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Click noise when I try to turn on but then it was fine?

Max Kool said:
More realistic than US$130 for a a Noco NLP14?

(I don't know Optima, I believe they're good as well if you say so)
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I put a Noco in my wife’s Chieftain this spring. So far so good.
My first experience with a Shorai lithium did not go well. It failed after only a few months.
My FTR just got put away for the winter and the original battery is getting weak so I will pick something up over the winter and have it waiting for spring.
 
I had a Shorai in my Vitpilen 701 when I bough it. Kept it for four years, never been on a charger, always fired right up.

(did you claim a warranty replacement?)
 
Max Kool said:
I had a Shorai in my Vitpilen 701 when I bough it. Kept it for four years, never been on a charger, always fired right up.

(did you claim a warranty replacement?)
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I did get a warranty replacement and sold it.
This was quite awhile ago and lithium battery technology has come a long way.
I still have a little reluctance because of the rare possibility of a battery fire.
I don’t need a garage full of motorcycles going up in flames.
 
Soooo, battery. Dead after 3 weeks of no use. I suspect I might have a parasitic power draw.

Asked ChatGPT how to detect it, here is what it said:

"Discovering the cause of a parasitic power draw from a motorcycle battery involves systematically checking the electrical system for components or circuits that are drawing current even when the motorcycle is off. Here’s how you can diagnose it:

Tools You’ll Need

• Multimeter (with a DC amp setting)
• Basic tools for accessing fuses and electrical connections

Steps to Diagnose the Issue

• Set your multimeter to measure DC amps.
• Disconnect the negative terminal of the battery.
• Connect the multimeter in series: one lead to the negative battery terminal and the other to the disconnected negative cable.
• Observe the current reading on the multimeter:
• Typical parasitic draw should be less than 50 mA (0.05 amps).
• A higher reading indicates excessive draw".

So now I am a ChatGPT-Certified mechanic in addition to a YouTube-Certified mechanic 😂

Anyways, will do this next time I get to the bike. It is stored for the Winter some 3 hours' drive from where I live.
In the meantime, I have bought the NOCO. It's tiny, light and doesn't break the bank (EUR 138 on Amazon).

IMG_6268.webp
 
Max Kool said:
But did you have a parasitic draw, or not?
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Haven't been able to check it yet. I won't get to the bike for some time (it's stored elsewhere for the Winter).

I'll let you know!

The normal thing would be to ask the dealership to solve it, but in my experience they would do exactly nothing and proclaim that it is normal for the battery to go flat when not used.
 
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Went to the dealership to pick up some accessories, and look what they offer:

IMG_6271.webp

I think it speaks volumes that one of the very few things they have on the shelf is a jump starter 😄

The new 101 Scout rocks, BTW. I love it!

IMG_6269.webp
 
In my opinion, a bike should be able to for more than 2-3weeks without a charge. My Blackbird and Tiger can both do this without issue.
Also, a trickle charger effectively cycles the battery/puts it through a duty cycle therefore reducing its ultimate life.
I get the use of trickle chargers, but they’re not without their own drawbacks.
 
edgelett said:
The user manual says to use a trickle charger if you're not riding for 2 or more weeks.
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True-dat. Also read it. Thought it was an exaggeration, but maybe it isn't.

I have a NOCO Genius 2 trickle charger, but nowhere to plug it in in the underground parking of our apartment building. So I've had to take out the battery, bring it home and now it's sitting behind the sofa connected to the tender 😅 (Yes, I have taken measures to prevent an accidental fire).

Bought the NOCO battery anyway in the meantime, we'll see how that one behaves. I'll keep you posted.
 
Staedtler said:
In my opinion, a bike should be able to for more than 2-3weeks without a charge. My Blackbird and Tiger can both do this without issue.
Also, a trickle charger effectively cycles the battery/puts it through a duty cycle therefore reducing its ultimate life.
I get the use of trickle chargers, but they’re not without their own drawbacks.
Click to expand...
Seems to be a lot of parasitic loss designed into bikes and autos today.
My 1st gen Tacoma could sit out in the driveway for a month in the winter and still fire right up. My 3rd gen Tacoma can't go 2 weeks.
 
My FTR can sit for six weeks and fire right up. 🤷🏻‍♂️

I have a trickle charger but never used it.
 
Max Kool said:
My FTR can sit for six weeks and fire right up. 🤷🏻‍♂️

I have a trickle charger but never used it.
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You are lucky.
At what ambient temperatures?
Mine was sitting for 3 weeks at about 6-13 ˚C / 43-55 ˚F.

Or... doesn't the ambient temperature matter at all?
 
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irsh said:
Mine can't sit too long either. Almost like it spends electrons just sitting there dreaming about the next ride.
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Do Androids dream of electric sheep?
Do FTRs dream of future rides?

:)

I do, for sure. Making big plans for the next riding season. BIG plans. Massive! 😄
But first I need a bike that actually starts up 😄
 
Sits for weeks/months, I'd pull the fuse. Have done that with my ST1100 that now sits. For winter proposes, I'd remove the ground cable off the battery. Keep an eye not to let it drop to 12.7v. Because 12.6v is the cutoff to recharge back to 12.8v.
 
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