Ye Olde Fazer is dying...

[wull]

& monitor how many volts the charging system is puttting out.

Battery is sitting at 13v. Spot on. First thing I checked.

It has never had a single issue before this moment. Always started easily, never struggled.

I will be double checking that "smart" charger", maybe invest in a better trickle charge system.

This is why I thought you were referring to the charge rate.

[Bigjawa]

Son's 550 did the same thing, charges up lovely on the optimate, 13v across the terminals and click.

New battery and it fired first prod.

[Screwdriver]

& monitor how many volts the charging system is puttting out.

Battery is sitting at 13v. Spot on. First thing I checked.

It has never had a single issue before this moment. Always started easily, never struggled.

I will be double checking that "smart" charger", maybe invest in a better trickle charge system.

This is why I thought you were referring to the charge rate.

Ok but:

13v at what? Idle? 5k rpm? Try it under load, lights on etc etc.

I don’t know the Fazer spec off the top of my head but the majority of bikes should be between 13.8-14.5v @ 5k rpm, if the charge system is working well usually you’d see the figures above across the board, from idle to full rpm it would stay the same, this would indicate a regulator rectifier that’s working extremely well.

For example all the manuals I have at hand state 14-15v @ 5000rpm

I can confirm the charger is running off mains and not somehow connected to the Fazer.

[mangocrazy]

I have no irrefutable scientific basis for what I'm about to suggest and no body of peer-reviewed evidence to back me up, but...

I'm of the opinion (and it is only an opinion) that it's not healthy to leave a battery on charge 24/7, even if the charger is a super duper, optimising, load balancing 'tender' with all sorts of fancy de-sulphation routines and as many modes as you can shake a stick at. I have a fairly basic Accumate that I hook up to a 7 day timer and charge the battery for a couple of hours a week and leave the charger switched off for the other 166 hours. Not had any unexplained early doors failures yet (he said, tempting fate).

[weeksy]

I have no irrefutable scientific basis for what I'm about to suggest and no body of peer-reviewed evidence to back me up, but...

I'm of the opinion (and it is only an opinion) that it's not healthy to leave a battery on charge 24/7, even if the charger is a super duper, optimising, load balancing 'tender' with all sorts of fancy de-sulphation routines and as many modes as you can shake a stick at. I have a fairly basic Accumate that I hook up to a 7 day timer and charge the battery for a couple of hours a week and leave the charger switched off for the other 166 hours. Not had any unexplained early doors failures yet (he said, tempting fate).

I'm with you.

Mine gets an hour every 3-4 weeks

[wull]

Battery is sitting at 13v. Spot on. First thing I checked.

It has never had a single issue before this moment. Always started easily, never struggled.

I will be double checking that "smart" charger", maybe invest in a better trickle charge system.

This is why I thought you were referring to the charge rate.

Ok but:

13v at what? Idle? 5k rpm? Try it under load, lights on etc etc.

I don’t know the Fazer spec off the top of my head but the majority of bikes should be between 13.8-14.5v @ 5k rpm, if the charge system is working well usually you’d see the figures above across the board, from idle to full rpm it would stay the same, this would indicate a regulator rectifier that’s working extremely well.

For example all the manuals I have at hand state 14-15v @ 5000rpm

I can confirm the charger is running off mains and not somehow connected to the Fazer.

Maybe if you install that wireless charging you won’t have any problems in the future.

[Screwdriver]

I have no irrefutable scientific basis for what I'm about to suggest and no body of peer-reviewed evidence to back me up, but...

I'm of the opinion (and it is only an opinion) that it's not healthy to leave a battery on charge 24/7, even if the charger is a super duper, optimising, load balancing 'tender' with all sorts of fancy de-sulphation routines and as many modes as you can shake a stick at. I have a fairly basic Accumate that I hook up to a 7 day timer and charge the battery for a couple of hours a week and leave the charger switched off for the other 166 hours. Not had any unexplained early doors failures yet (he said, tempting fate).

I've not had a great deal of luck with batteries and I have tried to science the shit out of them - reviving dead batts with every trick in the book. None of which actually work. Yes, I've tried them all. I have a LOT of batteries because I still have probably a dozen bike scattered all over the place.

I suppose it comes down to "what does the smart charger actually do". One assumes the manufacturers have done the science for you but I suspect you're right and that's just assuming too much.

[mangocrazy]

I have no irrefutable scientific basis for what I'm about to suggest and no body of peer-reviewed evidence to back me up, but...

I'm of the opinion (and it is only an opinion) that it's not healthy to leave a battery on charge 24/7, even if the charger is a super duper, optimising, load balancing 'tender' with all sorts of fancy de-sulphation routines and as many modes as you can shake a stick at. I have a fairly basic Accumate that I hook up to a 7 day timer and charge the battery for a couple of hours a week and leave the charger switched off for the other 166 hours. Not had any unexplained early doors failures yet (he said, tempting fate).

I've not had a great deal of luck with batteries and I have tried to science the shit out of them - reviving dead batts with every trick in the book. None of which actually work. Yes, I've tried them all. I have a LOT of batteries because I still have probably a dozen bike scattered all over the place.

I suppose it comes down to "what does the smart charger actually do". One assumes the manufacturers have done the science for you but I suspect you're right and that's just assuming too much.

I suspect that these optimisers/chargers/tenders are mainly for use when Batteries Go Bad. They have to have some whizz-bang science to make you go 'yeah, I need that in my life', when all you really need is a regime that gives a sound battery a little top-up every now and then. When I was using my old VFR on a pretty much daily basis for commuting, the OE battery lasted 6 or 7 years being used in all weathers and conditions, without ever being put on a charger. It was only when I stopped using it regularly (different job) that the battery faded away and died.

[Skub]

I always keep my bike battery on an optimate. When I sold my ZX10R it still had the stock battery after 14 years.

I can't recommend a battery,because I never buy them.

[Bigyin]

My Fazer used to sit on the trickle charger every now and again over winter but as it was used most of the time the Ducati got preferential treatment.

Last winter it fired up as normal in normal use then one day just said “nope fuck off” and acted dead. I jumped it, charged it, checked all the voltages and even was looking at changing the reg rec or starter solenoids as all the battery figures looked ok

After a bit of research on the Fazer owner groups they said “it’s a known thing so put in a new battery as the old ones will seem ok on readings but a new one solves the issue”

Funnily enough a new battery solved it

[Taipan]

13.8 - 14.4 is correctomundo, anything outside of that is over or under and is probably a faulty reg/rect!

[wull]

13.8 - 14.4 is correctomundo, anything outside of that is over or under and is probably a faulty reg/rect!

It can also be a faulty stator if the readings are below spec, if any of the three windings are burnt out and it’s producing less than the specified amount, 50v AC + then usually the charge rate at the battery will be less than the lower end of the spec.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Presumably a resistance check on the stator is fairly easy, that'd tell you if a phase is gone.

I've never actually worked on a bike alternator but I've done stators alot. I work for a motor company

[wull]

Presumably a resistance check on the stator is fairly easy, that'd tell you if a phase is gone.

I've never actually worked on a bike alternator but I've done stators alot. I work for a motor company

Yeah but it’s recommended to do both, I’ve had stators in the past where the resistance test has checked out but the voltage test has shown the output to be well below spec.

Ironically enough my car alternator is failing miserably, I’ll need to swap it out.

[Taipan]

13.8 - 14.4 is correctomundo, anything outside of that is over or under and is probably a faulty reg/rect!

It can also be a faulty stator if the readings are below spec, if any of the three windings are burnt out and it’s producing less than the specified amount, 50v AC + then usually the charge rate at the battery will be less than the lower end of the spec.

Yup. Had that with a Tmax after buying a reg/rec for it!

[Screwdriver]

Another day, another trip to the hospital. Except this time who pulls up behind me at the lights?

Sounded very much like Royal Jordanian!

So of course I didn’t look, played it cool until the lights changed and just fucking nailed it! First time on the bike for a while, first thing in the morning so I was disappointed with a mere power wheelie but at least it wouldn’t look like I was trying. Luckily I know this stretch of the North circ is good for 120 so I went there…

So of course now I’m 40 minutes early for my appointment.

[the_priest]

Motobatt for me. I've had several and never had issues with them. Good cold start kick and they worked on IL4's, Twins, Triples, Single and V4 as well.

[The Spin Doctor]

I always keep my bike battery on an optimate. When I sold my ZX10R it still had the stock battery after 14 years.

I can't recommend a battery,because I never buy them.

I just ride the bike. The OE Yuasa is till in the bike and is now 14 years old.