low charge on battery

[cleensmoke666]

the other day i parked my gz in the garage and i guess when i thought i had turned the key in the locked position i accidentily left it in the parked position(i still have not as yet figured the usefulness of this feature) n-e-wayz my battery low what is the best way to get it backed charged???...should i jump from toyota matrix just like a car....safe or unsafe :??:

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by cleensmoke666

n-e-wayz my battery low what is the best way to get it backed charged???...should i jump from toyota matrix just like a car....safe or unsafe :??:

Yes and no.
It is safe if done correctly.
The car should be OFF and the cables should be disconnected as soon as the bike starts.......

*******BUT*********

The charging system on the bike will ***NOT*** recharge a dead battery, unless you ride it maybe 500 miles all at once !!

The best thing to do is use a low capacity charger, something like 2-4 amps for 12 hours or a 1 amp "tender" for about 48.

If the battery was already 2 years old or more, you are probably gonna need to replace it.

Several of us owners have stories about running a battery dead and then trying to keep using it. At least 50% of the time, once it is run WAY down, it's a gonner.

[davidc83]

The bike WILL charge a dead battery once you have it started and you dont have to ride it 500 miles-jesus h christ.
I rode my gz250 this past August on a 2500 mile bike trip to Florida. While in Florida, I was checking out some property and the developer pulled up. I hit the kill engine switch and forgot to turn off the key. He took me for a 1.5 hour drive around his properties and when I got bike the battery was 'dead'. It was so dead it would not bump start. I jumped it with a car battery and rode it 20 miles to the hotel doing less than 45mph. After I got to the hotel, I was able to re-start it and have not had any trouble with it at all since.

I have yet to put it on a trickle charger (it is now 16'F outside, overnight it got down to 3'F and it started-being stored in an UNHEATED garage) and I start the bike every 3-4 days and let it idle for 10-15 minutes and guess what-it charges the battery enough so I can wait another 3-4 days=full choke to start and half choke while it idles. I used the same technique last Jan, Feb, and Mar and still no trouble with starting the bike or the battery maintaining enough charge to start (unless I forget to turn off the key). Of course, I do not have any other electronic devices on the bike to draw extra power.

The electrical systems on cars, motorcycles, etc.. have to be able to recharge good batteries at normal speeds, under normal conditions, or govenment agencies would not allow the vehicles to be sold.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by davidc83

The electrical systems on cars, motorcycles, etc.. have to be able to recharge good batteries at normal speeds, under normal conditions, or govenment agencies would not allow the vehicles to be sold.

I'm so happy for you, Dave, but others have not been so lucky.

If you will notice, I said "about 50% of the time"; you must be in that other 50%.

I'm also happy that all that water you are leaving in your exhaust and crank case by starting every few days hasn't rusted out the muffler or made the oil foam ........yet.

If you don't like my advise, then please ignore it. The fact remains that I know at least 3 people who have ruined batteries on a GZ by letting them go dead and then relying on the bike to recharge........which it never did completely.

I just gotta laugh a bit at your government comment. Since when are charging systems on vehicles government controlled?? Hint: They aren't.

P.S. No need to bring Jesus into this. I'm quite sure he never rode a GZ.

[Water Warrior 2]

I would think one of the factors controlling the charging systems on cages is the consumer's demand for more power and toys in the vehicle. The manufacturers will just increase the amps in the alternator to keep running all the toys.

[Jaime]

Be careful. In most cases, idling doesn't generate enough power in the alternator and instead of recharging the battery, you'll be draining it (lights are always on, at least in my GZ).

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by Jaime

Be careful. In most cases, idling doesn't generate enough power in the alternator and instead of recharging the battery, you'll be draining it (lights are always on, at least in my GZ).

Yes, that's the point, really.
Even at full output, when you consider the headlight and front "running lights" of the recent models, there just isn't much left to top up the battery.
Some but not much.

To fully recharge a 25 AH battery, one needs to send 25 amps to it for 1 hour (not really a good idea even if you could do it) OR one amp for 25 hours OR something in between that adds up to 25. I think the on-board system is closer to 1 amp for 25 hours but that is just a guess.

[GZ250]

from my experience, i would recommend using a battery charger, i bought one from Walmart, around $20 or so. This battery charger could be used for any battery (motorcycle, car, RV, boat). The automatic controls does not allow overcharging. I have used on my motorcyle and car battery easily and it brings back the dead battery back to normal (only if the battery is good and holding charge). I think it is the safest method or otherwise someone is good in others.

[jonathan180iq]

Get it tested for free at autozone and then go from there.