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Posted by Troll
 - September 16, 2013, 08:05:54 AM

The relay is the under the right side cover, towards the rear and should have a pretty beefy cable attached. The relay also houses the main fuse. The starter motor is between the front of the engine and the lower part of the radiator. This design uses a relay for current switching, and a roller clutch on the starter that is constantly engaged, but freewheels when the engine is running...it has no "solenoid" in the automotive sense of the word. Check for loose main cable at the starter, and the relay,  but there is also a ground wire from the battery to the frame to the engine. If the ground cable is loose at either connection, you will get a significant power loss. Putting power from your battery with a jumper cable, directly into the terminal on the starter will get the motor to crank the engine. The starter relay does this for you at the push of  button

Posted by greenbarn
 - September 16, 2013, 07:43:03 AM

Not positive on the 1500.  On my 800 its in the front, under and behind the lower radiator mount, right next to the road - = subject to corrosion.  It looks like a small electric motor.

Posted by DC
 - September 16, 2013, 07:09:01 AM
Quote from: chief on September 15, 2013, 19:06:14 PM

It sounds like it might be a power connection problem.

Quote from: greenbarn on September 15, 2013, 20:53:55 PM

Sounds like you most certainly have a connection problem.

If you have 14.5 running, then the battery is charging (i.e. your charging system is working).

If you have 12.5-13 V not running and/or disconnected, then that indicates a charged battery (but not necessarily a GOOD battery)

You need to check the connections on the starter.  You could have a loose wire, or corrosion problem.  Look for a connection that looks like it's been hot - discoloration, melted plastic, etc.

Dumb question, but how do I get to where that's connected?  Do I have to remove any side covers?
Posted by greenbarn
 - September 15, 2013, 20:55:24 PM

Say,....   what's the odds of a guy calling himself "DC", having a battery problem??

Must be a guy on a refrigerator forum going by "AC" having a wiring problem, I suppose...   ::)

Posted by greenbarn
 - September 15, 2013, 20:53:55 PM

Sounds like you most certainly have a connection problem.

If you have 14.5 running, then the battery is charging (i.e. your charging system is working).

If you have 12.5-13 V not running and/or disconnected, then that indicates a charged battery (but not necessarily a GOOD battery)

You need to check the connections on the starter.  You could have a loose wire, or corrosion problem.  Look for a connection that looks like it's been hot - discoloration, melted plastic, etc.

Posted by DC
 - September 15, 2013, 19:16:17 PM

It's almost the same exact battery that was in there to begin with, spec'd as an upgrade to the stock battery.

The original was a Yuasa YTX20CH-BS.  The replacement was the Motorpsort version of the Yuasa. 

Posted by chief
 - September 15, 2013, 19:06:14 PM

 I'm assuming you purchased an appropriately spec'd battery.

If it was on the tender, it would have to be a massive parasitic power drain to exceed the charging capacity of the tender - or a problem with the connection. It sounds like it might be a power connection problem.

http://www.vulcandrifterriders.com/drifterparts.html

Posted by DC
 - September 15, 2013, 18:55:05 PM

So here's the latest . . . . .

The new battery was completely charged as of Friday.  Before I pulled the old battery out, I took some readings as follows:

OLD BATTERY

- Bike not running = 12.82v

- Bike running = 14.34v - 14.46v

- Disconnected from bike = 13.16v

Then I installed the new battery.

NEW BATTERY

- Bike running = 14.5v

After installing, I started it up without any click, click, click, and it was off and running.  So I took the bike for a good healthy ride, to give it some exercise.  Again, this was Friday.

Saturday I did not run the bike, but kept it on the Battery Tender Plus(tm) overnight.

Sunday morning, I go to take it for a ride.  Press the starter, then click, click, click.  It did not start.  Pressed it again, then a couple of clicks and it turned over fine.

So now it's not a battery problem?   ???

Posted by kw-retrorider
 - September 15, 2013, 17:27:56 PM

All good info above, but will add this:
- don't have pigtails for charging the battery in place, but agree they should be shielded(covered) when not in use, so they do not drain the battery.
- the easiest thing to do when you suspect the battery(and I do) is to try to charge it, like you did....after that, take it out and take it somewhere that they can put a load check on it....auto zone, battery warehouse, etc.
- while it's out...batteries are marked with date of manufacture...if it's older than you think...it's probably done....if it drops a cell (which it can do without warning), regardless of the reason..it's also done.
Look forward to a good result....

Posted by chief
 - September 15, 2013, 13:38:42 PM

The Battery Tender will charge AND store the battery, so you don't have to worry about overcharging etc. You can leave it on all the time if you want. That's what I do in the winter when there are  weeks between rides.

Posted by DC
 - September 13, 2013, 11:44:56 AM

Okay, I just found this on the Battery Tender site.

"In calendar year 1999, Deltran introduced the Battery Tender® Plus into the marketplace. The main reason was that many more AGM style lead acid batteries were being used in a variety of power sports engine start applications. Many of the answers to the following questions directed at the Batter Tender Plus battery charger also apply to the original Battery Tender® battery charger as well as other chargers from Deltran in the Battery Tender® product line."

So I should be fine with charging it on that.

I came home from the root canal and it was still charging. After having some relaxing beverages, I checked it again right before I turned in for the evening.  At that point, it was about 80% charged according to the blinking green light.  So I decided to just leave it on overnight.  This morning I checked on it, and it was fully charged.  So I pulled the power on the charger.  When I get home from work today, I'll pull the old battery, put the new one in, and hope for the best.

Posted by DC
 - September 12, 2013, 07:38:48 AM
Quote from: Troll on September 11, 2013, 18:08:28 PM

It's not the voltage, per se that will kill the battery, it's amperage. The battery charger will only put out what the battery will accept. When I used a standard car charger for motorcycle batteries, I put a tail light bulb in series with the battery. It doesn't matter which terminal you choose, the bulb will act as a damper for the current. A side benefit is that the bulb will almost be out when the charge is complete....

I decided to put it on the Battery Tender Plus.  The label on the battery says to charge it 1.2-2 amps for 5-10 hours.   hmmm . . . kinda broad range there.  I put it on last night until I had to go to bed.  I didn't want to leave it on overnight.  So when I took it off, after 4 hours, the red light was steady and the green light was blinking.  When I get home from work today, I'll put it on the tender to charge again.  Then I have to go out to the butcher for my follow up  root canal appointment.  Sorry, I meant dentist..  By the time I get back, the battery should be fully charged.  We'll see what happens.

I'm going to take readings from the old battery.  First, just sitting there, then with the bike running, if the bike will even start again.  Then I'll pull it and put the new battery in and we'll see what happens.  This is all assuming I'm in a sane state after this second root canal appointment.  The first one didn't go so well.  I've had a few of them in the past, and they were tolerable, but this last one, last month, was over the top.  So I'm telling the guy to gas me this time.  I told him last time when things were going horribly wrong half way through, when he hit an unknown raw exposed nerve that I should have been gassed ahead of time.

Posted by DC
 - September 11, 2013, 21:34:01 PM
Quote from: CDNRatMan on September 11, 2013, 19:41:22 PM

DC if you had a double twist 'stach this would not have happened......

I'm guessing I would be able to use the 'stachy as a shunt.  I'm thinking when I glue on my Fu-Manchu, I can hook the charging cables to either side, just sit there in the lounge chair, and charge myself up for the day.
Posted by CDNRatMan
 - September 11, 2013, 19:41:22 PM

   DC if you had a double twist 'stach this would not have happened......

Posted by 49Reo
 - September 11, 2013, 19:31:26 PM
Quote from: Troll on September 11, 2013, 18:08:28 PM

It's not the voltage, per se that will kill the battery, it's amperage. The battery charger will only put out what the battery will accept. When I used a standard car charger for motorcycle batteries, I put a tail light bulb in series with the battery. It doesn't matter which terminal you choose, the bulb will act as a damper for the current. A side benefit is that the bulb will almost be out when the charge is complete....

......now that's good intel....learn something new every day.

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