Killed my battery by leaving my lights on, could I have hurt the bike?

Hey guys,

I was really stupid and left my keys in the ignition in the ON position (lights and whatnot stay on). This was from about 9am till about noon, so roughly 3 hours or so. Obviously my battery drained (not sure if it was original, but its one of the ones that have the vent hose coming off the side)




I tried charging it for over 24 hours with no effect. I got my headlight to turn on a little bit but no other lights (not on the speedo, nuetral, or blinkers). So I bought a new battery off of ebay, a sealed lead acid one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281684435229?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

This thing was supposed to be fully charged, but when I tried it I got the same result as with my old, dead battery. I get the headlight to be on (barely), and nothing else works, and obviously wont get it to turn over. In the instructions that come with the new battery it says it should hold a charge for about 3 months, but also recommends charging it first regardless before installing.

Could I have screwed up some electrical system by letting my old battery drain?

I have the new battery on a charger and Ill try it after a full overnight charge session, but Im nervous that something is damaged.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

Any blown fuses? If not your bike s/b fine. Did you use distilled water to top off to the upper fill line any low cells prior to charging the old battery? Did you check the DC volts with a dmm after the charge?

Gary H.

 

I've bought two of these batteries on ebay over the years, the first one was really darn good, the best battery I've ever had, but the second one never hold a charge properly. Maybe yours is even worse, despite the fact it is new.

 

I'm not sure about the fuses Gary, I'll have to check those out tomorrow (a buddy of mine suggested the same thing). Would my headlight come on though? When I tried cranking it over with the new battery, the fuel light would pop on briefly as well.

Also I did not top off the battery with distilled water; it didn't 'seem' low. I'm not 100% familiar with batteries and how low is actually low; it seemed within the fill line to me. I did notice a discharge (liquid/black and grey stuff?) from the clear hose that was attached, It was previously pristine before.

Finally I didnt double check the battery charge with a proper reader as I don't have one, maybe Ill pick one up tomorrow as well. Seems like it would be useful in situations like this

Thanks for the insight!

 

Yep, we'll see if it charges overnight! I'm not entirely confident, but holding out hope. At least this seller has a GREAT return/exchange policy, I think as long as 18 months or something like that.

 

what kind of charger is the new one on? you should charge it at 1.5 amps max

 

contact seller you do have a warrenty
'60-Day No Questions Asked Money-Back Guarantee', 18-Month Warranty On All Parts,
shipping charges will cost you nothing

SHIPPING AND HANDLING CHARGES

Chrome Battery will cover return shipping within the first 60 days of purchase if the battery is defective. We do offer discounted pre-paid USPS return labels for purchase at our rate if desired.

 

try to jump it with a car battery. If it works the bike's ok. I don't see anyway that draining a battery could harm the bike. Even if it starts with a car battery if the bike battery has a bad cell it probably will not continue to run on the bike battery only.

 

No luck with the new battery charging it overnight (2AMP Duracell battery maintainer). Going to pick up a multimeter to see if its actually good or not. Ill also try a jump, then take a look at fuses. Im not really mechanical so Im not really sure where/how to look at fuses. I do have the Maxim Tech Manual, but doing a quick look through didnt really point me in the right direction. Sorry Im such a nub! Just getting to learn this bike, and bikes in general. Havent had much time to tinker and explore.

 

You have a thiry year old bike there and you say you are not really mechanical. Old motorcycles need lots of attention and not to mention

brakes and maintenance issues. Maybe put in your signature line what bike you have and the members with the same will help you with

the information you are looking for.

 

I'd say have a look at the fuses first, they are in a box under the seat. If they are original, they will be of the glass-tube type (there are 3 or 4 of them). If the tiny metal blade in the tube isn't broken , the fuse is good. Every fuse has two metal ends that snap in connectors. These use to become very brittle , causing bad connections. My own fusebox has been partially butchered by the PO apparently when the main fuse blew up, I should upgrade to a blade-type setup.

If all of your fuses are ok, then try to jump with a car battery. Don't run the car engine during the process.

 

when you install battery what lights work for you?
directional? neutral light? horn?
you have safety switches that prevent the bike from starting if they do not work your starter will not turn.
go buy this fuse and a 10 amp fuse put aligator clips on it


with it you can jump across your fuses.

you do need to buy a meter 10 to 30 dollars

with key on your taillight will light that is a good sign indicated your main fuse is working.
how did you get headlight on?
does your bike turn over?
give us the details of what happens when you turn key on what lights work horn starter ect.
has the bike ever started ?

 

UPDATE: Checked out the fuse under the seat. Looked pristine. Was able to successfully jump the bike from my car, with no problems. Started right up, idled just fine. Let it warm up a bit and we were able to disconnect the jumper cables and the bike kept running. I think I just got a bum battery. Already put an RMA in for the one off of ebay, will probably just pick one up from an auto parts or MC store. Thanks for all the advice guys. It is much appreciated!

 

Bad battery...... Get it replaced. I've NEVER had any problem jumping from a running vehicle, either.

 

Curious why you dont buy battery local. The ebay ones aren't much cheaper than my local farm supply and I don't have to worry about exchanges and shipping, etc. They also dispose of my old one for free when I buy a new one.

 

I can get em right at walmart.... Or Yorkville Battery (in Yorkville right next to Utica, NY), etc....

 

No particular reason, I was just trying to save a couple of bucks (the ebay battery was only $50 shipped). Obviously it bit me in the ass this time!

I actually bought a replacement battery from a local shop today (about $90 from East Coast Powersports near Philadelphia). I haven't installed it yet, as they were filling with acid and needed an hour to charge it and I had to make it home. I'm running out at lunch tomorrow to pick it up.

Ill report back and maybe FINALLY take some pictures of my bike...

Cannot wait to ride tomorrow, its been more than two weeks.

PS how much do you guys spend on replacement batteries. Seems like most fall around $80-$90, with a LIMITED few 'cheap' exceptions like the one I bought for $50.

 

Just bought a new one for my Honda Magna, paid 106$ Canadian, the last one has lasted 6 years.

 

Oh, I'm well aware that I started on a journey of having to wrench and tinker on the bike .

At this point though I'm kind of taking it one step at a time and learning and fixing things as they come up. Case in point, I now know how to replace a battery, check fuses, and jump the bike from a car (also changed my oil/filter when I first got the bike in July).

I'm actually thinking about doing the fork seals over the winter. One seal is fairly leaky and while Sealmate helped stop it from pooling on top of the dust cover, I still get fairly 'wet' rings when I dive the fork. The debate rages on whether I tackle it myself or just have a shop do it. Some days I'm excited to get my hands dirty, other days, spending the $2-300 doesnt seem like a bad investment to get it done by a pro. I will definitely document that experience if I take it on myself.

Love this place as a resource! Keep it up!

 

I've bought several batteries from BatteryStuff and been really pleased. Very good prices and shipped immediately fully charged. http://www.batterystuff.com/

 

The new battery was all I needed. Even after sitting for a couple of weeks, she still rides like a dream!

 

Just like mine, but polished up a little better. I like the blacked out engine.

 

My seals also leaked. I took a piece of old 35mm negative and slid it down between the seal and the shaft. Using gentle "sawing action" I slide the negative around the shaft, then pulled it out. This removed the dirt causing the leak, and hasn't leaked since. The seal wasn't bad, it just had enough dirt in it to cause a leak. Might be worth trying.

Great looking bike.

 

It could also be performed with a "hook" made with a piece of windshield washer or coolant container, cost nothing except a few minutes cutting the "hook".