[IslandBike]

Brand new 2012 ABS model, and after a handful of 45 - 60 minute rides, it wouldn't start. Some juice in the battery, the lights come on somewhat dimly, but the starter only weakly turns over a few times. Put the Battery Tender Jr. on it, it appears to be charging, lights come up a bit more, but the battery even after 36 hours on the tender still can't fully light the lights nor turn over the starter more than just a few times (a lot of light dimming as it tries).

Since everything else seemed to work well while running, and even on the Tender there's almost no sign of the battery taking a regular charge, do you think a new CBR shipped with a bad battery? I've seen other threads where there was a fundamental electrical problem but this sounds like the battery itself is at fault.

Love the bike. I'd like to ride it again sometime!

 

[Aufitt]

Ask your dealer if they charged it properly at Pre-delivery, if they didnt the battery will die..

 

[jkv357]

Head back to the dealer and explain the problem. They could load-test the battery to confirm, but I'd expect they would just replace it.

 

[somebody5788]

Check to make sure they tightened the battery cables under the seat correctly. Sometimes a loose cable can do the same thing as a bad battery.

 

[IslandBike]

Thanks for the comments, all.

Ordered an inexpensive Scorpion battery ($35, free express shipping, allegedly factory spec) to put in myself so I can get something with a charge long enough to get it to the dealer. If it is a battery fault, I'll have the dealer cut me a deal on labor for replacing the stock tires and if there's some other electrical issue, hey, I'll have two batteries. Already popped the seat to make sure that the leads were attached correctly, that the Battery Tender leads were applied correctly, etc. I'll Tender the battery on arrival to a full charge, and once that's done I'll Tender the stock battery out of the bike to see if it will take a charge without any chance for parasitic drain (sounds painful) from the system itself.

I'll update this with the new battery report early next week.

 

[woolf]

been there done that I'm on my 2nd battery under warranty which went dead after leving the heated grips on over nite. now it is on a tender and no sign of going dead

 

[250 Tom]

Ask your dealer if they charged it properly at Pre-delivery, if they didnt the battery will die..

Vary true happened to me. Died the day i picked it up had to bring it back so they could correctly put a full charge in the battery. Have not had a problem sence then.

 

[IslandBike]

Update 3/12/12

Received a factory-spec replacement battery, Scorpion brand, from Batteryplus.com. 35 dollars with free express shipping. I put it on the Battery Tender Jr. to check it on arrival, immediately went into the "just topping it off" mode, so it came well charged. A bit of a pain to do installation - it's cramped in there! - but after everything was put together the bike started up no sweat. The old battery is out, back on the Tender for now in case there was some possible issue with a drain in the bike preventing it from charging - not likely - and I'm taking it to the shop when the bike goes in for the 600 mile shakedown checkup. Starting tomorrow the new battery goes on the tender each evening, the old battery would not take a charge there, so if this one stays topped off every night I'll know it was just a bad battery.

I'll keep you posted.

 

[IslandBike]

Update

New battery works just fine, holding charge well, getting charged both via the tender and also when riding. The other battery just spun into the ground never taking charge via either route. I'll take the factory battery to the shop when we do the 600 mile checkup.

 

[jkv357]

New battery works just fine, holding charge well, getting charged both via the tender and also when riding. The other battery just spun into the ground never taking charge via either route. I'll take the factory battery to the shop when we do the 600 mile checkup.

Are you constantly charging the battery on a tender when parked? If so, I wouldn't.

There are other issues you may be covering up by constant charging. It should be able to sit for a least a week and start right up without being on a tender or needing charging if everything is correct.


Jay

 

[Principle]

FYI normally you can throw your battery in the car run to the dealer and swap it out...new bikes bad batteries can happen and they should take care of it. They will also want to inspect your bike as a short may be draining your battery.

 

[IslandBike]

good points.

Regarding covering up some other issue, you're absolutely right, I did leave it for a few days with no tender just to see what was going on, turned on lights for a few minutes each day to drain it some. After all of that it still started with no trouble, and after my rides the tender shows that it's either at charge or awfully close if after a short ride. The poor stock battery was done after one week and just a few 30-45 minute rides. Couldn't take a charge from the bike, wouldn't charge either in or out of the bike on the tender. I'm going to have them do a full diagnostic, of course, when I take it in, but so far it looks and sounds like a battery issue.

About running the battery over by car to the shop - the "island"part of my name is literal, it's a ferry-boat ride and about 30 minutes by car to the shop - I don't take a car to my job in Seattle, that's what I have the bike for!!

great rides over the weekend and hey, sunshine and mid 50s coming up for this weekend. Thanks for the tips and thoughts everyone.

 

[jaldridge]

You can leave the battery on a high tech charger like the CTEK. It'll cut off as necessary.


Sent from my Motorcycle iPhone app

 

[Pete]

I don't put my bike up for the winter and in bad weather it might go 5 weeks without being ridden. Always starts right up on the first try. I don't use a battery tender.