Consequence of Battery Failure

[HumbleNewRider]

I've heard that motorcycles don't have an alternator, like cars have, and that the motorcycle will therefore stop running if the battery dies while you are riding.

Is that true?

I have a 2008 GZ that I bought about 4 months ago. I'm the third owner, and the battery is the original one. If what I was told is true - how do I know when to replace the battery to avoid the motorcycle leaving me stranded in the middle of a ride? It has been working flawlessly so far.

thanks....

[Water Warrior 2]

Your bike does not have an alternator like a car. Alantf, our resident electrician will be along shortly to explain a GZ charging system and how it works.

[alantf]

Well, yes, you could liken it to an alternator. It's just something that produces 3 phase ac, then converts it, through rectifiers, to single phase dc, with a regulator to keep the charge within limits. I reckon that people have been telling you about the old days, when bikes had a magneto. I remember that my first bike had a magneto, and the faster you went, the brighter the headlight, but the bike kept running, even without a battery. The kick starter meant that a battery wasn't essential.

[mrlmd1]

My YamahaTW200 runs fine even without the battery. The GZ will not stop running if the battery dies while you are riding, and it won't do that anyway. The signs of a bad battery will be difficulty in starting the bike, not having enough amps to turn over the starter motor, not being able to hold a charge after it is recharged, It will not crap out on you during a ride, only during periods of prolonged storage if not put on a trickle charger, especially in colder weather. If you want to play it safe, get a small motorcycle battery charger (1 - 1.5 - 2 amps at most) and hook the jumper/charger cables to the battery and connect it periodically if the bike will sit for weeks at a time. Do not start up the bike and let it run for 10 min to recharge the battery, you are using more "juice" out of it doing that then you are replacing with the puny charging system of the GZ, and prolonged idling is not good for the engine, If you want to recharge it, go for a half hour ride,

[Water Warrior 2]

A good investment is a Battery Tender. I plug in Lynda's bike once a month for an hour to keep the battery fresh.
The BT is cheap compared to a new battery every year for a couple years. I foolishly thought "it doesn't get that cold here in the Winter". After the second new battery I invested in a BT and life was good in the Spring. The price of 2 batteries would put a lot of gas in my Vstrom and a smile on my face.

Even in the summer a battery should be topped up if the bike is not ridden for a month.

[HumbleNewRider]

I think what I'm hearing said is that no one has ever heard of a GZ 250 dying during a ride because of a depleted battery ---- and/or I'm hearing that the electrical system creates enough power that the battery isn't needed once it starts. Is that correct?

My son has been riding the bike to high school almost daily since Sept 1st. Just before I posted my question, I searched the forum for "battery" topics (there are a lot !) and read several times about needing to ride 15 to 30 minutes to just replenish the charge on the battery that is used up by the starter. His ride is about 10 minutes or less (twice a day). Some days he rides more after school. And he rides longer on weekends. But, there hasn't been any issues with the battery (so far).

I understand that when the battery gets too weak that it won't start the bike. But, I'm wondering if starting the bike could draw down a battery that is near the end of it's life (especially as the weather gets colder) to the level that the headlight (and other electrical needs) could further pull the battery down to the point that the bike dies during a ride. (While I might take that kind of risk myself, I don't want it for my son.)

mrlmd1 - I think what I'm understanding you to say is if the bike has enough power to start the engine --- then even after starting there would be enough power to operate the motorcycle for hours and hours. (But, I probably should let him "bump start" the bike, as there might not be enough power left.) Is that correct -- or do you know that the GZ will operate without a battery, like your Yamaha?

Several months ago I had read posting in the forum about a battery tender, so I did buy one. I've had the leads attached to the battery for at least a month, but I haven't used it yet; because, it has never been just sitting more than 2 or 3 days (when rainy). I'm now wondering if I should be periodically charging it since his rides are so short. But -- he's been doing daily short rides for a couple months without any problems surfacing (so far).

thanks.....

[raul10141964]

my ride to work is only 2 mi an I do the round trip 2 times a day and I never have a problem whit the battery

[alantf]

Originally Posted by HumbleNewRider

I'm now wondering if I should be periodically charging it since his rides are so short.

Same here. Most of my rides are short (small island) & I've never had problems. But hooking up to a battery tender is not going to do the battery any harm. It'll shut off when the battery is fully charged. For your own peace of mind, now the lead's connected, why not give it an overnight charge, once a week?