Battery keeps dying...
 

Hey everyone, new rider here. I have a 2000 GZ250 which I bought used about a month ago. Everything was fine until one day I left the keys in the ignition (got distracted, yeah I know, bad me) and killed the battery. I charged it on a trickle charger over night and it fired right up, but ever since then it will randomly die and and wont hold a charge. I took it to AutoZone and it wouldn't get over a 75% charge even after being plugged in for over 4 hours. It sat at 75% for 2.5 hours! I am just wondering if the battery is gone or if there is an issue in the charging system that is causing the battery to die. I only drive it about 10-15 miles a day. I live on a military installation and only drive it to work. I have taken it for a few long rides (about an hour) but dont want to take any chances until I figure out why it will die randomly. I also dont have the money for guesswork? Thanks guys!

Re: Battery keeps dying...
 

Welcome.
That said, normally I would and would suggest a handful of things to try,
BUT since the battery was charged apart from the bike and its charging system
with no good results, the only thing I could suggest now would be to
buy a new battery.
Leaving that key in the 'on' position put the finishing touches on what was, no doubt,
a battery on its last legs.
Sorry.

Re: Battery keeps dying...
 

And like we keep saying, and keep saying, and keep saying.....................

If you buy a new battery, even if the salesman says otherwise, give it a good charge before fitting it, or it'll never hold a good charge. Suzuki recommend 0.75 amps for 5 to 10 hours, but certainly no more than 2 amps overnight. :2tup:

Re: Battery keeps dying...
 

Yup sounds to me like your battery is junk. Do you have a volt meter ? Test the battery after an overnight trickle charge and you need to be at about 12.6-12.9 V .

Re: Battery keeps dying...
 

Make sure you have not been leaving the bike with the key in the PARK position, next to the OFF position, otherwise you are leaving on the rear parking lights which you may not realize, and are discharging the battery.
You can check the charging system by measuring the battery voltage at about 2500-3000rpm. You should be reading around 14 V, but you may not get that if your battery is caput. Do not try to charge the bike letting it sit at idle, there is no significant charging output at that engine speed.
The only way to see if the battery is bad is to try to charge it up to full charge then do a load test on it.
If you get a new AGM battery, YOU must charge it up fully before first use or it will never hold a full charge and you will be back at the store getting a new one real quick. Do not rely on the salesman in the store telling you your new battery is all set to go when you buy it.

Re: Battery keeps dying...
 

Thanks everyone, I am pretty proficient when it comes to cars and trucks, but motorcycles are a new thing to me. I will replace the battery and let it charge and go from there. Thanks again!

Re: Battery keeps dying...
 

When buying a new battery and before putting it on bike it should be charged fully. Can that be done with the trickle charger for the first full charge ?

Re: Battery keeps dying...
 

Yes, like I said, Suzuki recommend 0.75 amps for 5 to 10 hours, but anything up to 2 amps for anything up to overnight is fine. Also, read anything that comes with the battery, to see if the manufacturer has any recommendations. :2tup:

Re: Battery keeps dying...
 

Cool, thanks alantf

Re: Battery keeps dying...
 

Hey everyone, I replaced the battery and it ran for a few days fine. I went to leave for work this morning and it wouldn't turn over. I am thinking maybe starter or alternator or whatever the motorcycle equivalent is? prob not starter since it starter after a brand new battery was put in it. so I am thinking alternator?