Battery Problem

muckybill · Oct 19, 2006

Well not so much a problem with the battery more a problem with too many starts and the generator not keeping up with recharging.
This has occurred twice and normally I have no trouble from the bike.
On both occasions this has happened on the same terrain in the Highlands of Scotland, loads of stop stars (a lot of falling off and stopping to help others) and being totally worn out finding it easier to press the button than kick starting.
Eventually the battery gave up and it just would not start on the kicker, we all had a go. With daylight fast disappearing the bike was left to be retrieved the next day (it is not good for the family jewels riding on the back of a DRZ400 with no pillion foot pegs).
The next day it still would not kick start but when the battery was fully charged it kicked over first time.

Does the ignition require assistance from the battery or should it kick start start without a fully charged battery?

I am thinking of fitting a second battery (charged by my Optimate) that can be switched into the circuit incase I have this problem again.
If I had a second battery and the first goes flat, when switching to the second will I have to isolate the first or will the engine turn with both batteries connected in parallel?
Or should I try a higher capacity battery and hope it will last/

Bill

bigbob · Oct 19, 2006

how old is the battery? maybe need a new one.

which I did on my Husky at 1 year ownership....there came a time when even my nightly battery charger indicated it was full but still it discharged all its power in like two starts. SO I took the battery to a shop and they load tested it and told me it was a dead dog. I bought a new battery and all was well againl. The on bike charging system on a husky is known, at least by hearsay, as weak.

My Husaberg stock battery is now 8 months old and is doing well

muckybill · Oct 19, 2006

Thanks for the reply Bob

The battery is the original now 15 months old.
This is the second time with the problem the first time the bike and battery was only 3 months old. I have had a load test on it and all seems fine I just don`t think the charging system can keep up with repeated starting in a shortish period.
I am still thinking of a second battery, just wondering what the wise men on this site think.
Also crossed my mind to fit a volt meter to see when it is safe to press the button or when it is time to use the kick start.

Bill

bigbob · Oct 19, 2006

do you kick start the bike cold? I do mine, two reasons, assuming as it seems tthat cold starts take more juice

1.) was told the Husaberg starters have been weak teethed in the past and save your starter for the regular not cold starts.

2.) Also I know from experience starting my husky cold then talking with friends waiting for them then turning my bike off then starting again before putting miles on was draining the battery. Start the bike once and ride dont start twice/ three times in the stage area before you ride.

3.) the neat thing is the Husabergs kick start so easliy. My Husky was a bear to kick start.

good luck with your other ideas

supertireguy · Oct 19, 2006

Unless you can ride uninterrupted for hours at a time it's very difficult for the bike charging system to fully recharge a whooped battery. Run down batteries really need a good overnight charge with a battery tender to fully recover.

If the battery still acts weak after an overnight charge then it could be trouble and a load test would be in order.

After that it could be new battery time. Either that or try to improve your kick starting skills.

LeFrog · Oct 19, 2006

You do not tell us if you have an FE or anything with a headlight, but I would suspect this is where the biggest drain takes place.

One thing I am about to do myself is install a switch to turn off the headlight for my daytime riding. You can still turn it on while riding at night or on the road, or even on crowded larger trails.

I would suspect this makes the difference.

Chas · Oct 19, 2006

muckybill said:
Does the ignition require assistance from the battery or should it kick start start without a fully charged battery?

The engine should be capable of kick starting regardless of the charge condition of the battery.

ferret · Oct 19, 2006

RE: Re: Battery Problem

ODYSSEY PC1300 is your friend. 310cca instead of the standard 60.

oh yeah the bike should run with no battery at all. My fe400 does. If not you have ignition issues.

hope that helps.

LeFrog · Oct 19, 2006

RE: Re: Battery Problem

Odyssey claims their batteries have a "burst" of CCAs, and claims outrageous numbers for motorcycle batteries.

I doubt the 310 CCAs claim. I visited a couple Web sites that showed the YTZ7S with more CCAs.

And no, a battery is not required to kick start a Berg. Or else the FCs would never start.

muckybill · Oct 21, 2006

Thanks for all the replies guys.

Should have mentioned the bike is a FE450 and the headlight is not hard wired on this bike so not running with lights on. BUT at the start of the day it was pea soup fog and we all ran lights so as to keep in touch. This could have been the start of my battery blues.
When the battery was flat I checked that there was a spark at the plug and all looked good. Looks like I will have to practice my technique kick starting from hot. At the start of the day I can kick from cold but as the day goes on and being tired that little button is usually first option.

I love riding this bike and a wee problem from the battery is not going to put me off.
I think the best solution may be to fit a higher capacity battery and keep it on the Optimate and do a few more kick starts (practice makes perfect).

Bill

LeFrog · Oct 21, 2006

What battery do you currently have? The YTZ7S is what everybody recommends. Also heard about the Cyclon and the Odissey batteries as being good choices, but more expensive. The Yuasa costs around 100 bucks.

muckybill · Oct 22, 2006

Bike fitted with standard YTZ7S.
I will take a look at the Cyclon & Odissey batteries. Also heard good things about hawker batteries but they are silly money.

Bill

LeFrog · Oct 22, 2006

The Odissey PC310 also costs double what the Yuasa costs. Still haven't found anybody who shelled $200+ for such a battery when such amount can be spent on more important items.

Johnf3 · Oct 23, 2006

muckybill said:
Thanks for all the replies guys.

Should have mentioned the bike is a FE450 and the headlight is not hard wired on this bike so not running with lights on. BUT at the start of the day it was pea soup fog and we all ran lights so as to keep in touch. This could have been the start of my battery blues.

Bill

I assume your Husaberg is a 2004 or up (and stock), which means that it has the Kokusan ignition. If so, the lights are powered by AC and the battery charging circuit of course is DC. This means that operating your lights will have no effect on how the battery charges.

Frequent stops/starts will discharge the battery, as you found out. The best thing to do, as others have said, is to make sure you start out with a fully-charged battery at the beginning.

In the morning to help with cold starts, or when your battery begins to get weak, here is a tip: use the kick starter lever AND the e-start at the same time--makes it easy to kick and it will start first try.

muckybill · Oct 23, 2006

Johnf3

use the kick starter lever AND the e-start at the same time

What a great idea

I will give that a go next time out.
I new some body would come up with something different.

Bill

LeFrog · Oct 23, 2006

Using both does not work. Yes, I have tried.

Johnf3 · Oct 23, 2006

LeFrog said:
Using both does not work. Yes, I have tried.

Maybe not for you...I wouldn't have posted it if I hadn't done it numerous times.

LeFrog · Oct 23, 2006

Johnf3 said:
LeFrog said:

Using both does not work. Yes, I have tried.

Click to expand...

Maybe not for you...I wouldn't have posted it if I hadn't done it numerous times.

Good for you. How do you do that? Seems too complicated for me...

Johnf3 · Oct 23, 2006

LeFrog said:
Johnf3 said:

LeFrog said:

Using both does not work. Yes, I have tried.

Click to expand...

Maybe not for you...I wouldn't have posted it if I hadn't done it numerous times.

Click to expand...

Good for you. How do you do that? Seems too complicated for me...

Kick w/ left leg, press 'lil red button w/right thumb, simultaneously?

LeFrog · Oct 23, 2006

Sounds too complicated to me.

Now, even if the headlight is on the AC, if it is on, then there should be less power to recharge the battery.

My guess is that if you disconnect the headlights, your battery will be recharged properly.

That should be even more true with a pre-04.

Battery Problem

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