.

Many people, INCLUDING lots of dealers, have been surprised to find that they did not actually turn off the ignition. If left in ACC, it does drain the battery very quickly.

 

I was just think about that ACC switch...if left on this setting, there is a good chance it may drain the battery to death.

Is it normal for the Venture to drain a battery so fast? My last bike, a Honda Shadow, could sit for 4 months in minus 20 and below winters and it would fire up in the spring no problem. Seems kinda weird for a bike for go completely flat in just 2 months. Especially since the bike is almost brand new (9 months old).

 

When I bought the '99 came with a very recent, but just out of warantee, AGM battery. When I'd let it sit for a couple of weeks the battery would croak. Really unusual for an AGM, so I figured it might have a short somewhere in the system. Because I couldn't find my smart battery charger I used the grandson's old school charger the first time it went dead. Charged it up, started it, and the bike ran fine. Let it sit for another 2 weeks. Tried again yesterday and dead again. I finally located my charger and hooked it up, and after an hour or so it started throwing a bad cell error code. So it wasn't any kind of short in the system. Just a bad AGM. Calling Bohanan this morning. It's DEKA Time.....

If your battery is not fully charged you might find that it does run as well,,,, put a charger on it overnight, and then try it again, you might find a difference, otherwise drop it off at my daughter's place and the next time I'm in town I'll take it for a ride,,,, I'm sure it will run fine in Southern Ontario.

Many people, INCLUDING lots of dealers, have been surprised to find that they did not actually turn off the ignition. If left in ACC, it does drain the battery very quickly.

 

Under normal situations and a good battery, it should handle two months without any problem at all. Even my six year old battery will still start the bike fine after six weeks (but the voltage is lower than it would be with a younger battery!). No way to say for sure if your bike might have a problem, but after an accident, anything could be happening.

Goose

This happens more easily than you thinl. Also, the accessory plug is not switched....

I had an accident and broke my ankle at the end of July and some buddies from my bike club went and picked my bike up in Quebec and brought it home for me the next day (about a 260km trip). That was on August 2nd. Since then the bike sat in a friends garage and today he went to take it back to my place for storage but the battery was completely dead. At first he thought it was because I had my GPS charger plugged in the accessory outlet, but that outlet is switched. Then I read the owners manual and saw the note about pulling the battery if the bike will sit for more then a month.

 

Is it normal for the Venture to drain a battery so fast? My last bike, a Honda Shadow, could sit for 4 months in minus 20 and below winters and it would fire up in the spring no problem. Seems kinda weird for a bike for go completely flat in just 2 months. Especially since the bike is almost brand new (9 months old).

 

Anyhow, it's on the way home now and first thing I will be doing before I winterize it, is make a small harness up so I can hook my tender up with the battery still installed. On long rips, i might start carrying some jumper cables as well.

Get a gel battery and you will not have those problems. The lead acid don't charge as fast or hold it as long.

This happens more easily than you thinl. Also, the accessory plug is not switched....

I just went and checked mine and it is switched on my bike 2000 MM edition

This happens more easily than you thinl. Also, the accessory plug is not switched....

I'm not sure why this thread was necro'd but anyhow, my battery wasn't the main problem. I am still surprised that it went flat in just two months, but the reason my friend had so much trouble starting it after it was charged again was that I had gas that went bad and plugged up the jets in the carbs.

As for the DC outlets, they are switched.

Look at Flag A - Page 485 of the manual that's available on the forum here. That is the tap off for the DC outlets (detail shown on page 486).

Br/B wire that feeds the DC outlets goes to the second spot on the Ignition Switch matrix (Flag 5) - It is powered when the ACC switch is in the ON or ACC positions according to the matrix.

Besides, I tested it when I got the bike back... plugged my charger in it.. turned the switch on.... light came on, turned the switch off... light went out /shrug - You can't get much more definitive then that.

Since I got the carbs cleaned out, the bike fires right up. Battery has plenty of umph, so I am not worried. I have the battery inside on my workbench hooked up to a maintainer

for the winter.

Get a gel battery and you will not have those problems. The lead acid don't charge as fast or hold it as long.

You might be better off getting an AGM instead of the gel. Even the slightest charge over 13.4 volts will really mess up a gel, and our bikes generally are putting out 14 to 14.2vdc. AGM's can take the voltage, just watch the amps and keep them between 2 and 6, which isn't that big of a problem with our stator output...

I just picked this one up at battery plus . it is one of the highest cca batteries I have found. Works very good compaired to the stock one. It is in my 2006 venture

http://www.batteriesplus.com/product/40582-X2--20L-X2-Power-AGM-Battery/558-CC/5380-Motorcycle-Batteries/130128-Yamaha/XVZ13-Royal-Star_Venture-(All)/1300CC-1996-to-2009.aspx.

There has also been some problems with the cassette player drawing power even with the key off. Do a search in the tech section and you may find what to do.

Hope this helps

I see you just picked up this battery. I had two of them crap out on me in a year. Both times the plates seperated and caused a short. They dont seem to handle vibration very well. Good thing there was a 1 year warranty on them. After the second time I had them replace it with a Yuasa, which they had to order. While waiting I went ahead and ordered the Deka battery and its been in the bike for over a year now with no further issues. The Yuasa is sitting on the bench hooked to a tender as a back-up. Keep an eye on that battery from Batteries Plus. It will fail you at the worst time.