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Message started by ALittlebird on 10/29/08 at 02:25:16

Title: Battery Charging
Post by ALittlebird on 10/29/08 at 02:25:16

Sadie's not happy so I need to get it on the trickle charger tonight. The Clymer's manual says to pull the battery to charge it. Do I have to do that? The garage is pretty cold so bringing it in to charge might be better but I wasn't sure. And there is no light in there either. At least my apartment has a garage - most don't.

This is my first time dealing with the battery. A battery virgin as some might say. :)

Anything weird about removal I should know that the Clymers doesn't tell you?

Title: Re: Battery Charging
Post by Roadrunner17 on 10/29/08 at 03:58:40

The issue is figuring a way to connect up the terminals without removing the thing. Being so tight in the battery case there is no obvious, reliable way to hook it up without causing a short. If anyone has figured out a way to do that let us all know.

Since I use mine as a daily commuter (=short rides 1-3mi) repeated starts, not enough running time to fully recharge the battery, I've had battery issues too. I'd like to know if there's a more powerful alternator to recharge the unit faster. Just a dream.

Title: Re: Battery Charging
Post by Bleemus on 10/29/08 at 04:22:09

Get a battery tender. It has small leads that stay on the battery and they go to a small plug that the tender plugs into when needed.

This is the one I have and it works great.

http://www.batterytender.com/default.php?cPath=11_3

Title: Re: Battery Charging
Post by bill67 on 10/29/08 at 04:35:18

You can charge it without taking it out,put the red clamp on positive the black on a motor fin,if it doesn't charge up you might need water then you have to take it out,Distilled water

Title: Re: Battery Charging
Post by ALittlebird on 10/29/08 at 14:15:49

Thanks guys! Ive got a trickle charger that I borrowed so I'll try that tonight and see if I can get to work tomorrow. I'll probably invest in a batterytender to get through the winter. We usually don't have that many days when I can ride. But then I'm a cold weather person. Just need to keep my hands warm and I'm good.

Off to attach the charger!

Title: Re: Battery Charging
Post by Jack_650 on 10/29/08 at 20:05:16

Or - you can do what I did. I installed a 12 volt socket on the frame under the left side of the seat. It's connected to the battery all the time, would be very hard to short out and can be used to keep your cell phone charged (with a small inverter) when you're trippin'.

Then I took some battery clips from an old battery charger, a male 12 volt socket and about six feet of 12 gauge or so speaker wire and made a "jumper" cable. Now I can jump start the bike (not needed since the new battery), run a low draw inverter and have a cable I can leave plugged into the bike and clip the leads of my battery charger to give the battery a hit once in a while during the winter months up here in southern MN.

Jack

Title: Re: Battery Charging
Post by Reelthing on 10/29/08 at 21:49:53

68555B5E484F54545F480B0D3A0 wrote:

I'd like to know if there's a more powerful alternator to recharge the unit faster. Just a dream.

It seems yes - this company carries two - the G09 is stock rated and the G109 is 30% more output they claim -

http://www.electrexworld.co.uk/

Title: Re: Battery Charging
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 10/30/08 at 01:48:22

If the battery has had no obvious "Ooops" discharged accidently & its just low, Might be a good idea to chack the water level, IMO. You know how old it is & all the details about it. Maybe its okay, just a thiught

Title: Re: Battery Charging
Post by ALittlebird on 10/30/08 at 01:53:00

I set up the charger like Bill 67 suggested so I'll see if it worked this morning. Turns out what was in my friend's saddle bag was a battery tender. At least I could get to the positive end of the battery without having to take the whole thing apart. Makes it much easier to gt going in the morning.

Thanks Jack - I remembered there was someone that had it rigged to make it easier. Although all I had to do was take of the tool box cover and I had enough room to get to the battery. The Honda sitting in my garage is another matter. I'll have to see if I can get the other battery and get it dropped in. I don't want to store someone else's motorcycle for the next 6 months. Riding it occasionally it fine but the garage is small and ther eis no room left with that big Shadow in there.

Title: Re: Battery Charging
Post by ALittlebird on 10/30/08 at 01:57:29

4D5254534E4978487840525E15270 wrote:

I didn't ride it for 4 days which it doesn't like. The morning I went to ride it to work the temperature had dropped from the 60s to the 30s overnight. I think it's just being balky since the Honda did the same thing. I will get the battery checked this weekend though.

Title: Re: Battery Charging
Post by Jack_650 on 10/30/08 at 09:20:23

Your welcome Bird. I know it's easy to get to the battery for basic hook-ups. It's just that ever time I "need" to get in there I'm short on time and long on hurry. This way I don't even have to bend over or sit down.

I said left side under the seat for the 12 volt adapter when I meant right side. My oops. There's more room for it on the right (in my set-up) AND it's a bit farther away from the fuel lines. No need pushing your luck with gas and electricity I always say.

You can mount them pretty much anywhere you wanted to. Mine is one I got from an auto parts store. It has a couple slots for screws to mount it to the underside of a car dash or whatever. I just used two heavy duty nylon slip-lock ties to strap it to the frame using the screw holes. That way I can move it around a little on the frame if needed. It really is a handy little mod.

Everyone should do it and then give me the credit for the idea. Then I can be on my way to legend status like Sluggo and John and Lancer and Verslagen and Rob. And maybe even Oldfeller.

Jack

Title: Re: Battery Charging
Post by John on 10/30/08 at 11:00:10

A mod I've done to all my bikes is to fit what we call a "pig tail" to the battery positive terminal. It'll take about an hour to fit and will only cost you a short length of heavier gauge wire..say 6mm..and a 4 inch length of fuel hose.

You need to run the wire out of the battery case and tie wrap it to the bikes frame..say the frame on the right between the seat and the fuel tank.

Bare back about an inch of the wires sleeving to expose the conductor. Slip a length of about 4 inch fuel hose over it ..to prevent it shorting against the frame. The hose should be a snug fit over the cable to ensure that it does not slide off on its own.

Finally connect the other end of the wire to the battery positive terminal..or join it to the battery positive line where its convenient.

Now if you want to charge up your battery simply remove the fuel hose and clip the battery chargers positive lead to the bared wire then clip the chargers negative clip to a suitable earth...say for example a starter motor mounting bolt.

Likewise if you suffer from a flat battery connect the jump leads as you would the battery charger leads....hence the reason for fitting a heavier cable since if using jump leads the cable will have to carry starter motor current.

If doing this mod run the cable first and bare its end and slide on the fuel hose then finally connect it to the battery positive terminal..you don't want sparks flying whilst running the cable.

A flat battery always happens at the wrong time...it takes just a minute to expose the bare wire and clip on a set of jump leads. Access to the Savages battery is a bit of a pain and fiddly at the best of times. If you store the bike for long its no hassle to just clip on those charger leads every few weeks.

I've found this to be a very simple/cheap and easy to use mod...hope you find it so...

Cheers...Connor.

Title: Re: Battery Charging
Post by sakara on 10/30/08 at 11:36:56

Excellent. I'll be doing that mod this weekend with your advice.

Title: Re: Battery Charging
Post by ALittlebird on 10/30/08 at 18:19:56

012A2820147D7E7B4B0 wrote:

I knew you meant left side. It was just t hat old dyslexia setting in - happens to me all the time.

The bike started up fine this morning with the battery tender. I'll see how it does tomorrow morning. We did warm up again here and it's going to be in the 70s tomorrow. Go figure.

I great suggestion though for the winter since I didn't get Sadie until March I don't know how she will do in the real winter. Although it's usually pretty mild here. Maybe a week of bad weather but not much else. Our garages are kind of cold though so it might prove difficult to start anyway.

Sat I will have the battery checked to see if it is good. My assumption is that they put in a mew one when they put in the new engine prior to selling it to me. I of course should not assume anything.

Thanks again everyone.