Changed Seat Position, Now Bike is Dead

[TommyEggs]

Here's one I hope you guys can help with. 

I just switched my seat height for the first time, went from high to low to try it out (bike is new to me). The bike has been running perfectly, but when I switched the seat and went to start it, it powered up fine and then totally died when I went to start it. All electronic systems dead. Nothing.

I put it on a charger and the battery reads full to the charger. When it's plugged in I can turn it on and just the ABS light comes on the dash, nothing else. 

I checked the fuses and they all look good. The bike ran perfectly yesterday too. Think this is a dead battery or possibly some short or blown fuse that I can see? Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks,
-t

[bwringer]

The highest-percentage possibility is a loose battery terminal. Loosen and re-tighten both, and I bet that'll take care of it.

If that isn't it, check the other ends of the battery cables, and of course look at where the seat contacts the frame for any pinched or broken wiring.

 

[BarryGT]

I agree with bwringer, the battery terminals are very close to the seat.

[TommyEggs]

The results are in. The terminals were all tight, both ends. The culprit? Bad battery. Had it tested and it was a goner. Replaced battery with new Lithium Ion battery. All good now.

Turns out it was just bizarre timing with adjusting the seat. Literally was good minute, dead the next.

Thanks for your help!
-t

Edited October 4, 2022 by TommyEggs

[Ride365]

Careful with those Li batteries, and they don't like the cold either.

[TommyEggs]

36 minutes ago, Ride365 said:

Careful with those Li batteries, and they don't like the cold either.

Careful how? It will be in an unheated but well sealed/dry garage this winter. I typically keep my bikes on a trickle charger and start them every 4-7 days and let them run for 5-10 mins (and take them for a spin around the block if it's not brutally cold).

[PhotoAl]

When the battery is very cold it will not produce the necessary current to start.  Some folks will turn on the lights to get the battery to heat up enough to make the current needed for starting.  I have avoided them for that reason but then again I won't be riding if its that cold.  Not sure about the temperature but think its below 20F.

[KrustyKush]

I’ve got Shorais in both my Tracer 9GT and Gold Wing. Absolutely flawless. I also had one in my late Harley FLTRU. The lithiums start the bikes lickety split. I don’t know about super cold but the Harley ran all year in SoCal winters which can be frosty, and I never noticed any reticence at all on cold start. 

[OZVFR]

I've got an SSB lithium battery, and even though in Sydney we don't get very cold, the bike has been left outside overnight at a camp site where it was -5°C. It started normally next morning no problems.

Edited October 5, 2022 by OZVFR

[Ride365]

17 hours ago, TommyEggs said:

Careful how? It will be in an unheated but well sealed/dry garage this winter. I typically keep my bikes on a trickle charger and start them every 4-7 days and let them run for 5-10 mins (and take them for a spin around the block if it's not brutally cold).

Mostly affected if out in the elements, that and they appear more prone to fires/shorts than the others. I'm still a YUASA AGM battery man, but see the attractions of the Li.

[bwringer]

On 10/4/2022 at 1:56 PM, TommyEggs said:

The results are in. The terminals were all tight, both ends. The culprit? Bad battery. Had it tested and it was a goner. Replaced battery with new Lithium Ion battery. All good now.

Turns out it was just bizarre timing with adjusting the seat. Literally was good minute, dead the next.

Thanks for your help!
-t

Thanks for the followup!

And yeah, sudden death is indeed how some AGM batteries reach their end.

Most fade slowly in a more conventional process, but some are there one moment and dead the next. It may be that removing and replacing the seat wiggled the terminal just enough to cause an internal connection to fail.

[Greddy]

On 10/5/2022 at 1:34 AM, TommyEggs said:

Careful how? It will be in an unheated but well sealed/dry garage this winter. I typically keep my bikes on a trickle charger and start them every 4-7 days and let them run for 5-10 mins (and take them for a spin around the block if it's not brutally cold).

Li-ion batteries don't like to be charge under 0 Celsius / 32 Fahrenheit degree. If you do charge those batteries under those temperature. Like riding in the cold, the batteries are going to be charged. The cathode in the batteries will start electroplating, and eventually start a fire.

Usually devices that use Li-ion batteries by design, have this in mind. They don't charge batteries under these cold conditions.

I don't remember our bikes come equiped with Li-ion battery as stock. I won't gamble on that our bikes have these circutries in our bike, to protect us from fire, when replaced with Li-ion battery.