A Battery Question

[Clark Kent]

A little break for me from the Arena.

I went out to start the old Valkyrie!    Nothing.  No lights no nothing.  Battery reads 12.65V   Finally a few lights come on.  I hit the starter, just a click.

Put the charger on.  No reading on the charger but it is on.  When I hit  the starter with the charger on I get the stutter.


Then I jumped the Valk with the Goldwing and she fired right up.

Dead Cell???  The battery is 9 years old. 

I have been told I was on borrowed time with this battery.  That they do die just like that and strand you wherever your are!  Thank God it was dead in the driveway as the wife and I were going for a 50 mile ride into the mts. 

I'm thinking dead cell and because I'm Clark Kent AKA Superman I was saved by mmmm, luck?   

What say you?  (just about the battery please)   

[Strawboss]

Time to get a new battery, 9 years is a LONG time for a bike battery. I myself like YUASA because they are 100% made and assembled in the USA, at least all the ones I've seen, just me though, lots and lots of choices out there.

[gPink]

Nine years...what a tight-ass. Buy a battery Clark. 

[Son of Pappy]

12.65v?  Sounds like a bad connection to me.  Check ground first, than connection at starter.  If that fails?  Well, ya shoulda bought Silverdammit when ya had the chance

[Clark Kent]

12.65v?  Sounds like a bad connection to me.  Check ground first, than connection at starter.  If that fails?  Well, ya shoulda bought Silverdammit when ya had the chance

You are right.  But I never checked the battery.

[VirginiaJim]

Replace the fob battery as well...

[Rhino]

Definitely sounds like you need a new battery but whenever I hear about a Valkyrie not starting I think of the starter switch. I have rebuilt that switch numerous times on 2 different Valks and 1 VTX (same bad design). The problem is that the switch cuts out the head light to start the bike. No relay to the head light so all the current to the headlight runs through that switch when ever the bike is on. And if you add a light bar connected directly in the headlight bucket it's worse.

What I do is first take the switch apart, clean off the contacts, and very gently and slightly bend the contacts back into position to make a positive connection. Second, install a relay to the headlight and connect the power side directly to the battery and the relay coil to the starter switch. Now only a fraction of the current goes through that switch and it will last a lot longer.

[Rhino]

And Clark, not a big deal but this thread should have been started in:   It's not a Concours.. other Bikes

Just saying...  Definitely don't want to upset Superman.

[gPink]

Don't scare him, he's just venturing out of the arena. Baby steps...

[Rhino]

Don't scare him, he's just venturing out of the arena. Baby steps...

   Exactly why I was hesitant to bring it up.

[Clark Kent]

Replace the fob battery as well...

No fob battery on a 97 Valk.  I'm lucky it not a kick start.  Can you see kicking that 6 Cylinder ?? 

As far  as the right forum I posted in "Open Forum.  The place to chat around a virtual camp fire."   

If you can't talk about a battery or a Valkyrie, why have a virtual campfire.  I figured you guys would all be soused anyway.  That's what a campfire is for!

I am very happy with the many responses I got.  I figured, talking about a battery or Valkyrie (or any bike) would get me kicked out of the  around the campfire.  I figured you guys would all be talking about and looking like this! 

I just glad some helped me with the battery problem.

PS:  Rhino,  I didn't check the starter switch.  However, when I put the charger on the battery it read "0" charge on the meter.  When I put the charger on a good battery it read charging.  Also when I jumped it with my Goldwing battery it started just fine.  Therefore I think it is the battery.  Am I close? 

[VirginiaJim]

I think so..

[Clark Kent]

I think so..

 

                                                                                                 

Big guy with a sword.  If you had been a little more positive, you would have scored a        

See how I worked in a second and 1st place showing to CMA with an administrator!                                                  

[VirginiaJim]

You need to get out more, Clark.

[Rhino]

I agree, definitely the battery from the sound of it. Oh, and welcome to the outside.

[Son of Pappy]

But, the battery had 12.65 volts!  Still say a bad connection somewhere....

[VirginiaJim]

Batteries can show acceptable voltage and not perform under load.  Replaced my daughter's battery in her van the other day that showed acceptable voltage, yet when they checked it at the store, it came up bad.  Kinda like the bad nut in Willy Wonka (Johnny Depp).

[tweeter55]

Check the voltage when it's under load and chances are it goes away.

[Rhino]

But, the battery had 12.65 volts!  Still say a bad connection somewhere....

Always a good idea to clean/check the battery terminals. Labor day weekend my son's FJR had that problem. Cleaned and tightened the battery terminals and it started right up.

If not terminal or battery then starter switch. I've had some experience with 4 different Valkyries. One mine and the others belong to my brothers. Every one of them at one point or another had the starter switch problem I described. But jump starting it would not help that. Therefore battery or battery connections. Connections are easy so try that first.

[Clark Kent]

But, the battery had 12.65 volts!  Still say a bad connection somewhere....

But when I charge it. (charger directly to the battery with no in between connections) it shown "0" charge and the charger is good.

Friday I'm taking the battery in and having it load tested.  Some battery people say a battery with a dead cell will still show a good charge but be deader that dead. 

I will report back on Friday night.  Don't go anywhere.  I know your all watching BHO as I type.