Texaskid Posted January 27, 2011 Share #1 Posted January 27, 2011 I have an 89 Venture. I replaced the battery about 1 1/2 years ago. I have a Decka. Bike has been sitting in storage for about 1 1/2 months. Went to start it today battery was dead. Jumped it with car and it would run but when I took off the cables it died. restarted and let it run till it warmed up. removed cables and it would idle. When try to get the rpms up it started to sputter and tack would go all over the place and gauge would go towars the bottom. When let it idle every thing was fine. Is it because the battery is drained so much or is there other problems. This has never happened before. Bike has 100,000 miles on it. I plan on putting battery on charger in the morning and leaving it there till the afternoon. Thanks in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saddlebum Posted January 27, 2011 Share #2 Posted January 27, 2011 I would start with inspecting and cleaning all your battery cable conections. I have come across the exact same symtoms many times and all because of dirty battery connections. Also If the battery has drained enough to freeze then even a new battery will be destroyed. put it on a charger and then load test it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dray Posted January 27, 2011 Share #3 Posted January 27, 2011 put it on a battery tender and let it have a full charge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bongobobny Posted January 27, 2011 Share #4 Posted January 27, 2011 If you end up having to replace the battery, invest in an Odessy battery. These are a "dry" battery, not a wet battery. It is a Lithium type, designed for military use, can freeze with no effect, and has more CCH than a stock battery. I would also recommend upgrading your battery cables to a thicker gauge wire. You will be amazed at the difference in starting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snaggletooth Posted January 27, 2011 Share #5 Posted January 27, 2011 If it is a DEKA AGM and it is dead after a month and half the odds are pretty good there is something draining the battery. The DEKA AGM has an extremely low discharge rate when not being used. I mean months on end to even drop blow 12.5 volts. I'd be looking for what might be drawing a charge with the bike off. Best bet, as you are doing, fully charge the battery and check it with a load tester. There is a chance the battery is bad, but failures are rare on these. Some of the things you described are suggesting other electrical problems. Of course check for shorts and drains and clean all connections. And I have to ask, when jumping the battery from the car was the car running? That can cause problems for the R/R on the bike. Best done with the car off to be safe. I've been running a DEKA for two years. Last years winter shelf storage with hardly any drop in voltage at all. It's been on the shelf this year since mid December and no drop in charge yet. I had a R/R fail last summer and rode the bike about 30 miles home on the battery draining it to 11.4 volts. It sat for a couple of day and it started the bike right up. Still running the same battery today and it shows 12.8 volts evey time I turn the bike on. Not saying the battery could not be bad but I'd be looking for the cause first. Hope it charges up for you. DEKA's are tough stuff. And Bob's gonna slap me but the DEKA outperforms the Odessy on CCA's for less money. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Condor Posted January 27, 2011 Share #6 Posted January 27, 2011 And Bob's gonna slap me but the DEKA outperforms the Odessy on CCA's for less money. Mike And Bob's gonna slap me too.... The Odyssey is an AGM not a Lithium.... If it were a lithium it would weigh practically nothing when compared to a wet cell,, or AGM.... Here's a link to the new Lith's. http://www.shoraipower.com/s-46429-XVZ13-Royal-StarVenture-All.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyinfool Posted January 27, 2011 Share #7 Posted January 27, 2011 Lithium batteries have very specific charging requirements. The charging system on your bike may not be able to charge the battery properly unless the charging circuitry is built into the battery. On the page for that battery they specifically list a MAX charge rate of 18Amps. When talking lithium batteries there is great danger in exceeding the recommended charge rate. LiFe batteries are rated at 3.3V per cell operating but charges to 3.6V per cell. Which means that you will have either a 9.9V (3 cell) or a 13.2V (4 cell) battery. These batteries will be at 10.8V (3 cell) or 14.4V (4 cell) when fully charged. If your bikes electrical system can not provide 14.4 volts the battery will never fully charge and you will not get the rated CCA or AH. I'll stick with lead and acid. I've seen a lithium battery get over charged, it was spectacular. Lithium batteries are great, I use a lot of them, but the system must be designed for them to safely get the full benefit of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texaskid Posted January 27, 2011 Author Share #8 Posted January 27, 2011 Well. went and got the battery out this morning and put it on the charger at 2 amps. Will let it sit for the day and then put it back in the bike. The only thing that is still dependent on battery after it is shut off is the clock on the ecm. That is what probably what drained the battery. Will let you know what happens tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hunter 1500 Posted January 27, 2011 Share #9 Posted January 27, 2011 If you end up having to replace the battery, invest in an Odessy battery. These are a "dry" battery, not a wet battery. It is a Lithium type, designed for military use, can freeze with no effect, and has more CCH than a stock battery. I would also recommend upgrading your battery cables to a thicker gauge wire. You will be amazed at the difference in starting! Do they make a battery that will fit the RSTD or RSV? I had one that I got from Gman industries that was a great battery. You also need a special charger with the Odessy battery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bongobobny Posted January 27, 2011 Share #10 Posted January 27, 2011 Awwww, crap! Never post early in the morning before coffee... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG TOM Posted January 28, 2011 Share #11 Posted January 28, 2011 Awwww, crap! Never post early in the morning before coffee... For those of us who know you Bob, we really know its an AGE thing. What are you now 102 ? :rotf: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Condor Posted January 28, 2011 Share #12 Posted January 28, 2011 Awwww, crap! Never post early in the morning before coffee... http://www.cast-aways.com/QUICKY/coffee.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bongobobny Posted January 28, 2011 Share #13 Posted January 28, 2011 Jack, where did you find that old picture of me??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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