So over the winter I was browsing GMan's website for motorcycle parts and was reading about his aftermarket "super-battery" for the C-50. I wasn't looking to buy a battery that day, and felt it was more battery and expense than I needed, since I don't intend to keep the C-50 that much longer. Besides, my battery was still fine. But, what got my attention was his chart comparing the batteries. It showed that my stock battery could be expected to last 5 years and then experience sudden catastrophic failure (his, on the other hand, died in a much slower dignifed manner). Since most of my riding takes me far from home that was a legitimate cause for concern. My battery is 5 years old (bought the bike used), it barely gets ridden 6-7 months out of the year and rarely charged, I have accessories wired to my battery and on ocassion have left my lights on. So I made a mental note to add a battery to my spring shopping list -- no point in pushing it and risk being stranded.
Well, life happens and this spring my bike didn't make it out of the garage for several months -- and no, it wasn't on a charger. My first time out I was running a few errands and after my last stop the battery barely cranked and the engine didn't start. Uh-oh. I decided take a "moment" and eat my candy bar and hang out and look cool as long as possible while my battery rested. After a while, when I decided no one was watching, I gave it another try. Thankfully it started up. Time to move battery to the top of the shopping list.
While the battery was at the top of the shopping list, it was no where near the top on priorities right now. I managed to get the bike out for an ocassional ride over the next few weeks and didn't have any problems. So a few days ago, we had a break in the rainy weather, I had a day off, so I decided to spend the day running my errands on the bike. In the evening I was going to drop by to visit my parents. My last stop was to pick up a sandwich on the way over. I came out of Subway, got on my bike, turned the key...and nothing. The lights dimmed, but no crank at all, no noise whatsoever. Crap! My first thought was the start button didn't feel right. But I quickly decided I was overthinking that -- the bike always fired right up, so of course the switch felt odd since I never really noticed it before. What we had here was sudden catastrophic battery failure.
I gave the battery a few minutes to rest, while I went back inside to enjoy my sandwich. When I came back out and tried again there was still no crank. I called my folks and told them my predicament and they came to pick me up.
I told them I would just pull the battery and put it on the charger. Dad said he had it hooked up to his BMW Roadster, but we could take it off. I told him that's OK, it actually needs a different, lower-amp charger, but mine is in your garage with a few of my things. "OH...that must be the one I blew up then, that explains that," my Dad said. Told me had hooked it up to the car, came back later and it had blown up. There was black stuff all over the wall, the charger had partially melted and the clips were blown off the wires. Couldn't help but laugh and said OK, then I won't charge it. Good time to get a new battery anyway.
When we got home my parents told me to just drive Dad's car home. It was too late in the day to get a new battery, so that was an errand for the next morning before work. As a side note, Dad has not driven since last summer due to some health and vision problems, so his cars are not driven very often. I grabbed the keys to Dad's car and whaddya know...it won't start! Well then, just take the Roadster my parents told me. They had put it on the charger that day, so they could get some service done and prep it to sell. Grabbed the keys...it wouldn't start. Three dead batteries...
I went ahead and put the charger on Dad's car, figuring it would charge up quicker, since it did get driven on ocassion...infrequently, but at least it had seen the road this year. After a short charge, I was good to go. When I got home I hit the remote to lock the car doors -- and it was dead. Four dead batteries....
Next morning, I grabbed my old battery and headed out. The dealership was on the other side of town so I stopped at a Batteries Plus nearby -- picked up a new bike battery, had them throw a new battery in the remote -- and I was off. Pulled off my seat in the parking lot and dropped my new battery in while the morning coffee crowd filed by on their way into Starbucks & Subway. Got it hooked up, gave the key a turn...and nothing. WTH? D'oh! I hooked up my accessories, but forget to attach one of the battery cables. Feeling a bit foolish I hooked up the other cable, gave the key a turn and VOILA...voila?...
Yep, it was the starter button. Took a philips screwdriver and about 2 minutes to fix a loose connection. Oh well, I wanted a new battery anyway.
