Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => The Bike - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: SVonhof on March 01, 2013, 07:31:51 AM
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I will admit, I am a fair weather rider. When the rain started, I stopped riding and then it hasn't been raining in quite a while, but I don't like to ride to work when it's in the 30's (F) as I go to work early, so it has been just over 3 months since I have ridden the bike. And of course, it wouldn't start this morning. I kinda expected that and had thought about starting it a few times in between to let it run and charge the battery but I didn't.
I have an 09 and there was still some juice, just not enough. I have never used a trickle charger, but it seems like maybe I should get one since this is normal for wintertime for me (have been riding since 1996).
The biggest question is, should I buy a new battery or should I try to charge the one I have? I only have around 12,000 miles on the bike.
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I would say if the battery is original, replace it , attach a pig tail to your battery, and use a trickle charger when the bike is at prolonged rest or during extreme temps. I have a 09 with the original battery that always is connected to a trickle charger when not in use.
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new w/battery tender
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new w/battery tender
+3
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So, is there a preferred brand for battery tenders/float chargers?
I probably should have invested in one years ago, but never have. I have a plug right near the bike and can hang it on the wall or make a shelf for it that would be perfect.
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I'll make a vote the other way. Pull the battery and clean up the contacts , put it on a charger, re install, apply pigtail and tender.
The battery is not by any means old. A little care and attention will likely perk it up. ( kinda like SO)
If it doesn't perk up then change it.
A Honda tender with desulphating function is what I use. ( Seems to breath a little more life into batteries.)
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So, is there a preferred brand for battery tenders/float chargers?
I probably should have invested in one years ago, but never have. I have a plug right near the bike and can hang it on the wall or make a shelf for it that would be perfect.
I use this one.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41UkhG4yoeL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
~$25 at Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tender-021-0123-Junior-Charger/dp/B000CITK8S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362150857&sr=8-1&keywords=battery+tender (http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tender-021-0123-Junior-Charger/dp/B000CITK8S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362150857&sr=8-1&keywords=battery+tender)
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Depends on how old the battery is and how long it sat discharged. Mine's 3 years old, never used a tender and it still starts the bike no problem and shows 14.1v. The only time it sat for an extended period was when I was overseas for 3 months last year. Got home and it started the bike right up and showed 14.1v.
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I use this one.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41UkhG4yoeL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
Same here on two bikes. My 2K8Z1K battery will be five years in a few months and still starts the beast when called to duty. :D That battery is only a fraction in size to the C14 battery.
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Ditto on the tender Jr. at Amazon. Ditto on working with the old battery first.
Right now I am doing this on my aunt's car. Rarely used, battery went flat. Thing about a tender is they require at least 3 volts existing in the battery before they will begin working. Connected to aunt's battery, just got flashing red signal. Then I put the old fashioned charger on it for a few hours, built up the volts, re-connected the tender Jr., and it worked. After a few days went over and it was still charging, ie, red signal still on constantly. Disconnected and the battery had enough volts to start the car. Rode around about an hour, came back, parked the car, re-connected tender Jr. and it continued charging. So now if tender Jr. never changes to constant green signal, most likely the battery will never fully charge and something has gone bad in it and needs to be replaced.
So if after connecting tender Jr. and your battery never reaches constant green signal, your c14 battery needs to be replaced.
I am not a technician but this is what I would do. To err on the careful side, buy a new battery after this.
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So, maybe I should get one of these instead:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31trY0imC-L.jpg)
http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tender-021-0128-Plus-Charger/dp/B00068XCQU/ref=sr_1_6?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1362156147&sr=1-6&keywords=battery+charger (http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tender-021-0128-Plus-Charger/dp/B00068XCQU/ref=sr_1_6?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1362156147&sr=1-6&keywords=battery+charger)
Double the price, but I may be able to save the current battery with it if it doesn't have 3v in it.
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There you go! Perfect for every man's garage! Thanks for the post!
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So, maybe I should get one of these instead:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31trY0imC-L.jpg)
http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tender-021-0128-Plus-Charger/dp/B00068XCQU/ref=sr_1_6?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1362156147&sr=1-6&keywords=battery+charger (http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tender-021-0128-Plus-Charger/dp/B00068XCQU/ref=sr_1_6?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1362156147&sr=1-6&keywords=battery+charger)
Double the price, but I may be able to save the current battery with it if it doesn't have 3v in it.
I would have bought this one if I didn't already have a couple of standard chargers. :thumbs:
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This place sell an AGM battery and a free maintainer/charger for 66 bucks, shipped.
http://www.impactbattery.com/ytx14-bs-moto-classic-agm-yuasa-replacement.html (http://www.impactbattery.com/ytx14-bs-moto-classic-agm-yuasa-replacement.html)
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This place sell an AGM battery and a free maintainer/charger for 66 bucks, shipped.
http://www.impactbattery.com/ytx14-bs-moto-classic-agm-yuasa-replacement.html (http://www.impactbattery.com/ytx14-bs-moto-classic-agm-yuasa-replacement.html)
Crap. I need it faster than they could get it to me... Great find though.
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Also, just running the engine for 5-10 minutes is not a good idea to charge the battery. You'd need to ride the bike for at least 20 miles to get the moisture out of the fuel. I've got 3 bikes and a battery tender is always hooked up to one of them and I change frequently. A battery will last longer if it is kept close to or at full charge.
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+3
+4
"Battery Tender Jr."
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I'll make a vote the other way. Pull the battery and clean up the contacts , put it on a charger, re install, apply pigtail and tender. The battery is not by any means old. A little care and attention will likely perk it up. If it doesn't perk up then change it. A Honda tender with desulphating function is what I use. ( Seems to breath a little more life into batteries.)
I agree he can try, but it really *is* is pretty old condition now. A 4 year old battery that is left to sit for months in the cold, dead, multiple times, is probably sulfated badly enough to warrant replacement.
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Cold to a battery is -25C. Old for a battery is 10 years. A quality battery should last at least 8 years if it's never allowed to drain. If it sits completely drained at that kind of temp the acid will freeze and it will be hooped. If he had enough juice to turn the bike over it wouldn't have been frozen. You can tell a frozen battery because it is bulged to the sides. Once it's bulged there is no way to get it going again as there is internal damage. A frozen battery will only produce as many volts as there are cells that aren't damaged. They usually produce nothing for amperage.
It costs very little to try to get a battery going again. It's a complete loss if you just go buy a new one.
I've gained a lot of battery knowledge by having about thirty different vehicles and equipment that each have a battery. I've had quad batteries that have lasted upwards of 12 years, parked all winter, enduring -45 C temps. My current batteries in my 140 hp JD are 13 years old and test as good as new ones, but that machine is started just about daily. Never let a battery drain and it will last a long time.
As far as desulfating goes, I've actually brought a couple of batteries back from almost dead by repeatedly running them through desulfating cycles. Doesn't always work but occasionally it does. It doesn't hurt to try.
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How do you run a battery through a desulfating cycle?
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My Honda charger has a cycle that it goes through when you hook it up. First desulfating, then charging, then maintaining. A little yellow light blinks during the desulfating phase, when it switches to charging I unplug it and plug it back in...goes back to desulfating. I might do this six or eight times, testing in between. I never load test small batteries like bike and quad but a voltage test will tell you if all the cells are producing.
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I picked up a Tender Plus on the way home ($64 total) and have it hooked up now and it has a solid red light which indicates it is charging. I forgot to check the voltage before starting the process. I could check it now using the terminals in the Battery Tender cable, but I am going to leave it alone and check back later to see how it's doing.
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Just did a little research, my Honda charger is a re-branded Optimate.
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... that kind of temp the acid will freeze and it will be hooped....
:rotflmao: cracks me up!
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Last night, I went to watch a movie (home theater) and looked at the Tender first and it was showing red. After the movie (11pm) it was solid red with flashing green (indicating it was over 80%). Went to bed and this morning it was green and the bike started right up.
Thanks for the advice guys!
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Did you end up replacing the battery?
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You "NEVER" start up your bikes and let them idle without going for a ride, does nothing but put moisture in your crankcase and doesn't do anything for charging your battery. Stabil should also had been put into your gas tank, the crap gas out there now turns to varnish within 3 months without any stabilizers added.
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Did you end up replacing the battery?
Nope. I was going to buy one at the dealer where I got the Tender just in case this one could not be salvaged and return it if I didn't use it, but they won't allow returns on electrical items. I explained that if I didn't need it, I wouldn't even pull it out of the box or anything and they were not having it, so I walked out without one.
You "NEVER" start up your bikes and let them idle without going for a ride, does nothing but put moisture in your crankcase and doesn't do anything for charging your battery. Stabil should also had been put into your gas tank, the crap gas out there now turns to varnish within 3 months without any stabilizers added.
Even California gas? We have a different formulation for our state. And I agree, I would never start the bike and let it idle, I would only go for a ride. Hence the reason for a dead battery, I didn't ride it. My wife asked why I didn't start it and let it idle and I told her that it needs to be ridden, not just idle.
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Even Cali gas. What Pokey said. It's easy enough to treat your gas.
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The gas today is ass..............
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The gas today is ass..............
Ass gas? :o
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Ass gas? :o
Ass gas would be a good comparison.
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Crap. I need it faster than they could get it to me... Great find though.
I posted this a while back, search feature would help on battery stuff.... ;)
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=10869.msg133292#msg133292 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=10869.msg133292#msg133292)
48 hours from call to arrival, across the USA.
how much faster do we need? I know....walk in and purchase syndrome...instant gratification. ;D ;D
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I posted this a while back, search feature would help on battery stuff.... ;)
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=10869.msg133292#msg133292 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=10869.msg133292#msg133292)
48 hours from call to arrival, across the USA.
how much faster do we need? I know....walk in and purchase syndrome...instant gratification. ;D ;D
I needed it in less than 24 hours. ;) I am going to my buddies house at noon today so that we can both install our fuel controllers (Juice Box for me and Power Commander for him) on our C14's. He has never taken the fairings off and would rather I come over and help him.
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Ass gas? :o
Sounds like a gashole issue.
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You "NEVER" start up your bikes and let them idle without going for a ride, does nothing but put moisture in your crankcase and doesn't do anything for charging your battery.
+1
At idle, a vehicles alternator usually barely keeps up with just keeping the vehicle running. And it is best to get the vehicle up to temperature, get the transmission and wheels moving, etc.
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Last night, I went to watch a movie (home theater) and looked at the Tender first and it was showing red. After the movie (11pm) it was solid red with flashing green (indicating it was over 80%). Went to bed and this morning it was green and the bike started right up.
Sounds like you lucked out :) I FINALLY got a Battery Tender Jr. just several months ago. Sometimes it won't go green on my 2011's battery, but it has been left too low at least three times. I think it is on its last leg. Sometimes even with good treatment they don't last too long. My 2009 car's battery is also starting to get weak starting after even just 3 or 4 days of sitting. That has never been left low, but I have accidentally overcharged it twice (I don't use a Tender on it).
Thanks for the advice guys!
Anytime. Share and share alike.
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The gas today is ass..............
+1000
They need to stop this stupid ethanol crap. Worst idea ever. And I think it pretty much ruined my last bike (a caurburated 2000 ZRX)
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FYI, everything worked great today. Rode the bike to my buddies and we both installed the fuel controllers and then we rode 141 miles in a trip to go get some Tri-Tip. Came home and smoked the roast for just over an hour and then seared it over high heat and enjoyed!
Two C14's and a Harley, my buddy had his son riding along on his C14 and after 90 miles, I put my Corbin seat on his bike so he could try it out. Good thing I did that because he was about ready to buy one and found out he really didn't like how low he was sitting on it. He will go for a Sargent standard height instead or maybe just get a different cover for his.
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As luck would have it I started my bike yesterday morning and got the low battery warning and it was slow cranking over. I only rode it about 15 minutes but then put a Sears automatic charger on it in 2 amp mode. After about 4 hours the charger switched off and the battery this morning starts the bike like it did new.
BTW this was the longest my bike has sat all year. About 4 weeks.
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Timing of this thread is ominous as my bike's battery must have read it before me. This morning not enough juice to crank the bike. The bike is an '08 with just over 21,000mi. It is ridden four to six times a week year 'round. Never plug in the tender because the bike is used so regularly and the battery has always started the bike well. It is on the tender today and I'll see how it is tonight when I get home. Here is my question: given that the battery is about 5yrs old and died so abruptly do you think a new one is in order? I know, I know I read the post about batteries lasting a decade and many miles and want to believe it. On the other hand I do not want to charge'n go only to get stuck away from home because I stubbornly believed it should last longer. Tried to determine if there had been some sort of drain on it when the key is off but could not see anything. No time this morning the investigate that any futher though.
Ass gas?! Wouldn't that require a custom saddle to be usable? :o
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Timing of this thread is ominous as my bike's battery must have read it before me. This morning not enough juice to crank the bike. The bike is an '08 with just over 21,000mi. It is ridden four to six times a week year 'round. Never plug in the tender because the bike is used so regularly and the battery has always started the bike well. It is on the tender today and I'll see how it is tonight when I get home. Here is my question: given that the battery is about 5yrs old and died so abruptly do you think a new one is in order? I know, I know I read the post about batteries lasting a decade and many miles and want to believe it. On the other hand I do not want to charge'n go only to get stuck away from home because I stubbornly believed it should last longer. Tried to determine if there had been some sort of drain on it when the key is off but could not see anything. No time this morning the investigate that any futher though.
Ass gas?! Wouldn't that require a custom saddle to be usable? :o
If I were you the first thing that I would do would be to pull the battery out and clean ALL of the connections. See what's what and go from there.
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Replace the battery....it's time. +1 on what Conrad said as well.
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The big problem with poor motorcycle batteries is if they leave you stranded it really sucks. If you don't trust a battery it's a no brainer to replace it, but I would still try the due diligence stuff like cleaning connections etc.
I'm starting to think that some of these bikes might have a slow draw and that's stressing the batteries or some batteries aren't quite right from square one.
If you shut absolutely everything off and pull one lead off the battery, put a meter in between and see if there is any current being drawn.
There should be a little pull from the security system but whether that's enough to make difference I would doubt. The security system should shut off when you break the battery connection though so maybe any current draw would be stray. (just musing out loud) Maybe someone a little more electrically schooled could chime in.
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The big problem with poor motorcycle batteries is if they leave you stranded it really sucks. If you don't trust a battery it's a no brainer to replace it, but I would still try the due diligence stuff like cleaning connections etc.
I'm starting to think that some of these bikes might have a slow draw and that's stressing the batteries or some batteries aren't quite right from square one.
If you shut absolutely everything off and pull one lead off the battery, put a meter in between and see if there is any current being drawn.
There should be a little pull from the security system but whether that's enough to make difference I would doubt. The security system should shut off when you break the battery connection though so maybe any current draw would be stray. (just musing out loud) Maybe someone a little more electrically schooled could chime in.
If someone wants to try this you had better set your ammeter at a higher range, otherwise you'll be replacing fuses in your meter.
Someone tried this a while back. The issue was that initially there is a bit more draw than after 24 hours when the immobilizer goes into standby.
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I've never used a tender on mine and have let it sit for more than a month without starting issues (in the winter).... The blinky red light goes off after 24 hours and the draw goes down considerably after that.
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Any chance you left the lights on? I've done that in a car park, only to find a dead batt. A push start later and its been fine.
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Pulled the battery this morning and found corrosion (white powdery deposits) on the negitive terminal. The faces of the connection, ground wire to battery post, were clean though. There are numbers stamped on the battery that show it was manufactured in over five years ago. Given that the wife's car left us stranded when the six year old battery kicked the bucket and within a month the nine year old battery on my car did the same and both recently I am a bit battery shy. A new battery for the bike will offer piece of mind. There is a weekend long trip on the Connie planned for next weekend and piece of mind away from home will be good.
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Enjoy the trip and piece of mind, I know that feeling.
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Pulled the battery this morning and found corrosion (white powdery deposits) on the negitive terminal. The faces of the connection, ground wire to battery post, were clean though. There are numbers stamped on the battery that show it was manufactured in over five years ago. Given that the wife's car left us stranded when the six year old battery kicked the bucket and within a month the nine year old battery on my car did the same and both recently I am a bit battery shy. A new battery for the bike will offer piece of mind. There is a weekend long trip on the Connie planned for next weekend and piece of mind away from home will be good.
KINDA LIKE THIS?
(http://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u672/MAN_OF_BLUES/old%201/COG%20TECHNICAL%20PHOTOS/2967590240015463693RaqCJR_ph.jpg)
Thats what I found a couple years back. I cleaned all the connections well, scrubbed them shiney, charged the batt on the bench, and re-installed. it lasted a couple more years, and I just bought a new one last fall for my 08' (purchased 7/07).
posting this again, for rapid battery arrival....cheap....
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=12789.msg156993#msg156993 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=12789.msg156993#msg156993)
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The batteries on my '95 Ford were constantly corroding like that. A friend gave me some battery terminal protectant and it works like a charm. It's in a rattle can, made by some obscure company but I'm sure there are many makes.
After cleaning all the connections real well, protect from over spray and give everything a thin coat, both battery and leads, then connect every thing back up. It eventually cures (dries,solidifies,congeals?) so it wont get all over everything but it takes a while.
I'm not sure exactly how it does it but it greatly reduces the corrosion on the connections.
Someone also told me that a poor connection will corrode more than a good connection. If there is any truth to that I couln't say for sure but I tend to ensure my connections are good and clean from the get-go after hearing that.
If you are out buying a new battery get a can of protectant and do it right and maybe the battery woes will dissapear.
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L-o-n-g day at work then off to the dealership for a battery. Likely not the greatest deal but easy and right on the way home. Turn down the street to the dealership and holy cow it's their annual two day super sale! Battery was 15% off. ;D
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The batteries on my '95 Ford were constantly corroding like that. A friend gave me some battery terminal protectant and it works like a charm. It's in a rattle can, made by some obscure company but I'm sure there are many makes.
After cleaning all the connections real well, protect from over spray and give everything a thin coat, both battery and leads, then connect every thing back up. It eventually cures (dries,solidifies,congeals?) so it wont get all over everything but it takes a while.
I'm not sure exactly how it does it but it greatly reduces the corrosion on the connections.
Someone also told me that a poor connection will corrode more than a good connection. If there is any truth to that I couln't say for sure but I tend to ensure my connections are good and clean from the get-go after hearing that.
If you are out buying a new battery get a can of protectant and do it right and maybe the battery woes will dissapear.
+1. I use the CRC
http://m.advanceautoparts.com/mt/shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_battery-terminal-protect-7-5-oz-crc_7071027-p (http://m.advanceautoparts.com/mt/shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_battery-terminal-protect-7-5-oz-crc_7071027-p)
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Yeah, that's the stuff I use. A can will last a long time (like pass it down to your kids). Mine's at least 10 years old and I use it on every piece of machinery and vehicle around here.
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Will have to give it a try when I change my battery but my current terminals are 3 years old and still look like new.
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I'm convinced my bike hates cold weather like I do. I was having a problem with a "low battery" alarm a few times this Winter. I left the bike for a month while I was overseas, and it started right up when I got back, no problem. Just a little bit warmer.
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I'm convinced my bike hates cold weather like I do. I was having a problem with a "low battery" alarm a few times this Winter. I left the bike for a month while I was overseas, and it started right up when I got back, no problem. Just a little bit warmer.
Maybe it missed you and decided that it should behave?
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Maybe it missed you and decided that it should behave?
Very possible - I did give it a brand new rear tire before I left.
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Very possible - I did give it a brand new rear tire before I left.
There you go! All girls appreciate new things.