Bike wouldn't start, battery tender worked... now what?

[lue42]

I went to start the bike today and it wouldn't start. Mostly just buzzing and clicking.

I bought a .75a battery tender (https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/everstart-2-amp-charger-maintainer/6000189395270) and left it on for an hour before trying it. It worked... started up with almost no problem but maybe felt a tiny bit labored running for a second.

So, I will leave the tender on overnight, or at least until the "charged" light is off.

... but now what? What does what mean? I did not leave the bike on or anything like that. I have nothing plugged into accessory outlet. The only thing is I washed the bike on Sunday and haven't ridden it since. But I didn't go crazy with the water - I don't think I would have gotten it anywhere problematic.

My bike is a 2014 with about 17000km on it. Is that about time that the battery needs replacing?

Now I am concerned about my upcoming trip. I will bring the tender and am considering buying one of those USB jump starters.

On another note, is there any reason I should return the Walmart charger and get a Battery Tender (or other?) brand or is that ok?

Edit: I will be returning it to buy a charger that comes with an SAE connection - likely the Battery Tender Junior.

 

[sumo]

I went to start the bike today and it wouldn't start. Mostly just buzzing and clicking.

I bought a .75a battery tender (https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/everstart-2-amp-charger-maintainer/6000189395270) and left it on for an hour before trying it. It worked... started up with almost no problem but maybe felt a tiny bit labored running for a second.

So, I will leave the tender on overnight, or at least until the "charged" light is off.

... but now what? What does what mean? I did not leave the bike on or anything like that. I have nothing plugged into accessory outlet. The only thing is I washed the bike on Sunday and haven't ridden it since. But I didn't go crazy with the water - I don't think I would have gotten it anywhere problematic.

My bike is a 2014 with about 17000km on it. Is that about time that the battery needs replacing?

Now I am concerned about my upcoming trip. I will bring the tender and am considering buying one of those USB jump starters.

On another note, is there any reason I should return the Walmart charger and get a Battery Tender (or other?) brand or is that ok?

Edit: I will be returning it to buy a charger that comes with an SAE connection - likely the Battery Tender Junior.

I've got the BT Junior, paid $40 on sale I think. Wish I had spent a little more and got this NOCO Genius G3500 Smart Battery Charger instead.

I also have a battery load tester that puts a fair load (big *** electric heater coil) on the battery and shows you on a meter if it thinks the battery is any good. I've used it on car batteries and assume it should be accurate on a smaller bike battery.

 

[Saturday Morning]

Now I am concerned about my upcoming trip

Bummer for sure. A battery load test is a free service at most auto parts stores and will help to narrow down the culprit. Keep in mind that a load test will not always reveal a intermittent bad connection inside the battery.

-Saturday

 

[Ackme]

3 year old battery. That is the low end of average. Sooner or later you will need to replace it. I'd go with sooner.

 

[SilverRocket]

How frequently do you ride?
My last bike had the same battery from day one in April of 2010-July of 2017. But I rode almost everyday, usually about 5-6 days a week, and was never off the bike for more than maybe 2 weeks during a vacation. I think that's what kept it alive for so long.
Letting a bike sit for a long time? Battery Tender or maybe look into getting a Li battery?

 

[ste7ios]

Environmental temperatures, state of charge, riding time & distance affect the lifetime of a lead acid battery.

Every increase of 15°F above 77°F cuts its lifetime in half. (See: How Heat and Loading affect Battery Life - Battery University). (Heat speeds up the chemical reactions, so corrosion & sulfation).

Also a lead acid battery must be always fully charged to stop sulfation... City riding usually doesn't help to fully charge a battery.

I would suggest to check the battery health (Open Circuit Voltage / State of Charge & a load test). See Yuasa's Technical Manual about it.

You may also monitor the battery for some time (SoC) to see if and when you need a battery maintainer.

A jump starter can be useful but must be the last solution. In the case of a long journey ahead, and if the battery is not in good condition (SoC < 50%), it will be the best to replace it.