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f4fast
Friend of the Board
Joined: Jul 09, 2005
Posts: 24693
Location: Long Island,N.Y.
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Posted:
Wed Oct 03, 2018 5:36 pm |
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My Black 750 was out of commission for a month or so after a fall off the kickstand that took out two directionals and a clutch lever...
After one directional wasn't sent in my Honda order ,I was vacationing and didn't get to reorder and reassemble and just rode other bikes..
Well I got it together on a Saturday and it cranked slowly even though I thought it was fully charged as it was on the Battery tender as usual..I figured the plug came loose as I stepped past the wire in the garage and made sure it was charging (tender showed green) and planned to use the bike the next morning for a group ride.
That morning after the wife and me got our stuff together and I pushed the bikes outside the garage and resumed getting ready to go....
Time to leave and I push the button and it cranks slow as shit but starts and I see the headlight get brighter as it revs so I reluctantly take the bike anyway as I was looking forward to riding it.
We leave and head out east to the eastern tip of the Island in Orient point. We stopped several times and the battery cranked slow as shit but started the bike 4 more times.
Today I switched the battery out and looked at my maintenance records and found my last entry for battery replacement was 7/2007......(I now write the change date in sharpie on every battery and light-bulb I own in everything AA, D , 9v, everything )
I thought I fucked up and forgot to make an entry to reflect a more recent change ...Till I looked at the Battery itself and the decal punchouts said FEB and 7...
Holy shit, this battery lasted 11 years and 11K miles!
I can't believe it! Could I have made a mistake? |
_________________ 1983 cb1100f (blue)
1980 cb750f original owner (black) |
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smoked21
Twinstar
Joined: Nov 24, 2008
Posts: 172
Location: shreveport
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Posted:
Wed Oct 03, 2018 6:18 pm |
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Damn,That means I only got 2 more years.Big Cranks are Bad Ass |
_________________ Please do not feed the Idiots,They wont go away |
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BlueThunder
Red CB1100F
Joined: Jun 12, 2006
Posts: 9236
Location: Sarasota, Florida
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Posted:
Thu Oct 04, 2018 3:01 am |
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For me, Big Cranks last 8 years. They are well worth the money! I also write the replacement date with a Sharpie on the battery. Its an excellent tip. |
_________________ ... Brian
2014 CTX1300A - Black Thunder aka Predator
1980 CB750F - Blue Thunder
1977 GL1000 - Ox |
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PGSmick
CB1100F
Joined: Nov 04, 2004
Posts: 2437
Location: Newton, MA
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Posted:
Thu Oct 04, 2018 2:33 pm |
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My current Big Crank is the only one in recent memory that has lasted even two years. I have had many, many others go flat sooner than that. Autozone used to give me $10 back on every battery I brought them. They also make really good shop bookends. |
_________________ Peter.
1100 X 2 & 750
"Once you know how it's supposed to work, you can almost always figure out why it doesn't."
Gadgets: Fixed By Smicks |
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BlueThunder
Red CB1100F
Joined: Jun 12, 2006
Posts: 9236
Location: Sarasota, Florida
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Posted:
Thu Oct 04, 2018 3:08 pm |
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PGSmick wrote: |
My current Big Crank is the only one in recent memory that has lasted even two years. I have had many, many others go flat sooner than that. Autozone used to give me $10 back on every battery I brought them. They also make really good shop bookends. |
Peter, there is something that is being done wrong. Even standard lead acid batteries last 3 years (for me). Do you bring them in during the winter? Do you leave them in a discharged state for an extended period of time?
I was looking for bookends for my shop manuals. I will use your suggestion on using dead batteries. But I will need to wait for at least another 5 years... |
_________________ ... Brian
2014 CTX1300A - Black Thunder aka Predator
1980 CB750F - Blue Thunder
1977 GL1000 - Ox |
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swede0030
Twinstar
Joined: Feb 14, 2011
Posts: 253
Location: Hillsborough, NC
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Posted:
Fri Oct 05, 2018 11:02 am |
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I’m very disappointed with BIG CRANK! My bikes are always on a Battery Tender Plus, correct charger for AGM batteries.
BMW K1200GT - 22 months - failed
CB1100f F - 29 months - failed
CB900F - 16 months - failing
Amazon:
Yuasa YUAM62H4L YTX14AHL-BS Battery has given me great service! |
_________________ Jim
82 CB900F black
83 CB1100F Red |
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basmn
Silver CB900F
Joined: May 03, 2006
Posts: 1146
Location: Northumberland Ontario
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Posted:
Fri Oct 05, 2018 12:32 pm |
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I have never put my batteries on tenders. I found them to slowly boil them and shorten there life. I remove them for winter storage , charge them and put them in the basement...in the spring i charge them and re install....never had an issue and i get long life from them.
BTW...i use a smart charger. |
_________________ 81 750F stock
83 1100F stock
08 FZ1
03 YZF R6 track only
XR100 pit special
CRF 230F
2014 Kodiak 450 for the wife (:
2018 Polaris 570..for me.. |
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PGSmick
CB1100F
Joined: Nov 04, 2004
Posts: 2437
Location: Newton, MA
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Posted:
Fri Oct 05, 2018 1:34 pm |
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BlueThunder wrote: |
Peter, there is something that is being done wrong. Even standard lead acid batteries last 3 years (for me). Do you bring them in during the winter? Do you leave them in a discharged state for an extended period of time?
I was looking for bookends for my shop manuals. I will use your suggestion on using dead batteries. But I will need to wait for at least another 5 years... |
I ride most of the winter so I never really take the battery out of service. It stays connected to the bike inside the garage which never gets much below 40. I have tried keeping the battery on a tender anytime it is not used, and I have also tried putting it on a tender only when it seems to be needed. Neither approach made a lot of difference. AFAIK the battery is not standing for any length of time in a low state of charge. I think my pattern of use is probably hard on the battery: I have a 10-15 minute commute in traffic with at least one start at each end. And often there is no longer ride in between commutes. In the colder months, the starts tend to be long and difficult.
In any case, my symptoms are that after some months--up to a couple of years, say--the battery just fails to hold charge.
I have simply resigned myself to renewing my bookends every couple of years! |
_________________ Peter.
1100 X 2 & 750
"Once you know how it's supposed to work, you can almost always figure out why it doesn't."
Gadgets: Fixed By Smicks |
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DonR
CB1100F
Joined: Feb 17, 2009
Posts: 2110
Location: Oz
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Posted:
Fri Oct 05, 2018 1:56 pm |
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Five and a half years of cranking 1123cc's out of mine so far. Plenty to go it seems. |
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genesound
Red CB1100F
Joined: Feb 20, 2006
Posts: 11926
Location: Studio City, California
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Posted:
Fri Oct 05, 2018 3:06 pm |
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PGSmick wrote: |
BlueThunder wrote: |
Peter, there is something that is being done wrong. Even standard lead acid batteries last 3 years (for me). Do you bring them in during the winter? Do you leave them in a discharged state for an extended period of time?
I was looking for bookends for my shop manuals. I will use your suggestion on using dead batteries. But I will need to wait for at least another 5 years... |
I ride most of the winter so I never really take the battery out of service. It stays connected to the bike inside the garage which never gets much below 40. I have tried keeping the battery on a tender anytime it is not used, and I have also tried putting it on a tender only when it seems to be needed. Neither approach made a lot of difference. AFAIK the battery is not standing for any length of time in a low state of charge. I think my pattern of use is probably hard on the battery: I have a 10-15 minute commute in traffic with at least one start at each end. And often there is no longer ride in between commutes. In the colder months, the starts tend to be long and difficult.
In any case, my symptoms are that after some months--up to a couple of years, say--the battery just fails to hold charge.
I have simply resigned myself to renewing my bookends every couple of years! |
Peter, I think you're on to something. I've always thought that charging systems on these bikes aren't particularly good for battery longevity. Everyone wants a smart charger, trickle charger or a 2 amp charger to baby their battery, but the charging system on the bike is anything but a trickle charger when it's working properly. |
_________________
We don\'t see things as they are
we see things as we are
Viton Valve Stem Seals
12.9 Cam Holder Bolts
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BlueThunder
Red CB1100F
Joined: Jun 12, 2006
Posts: 9236
Location: Sarasota, Florida
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Posted:
Fri Oct 05, 2018 3:15 pm |
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Peter and Jim,
Even though its only two instances, but it has the making of a pattern. Keeping the AGM batteries on a tender charger may be the thing that is killing the battery. I never put mine on a tender. I charge with an AGM charger (2A smart charger over night) at the start of the season and when I put it away in a heated basement for the winter. That's it! I have never had the Big Crank on my F bikes, or the GoldWing fail to start during the season. |
_________________ ... Brian
2014 CTX1300A - Black Thunder aka Predator
1980 CB750F - Blue Thunder
1977 GL1000 - Ox |
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basmn
Silver CB900F
Joined: May 03, 2006
Posts: 1146
Location: Northumberland Ontario
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Posted:
Fri Oct 05, 2018 3:19 pm |
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I believe that slow charging AGM batteries is the proper and only way. These things do not appreciate fast charging. |
_________________ 81 750F stock
83 1100F stock
08 FZ1
03 YZF R6 track only
XR100 pit special
CRF 230F
2014 Kodiak 450 for the wife (:
2018 Polaris 570..for me.. |
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f4fast
Friend of the Board
Joined: Jul 09, 2005
Posts: 24693
Location: Long Island,N.Y.
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Posted:
Fri Oct 05, 2018 3:54 pm |
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BlueThunder wrote: |
Peter and Jim,
Even though its only two instances, but it has the making of a pattern. Keeping the AGM batteries on a tender charger may be the thing that is killing the battery. I never put mine on a tender. I charge with an AGM charger (2A smart charger over night) at the start of the season and when I put it away in a heated basement for the winter. That's it! I have never had the Big Crank on my F bikes, or the GoldWing fail to start during the season. |
Battery tender plus is an updated unit that charges AGM batteries properly....
I've had good luck with them and own about 5 of them....
Battery Tender FAQ wrote: |
8. How is the Battery Tender® Plus battery charger different from the Battery Tender battery charger?
OVERVIEW and COMPARISON: The Battery Tender and Battery Tender Plus battery chargers are both designed to provide a quick, economical means to recharge motorcycle and engine start batteries used in other power sports equipment. Typically, power sports engine start batteries are in the 12 Ah to 20 Ah capacity ranges. Both chargers are constant voltage type with precisely regulated output current limits. Both chargers have a regulated, nearly constant 1.25-ampere output charge current during the bulk charge phase. Physically, there is virtually no difference between these 2 chargers. Both the Battery Tender and the Battery Tender Plus operate in 3 charge modes, bulk charge, absorption charge, and float charge.
Both the Battery Tender® and the Battery Tender® Plus are 4-step chargers meaning that they operate in 4 charge distinct modes: initialization, bulk charge, absorption charge, and float / maintenance charge. The legacy marketing literature and the operating instructions do not identify the original Battery Tender® as having an initialization mode. Therefore there is a lot of old literature that refers to Battery Tender® chargers as 3-step chargers. However the basic initialization functionality was present but there was no LED status indication; the Battery Tender® simply would not allow output voltage to activate unless a battery was properly connected to the charger. The Battery Tender® Plus does have an LED indication to indicate a faulty battery connection, which, with a little extra software and battery checks, completes the mechanization of ‘initialization’, the 4th charging step, even though time sequentially it is actually the 1st step.
RECHARGING AGM BATTERIES: The Battery Tender® has an absorption charge mode, but the the Battery Tender® Plus has a different absorption mode maximum charge voltage and a timer to hold the absorption voltage longer. These specific changes were made to accommodate the charging requirements of Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) style lead acid batteries.
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http://www.batterytender.com/faq/products |
_________________ 1983 cb1100f (blue)
1980 cb750f original owner (black) |
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djhurayt
Silver CB900F
Joined: Mar 28, 2006
Posts: 1123
Location: Taylors, SC
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Posted:
Fri Oct 05, 2018 4:08 pm |
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I'm in the don't leave the tender on 24/7/365.
I found that I have had early battery failures when doing so.
I will put mine on the tender over night every couple of weeks if the bike has not been ridden. |
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basmn
Silver CB900F
Joined: May 03, 2006
Posts: 1146
Location: Northumberland Ontario
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Posted:
Fri Oct 05, 2018 4:23 pm |
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djhurayt wrote: |
I'm in the don't leave the tender on 24/7/365.
I found that I have had early battery failures when doing so.
I will put mine on the tender over night every couple of weeks if the bike has not been ridden. |
+1 |
_________________ 81 750F stock
83 1100F stock
08 FZ1
03 YZF R6 track only
XR100 pit special
CRF 230F
2014 Kodiak 450 for the wife (:
2018 Polaris 570..for me.. |
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djf18374
Silver CB750F
Joined: Oct 14, 2016
Posts: 573
Location: Richmond, VA
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Posted:
Fri Oct 05, 2018 4:43 pm |
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Yes, I've found that if you leave them on the tender for prolonged periods it allows the voltage in the battery to drop and may not recover or restart charging when low. My CBX battery was annihilated in this manner last winter and actually got low enough to freeze. Even though the Tender showed "green" float charging.
I've experimented many times and if the Tender is on float for more than a few days, you can unplug the charger and plug it back in after 10 seconds. It will start charging again for a couple hours and then go to float. |
_________________ 79 CBX (silver)
81 CB900F (silver)
83 CB1100F (red) |
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f4fast
Friend of the Board
Joined: Jul 09, 2005
Posts: 24693
Location: Long Island,N.Y.
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Posted:
Fri Oct 05, 2018 7:02 pm |
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I have a bunch of them plugged into the same socket in the garage and planned on using one of those old fashioned electrical timers that turns the power off/on at set times so that they aren't on 24/7.
For a maintenance charge, couple hours a day is probably best ....
I have heard that certain type batteries (cell phones..etc) develop a "memory " regarding charge levels and work best when not left on constant "charge"
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_________________ 1983 cb1100f (blue)
1980 cb750f original owner (black) |
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basmn
Silver CB900F
Joined: May 03, 2006
Posts: 1146
Location: Northumberland Ontario
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Posted:
Fri Oct 05, 2018 7:48 pm |
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Personally i think your wasting your time charging them daily....best way to cook a battery. Once i hooked up a 2 ma charger to a lead acid .....2 weeks later it was dry...yes 2ma |
_________________ 81 750F stock
83 1100F stock
08 FZ1
03 YZF R6 track only
XR100 pit special
CRF 230F
2014 Kodiak 450 for the wife (:
2018 Polaris 570..for me.. |
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SteveG
Silver CB900F
Joined: Apr 07, 2006
Posts: 1552
Location: Skaneateles, NY
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Posted:
Fri Oct 05, 2018 11:34 pm |
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I use a Battery Tender Junior. Don't need it in the summer, and in the winter (when the batteries are out of the bikes and in the basement) I simply charge them once a month or so. They usually go to green within minutes.
Steve |
_________________ \'79 CB750(810)F, \'81 CB900(985)F, \'82 CB900(Going to be 1100)F, \'82 CBX, \'06 WeeStrom, \'22 CanAm Ryker Rally |
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basmn
Silver CB900F
Joined: May 03, 2006
Posts: 1146
Location: Northumberland Ontario
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Posted:
Fri Oct 05, 2018 11:55 pm |
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Wow...this could turn into an oil thread |
_________________ 81 750F stock
83 1100F stock
08 FZ1
03 YZF R6 track only
XR100 pit special
CRF 230F
2014 Kodiak 450 for the wife (:
2018 Polaris 570..for me.. |
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genesound
Red CB1100F
Joined: Feb 20, 2006
Posts: 11926
Location: Studio City, California
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Posted:
Sat Oct 06, 2018 2:49 am |
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basmn wrote: |
Wow...this could turn into an oil thread |
Kittens everywhere are getting nervous... |
_________________
We don\'t see things as they are
we see things as we are
Viton Valve Stem Seals
12.9 Cam Holder Bolts
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djhurayt
Silver CB900F
Joined: Mar 28, 2006
Posts: 1123
Location: Taylors, SC
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Posted:
Sat Oct 06, 2018 2:56 am |
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Bucko
CB1100F
Joined: Dec 15, 2003
Posts: 2839
Location: Vancouver BC
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Posted:
Sat Oct 06, 2018 3:05 am |
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I never use a trickle charger and a couple of my bikes with AGM batteries routinely sit for 9 months of the year without being touched. The AGM battery in my Vulcan is 10 years old - I didn't get it out this year but it started up just fine last year. I've had one AGM battery show up that never lasted it's first season but all the others have lasted many years. I've read that AGM batteries loose 1% of their charge in a month - based on that discharge rate I'm not sure why anyone would ever need to use a trickle charger. In my case, the batteries are lasting a long time because I either don't drive enough or because of not using a trickle charger.
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