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Bike won't start- all apears normal.

The battery booster will easily jump start your motorcycle. They can be pricey but you obviously you can’t bump start the DCT. I recently had my battery die when I was riding locally to test performance and the bike wouldn’t start after i turned it off in the high school parking lot. I didn’t have my phone on me either. Luckiky, I was close enough to walk home and bring my son back with his truck to jump start the bike. The battery was about 4 years old as it sat at the dealer for a year and I have had the bike for 3 years. This pissed me off and I use a battery maintainer from “Battery Tender”, which was recommended by my Honda dealer. So, i got a new battery and shelled out $100 for a NOCO genius boost plus from Amazon. I also bought a compressor that will run off my accesory socket. I take long trips to the middle of nowhere. So, I need that piece of mind.
 
On a non recording meter, the accuracy of the reading seen on a video is still depending on the rate that the meter updates it’s display. It make take the evaluation of readings from several attempts to be conclusive. Some meters, like a Fluke 87, will automatically record min and max voltages, either at 100ms or 1ms intervals.

The bottom line is that the fancier your meter, the more accurate your results.

or just get an analog meter for $15, read out is nearly instantaneous.
 
I got to work and back home fine today, like always.
I ride freeway to work (10 miles) and streets home(7 miles) 4-5 days a week every week.
I've never had a battery issues in all my 17 years and 8 bikes combined.
Because of your routine! You keep the battery almost always fully charged!

My main concern now is what caused the drop in voltage.
Yes, you must check for parasitic drain.

The other idea is should I carry around one of those new pocket battery booster gadgets? If a battery drops in voltage like mine did will those gadgets allow for a jump? Or is a trickle charger the only way to get a battery back up to a reliable state?
Jump starting must be the last solution and be avoided if possible, mostly because the charging system will be stressed.

In general vehicle charging systems are designed to keep a battery charged, not to charge an empty one. The bulk charging of a battery is better to be done with a charger.
Also an empty battery is deteriorated relatively quickly because of sulfation. It must be always fully charged for longevity.

There's a good reason that has vanished as a procedure from all motorcycle owner manuals (all except HD...).
 
They can be pricey but you obviously you can’t bump start the DCT.

I don't see why not when the gear is in neutral... If not it will need more effort but it shouldn't be impossible.

Jump start DCT, yes.

Bump start DCT, no. The clutches default to disengaged, so even if the DCT was stuck in gear with a dead battery, the rear wheel couldn’t turn over the engine with the clutch free wheeling.

Even to bump start a manual, the battery still would need to be strong enough to run the fuel pump and EFI.
 
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Bump... Thank you. I did the translation now! :D

Yes you’re right, but anyway a bike like that is too heavy to try it at least for me (my weight is barely 60Kg. Featherweight category :D)
 
I've been thinking- maybe my commute home, on side streets with speeds ranging from 25-40, means my bike is not revving high enough. The automatic loves to get into high gear ASAP.
I keep it in auto mode and if not in a hurry may just go the speed limit. At that speed the transmission will upshift quickly so that I am never revving very high. Less than 3,000 rpms.

Could the bike's alternator not be getting enough power at reduced rpms? Anyone know how the power output varies with rpms on this bike. Could it be that moseying down the road at low rpms means that there's not enough power to charge the battery, after having to power the lights and gauges, etc?

My bike is totally stock, no accessories.
 
I've been thinking- maybe my commute home, on side streets with speeds ranging from 25-40, means my bike is not revving high enough. The automatic loves to get into high gear ASAP.
I keep it in auto mode and if not in a hurry may just go the speed limit. At that speed the transmission will upshift quickly so that I am never revving very high. Less than 3,000 rpms.

Could the bike's alternator not be getting enough power at reduced rpms? Anyone know how the power output varies with rpms on this bike. Could it be that moseying down the road at low rpms means that there's not enough power to charge the battery, after having to power the lights and gauges, etc?

My bike is totally stock, no accessories.

I usually ride locally on narrow, blind backroads that don’t safely allow high speeds. I can easily go for an hour or two and never go over 3000 rpm. I might even be running heated grips. My NC battery is over 6 years old and has plenty of power to start the bike. But, mine is a manual, not DCT, so electrical power demand is less.

Honda designed DCT D mode to run low RPM, so you would have thought they had the bike’s charging issue covered. In any case, frequent use of an automatic charger should alleviate the concern.
 
I've been thinking- maybe my commute home, on side streets with speeds ranging from 25-40, means my bike is not revving high enough. The automatic loves to get into high gear ASAP.
I keep it in auto mode and if not in a hurry may just go the speed limit. At that speed the transmission will upshift quickly so that I am never revving very high. Less than 3,000 rpms.

Could the bike's alternator not be getting enough power at reduced rpms? Anyone know how the power output varies with rpms on this bike. Could it be that moseying down the road at low rpms means that there's not enough power to charge the battery, after having to power the lights and gauges, etc?

My bike is totally stock, no accessories.
With the maximum output at 5,000 RPM (there’s no difference here with other bikes) we may suppose almost safely that we have a lower output but we ignore what are the specs of the generator. We can’t really know without some measurements.

Be more practical... Ride as you ride usually, let the battery rest for at least 4 hours, then take a measurement. Do that for a period of about 2 weeks or more. If it’s fully charged then you’re ok. If not you need a charger...
 
Could the bike's alternator not be getting enough power at reduced rpms? Anyone know how the power output varies with rpms on this bike. Could it be that moseying down the road at low rpms means that there's not enough power to charge the battery, after having to power the lights and gauges, etc?

Based on my experience, no. I have a voltmeter on mine, & once the engine is started it's over 14 volts, even at idle. I do notice occasionally mine doesn't start charging for a minute or so after starting. That leads to minor running problems & higher blood pressure...
 
But, mine is a manual, not DCT, so electrical power demand is less.

Honda designed DCT D mode to run low RPM, so you would have thought they had the bike’s charging issue covered. In any case, frequent use of an automatic charger should alleviate the concern.

My DCT has a vibration at about 3,000 rpms, which, if this were a manual, would be an easy way of knowing when to upshift.
It's a weird balance for me- having a bike that can get 60+ mpg in the city in D mode (it's way too hectic in LA to try manual mode), yet also preferring to be in S mode which gives better engine braking/ response.
While I live in an apartment with no way to run a trickle charger I did take bvogel's advice and got a booster. I too plan on doing more riding once I retire.
 
Time and distance is also very important. My commute is 7 miles on surface streets with many stop lights so charging available at low rpms and during prolonged periods of idling is not going to maintain the battery compared to riding for longer periods at minimum 2000 - 3000 rpm. If I don't ride a bike for a few hours each week I put it on the charger/tender for an 8 hour cycle.
 
So I bought a brand new Yuasa battery today, installed it, and nothing. Just the click of death.
I hooked up the portable battery booster and it started up just fine. I had to get to work (one of our busiest days of the year), so parked my bike and when I left to go home tonight I had to use the booster to start. Then problems really began.
The bike seemed to be running rough and after about 5 minutes, on the freeway, the turn signals, when I used them, would flash extra fast. The bike was running very rough- the DCT was gripping and slipping, then catching.
When I (miraculously) got home I turned off the bike and when I turned the key back to ON the display wouldn't even light up!
Not sure what my next step should be, but I have a feeling it's going to involve a tow and lots of time at the dealership. Thoughts?
Regulator or generator?
Will drive to work tomorrow and take the battery back to get it checked, but what are the odds they sold me a dead new battery? Or the wrong type?
It a YTZ12S
 
Be sure that the battery is fresh. Purchasing a new battery doesn’t mean that is in good condition. We can’t know if the battery is manufactured lately and if it’s appropriately maintained by the dealer...

Charge it, let it rest for at least 2 hours and measure it. A fresh new YTZ battery must give you 13.0 to 12.8V.
 
The fresh battery can be guaranteed.........by buying the battery package where the battery is “dry charged” and the acid is packaged in a separate package. User adds the acid, let it sit for set time period then charges as the instruction indicates.
The dry charge packaging does seem less common. The new bikes the batteries are all shipped wet. ( acid in) Years back new bike the batteries were shipped dry. On the up side AGM have a longer stand by time and low stored discharge rate than to conventional wet cell.


We have mentioned this prior but “sudden death” does appear to be the common failure mode with all vehicles.

On battery health check....DIY method measure key off battery voltage after a few days of no use. If the voltage is below 12.8 is one indicator the battery is not fully charged and may not be in less than perfect health.
 
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From the service manual - The Rectifier/Regulator is located above the rear fender, behind the gas tank. A volt/ohm meter is required to check it. There are two connectors: a two wire (red +V and green ground) and a three wire (all yellow). With the ignition off, the two wire connector should show battery voltage from the red wire to ground and very low resistance from the green wire to ground, and/or battery voltage across the two wires. The three wire connector goes to the alternator windings. There should be 0.1 - 0.5 ohms resistance between the all of the yellow wires. There should be infinite resistance from each yellow wire to ground. Make sure all connectors are clean and there is no corrosion.
 
Today I tried getting the bike to start and it seemed totally dead, even with the new battery hooked up. It's a sealed battery so I can't add any acid to it.
No power at all.
I hooked up a booster and it started but when I hit the turn signal switch it died. Figured it would do the same if I tried putting it in D, and it also stalled on its own, so had it towed to the dealer for a (very expensive) diagnosis.
Praying I didn't fry something by using a booster.
 
Today I tried getting the bike to start and it seemed totally dead, even with the new battery hooked up. It's a sealed battery so I can't add any acid to it.
No power at all.
I hooked up a booster and it started but when I hit the turn signal switch it died. Figured it would do the same if I tried putting it in D, and it also stalled on its own, so had it towed to the dealer for a (very expensive) diagnosis.
Praying I didn't fry something by using a booster.

You would never want to add acid to a battery even if it wasn’t sealed. The correct acid quantity is set for the life of the battery on the initial fill.

You’re working blind without a voltmeter, so hopefully the dealer will sort it out for you. I wish you the best of luck. Keep us posted.
 
So I had to have my bike towed to the dealer on Saturday. Thanks to Anthony's Cycle Towing, he got my bike there before the close of business.

Today I found out what the issue was.
I had the same issues with the brand new, expensive battery... so what do you think the problem was?

Yes, that's right, the brand new battery was defective! They said they replaced it and rode the bike around, all is normal.
I had purchased the battery there, but instead of having them install it (they wanted something like $65) I did it myself out on the street.
Next time I will allow more time and have them check the "brand new" battery before I walk out with it.

Now I just have to make sure they don't try to hit me up for the expensive diagnosis (was quoted about $180) and see if they will reimburse me for the tow.
I should also ask for compensation for having to put so many commuting miles on my Shelby GT for 8 days, but that might be pushing it.
 
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