January 2, 2012 12:52 AM PST
I went to the trailer (Rex's portable garage) to get something and discovered I left the bike ignition on the last time I parked him about a week earlier. The battery was flat dead, I tried to charge the battery overnight with a good charger (not just a tender) and the max I could get it up to was 6 volts. OK, So after a trip to my friendly neighborhood Harley Dealer I returned with a new battery ( and a much lighter wallet, jeeze did they get expensive). All is well now, Rex and I had a great New Years Day ride but I still have a question.
The battery that died was a little over 2 years old and would not recharge. A friend told me he thinks that it is not uncommon that when you totally discharge a Gel-Cell battery they won't recharge. So I ask, has anyone else seen this problem?
January 2, 2012 1:32 AM PST
Cant tell ya about the gel stuff but can tell ya everyone else sells equal to better batteries and all the other goodies far cheaper than a Harley dealer you paid for the name not any better quality thats HD 101.
What did they say at the dealership about the gell battery while you were there ?
January 2, 2012 1:39 AM PST
I have never heard that about Gel-Cell batteries, but in doing some research I did come across this...
Gelled batteries, or "Gel Cells" contain acid that has been "gelled" by the addition of Silica Gel, turning the acid into a solid mass that looks like gooey Jell-O. The advantage of these batteries is that it is impossible to spill acid even if they are broken. However, there are several disadvantages. One is that they must be charged at a slower rate (C/20) to prevent excess gas from damaging the cells. They cannot be fast charged on a conventional automotive charger or they may be permanently damaged.
January 2, 2012 2:59 AM PST
Harley2, I am aware of places to get them cheaper but it was New Years Eve and I wanted to ride both New Years Eve and Day. The only place I could get one quickly was the dealer, plus I had a modest credit balance there which saved me some out of pocket cash.
Ron, that is interesting info, if I had a real garage I would put it on slow charge and see if it eventually recovered but since I don't I will have to leave it go.
January 2, 2012 4:27 AM PST
Have had the same gel battery on my Suzuki C-90 for about three years now. Have run it down to DOA on a couple of occasions and it always comes back to life.
January 2, 2012 6:26 AM PST
Not sure how typical that is, but I do know if those batteries lose their state of charge that they can become damaged permanently and the age of the battery had a lot to do with your situation.
January 2, 2012 7:15 AM PST
Lucky hit on it. If you charge a gel-cell battery too quickly it will melt and vaporize the gel, leave air pockets, and then it will not have the chemical reaction that is needed for the battery to work. I.E. It is junk...
January 3, 2012 2:30 AM PST
AGM batteries are just like flooded lead acid batteries, except the electrolyte is held in the glass mats, as opposed to freely flooding the plates. So when they completely discharge it's hard to put a charge on them... as was stated before if this happens in the future be sure to charge it VERY slowly.
January 3, 2012 3:22 AM PST
It's freaking amazing how humbled I get on this forum. Ya'll got a way of teaching and explaining. No matter how smart I think I am LOL, I get a big dose of reality from time to time.
Peace
January 3, 2012 5:35 AM PST
Thanks to all for clearing this up. Now if I can remember to be sure I turn off the ignition...HA
January 4, 2012 3:29 AM PST
Rex the devil is always in the attention to details:-)
April 1, 2012 2:30 AM PDT
So what is the best kind of battery to buy for a harley motorcycle?
April 1, 2012 3:26 AM PDT
So what is the best kind of battery to buy for a harley motorcycle?
Took a long while perusing, pondering and formulating possible solutions to this question and have come up with the very best answers I could muster in the Best way a Limey can.....
One That Fits? ...or... One That Works? ...or... (and this took all of my time in remembering)
Depending on your schedule of Regular maintenance, the one the factory sent it out with.....
Now dont ask me why this last answer is appropriate but ......My Harley is a '96 ... and it has the same battery it was fitted with when it left York, PA all those years ago...lol...yeah, its the original battery..... I have cleaned it and washed it as many times as the bike has been cleaned-especially around the terminals, small particles that accumulate between the terminals can cause a very slow power outage, if left it can cause damage that when the bike is being ridden can actually cause a short in the circuits...same applies to coils...you weaken the spark by leaving crap (even just a fine coating) between the coil pickups...eventually the bike runs a bit rough-you take it to the dealer or shop-they open your wallet for you-you leave happy that they fixed it for you and the first thing they did WIPED ALL MAIN CONTACTS WITH A RAG!!!!!
I'm sorry, sarcasm seems to be the norm for me where maintenance is concerned!!!
My Bad?
(If It Aint Broke Dont Fix It)
