Battery Broke After 3 Weeks

[AT Kid]

I've only been on the AT for 3 weeks, doing only 1400 miles.
I was riding towards southport, and noticed the bike was starting to develop a strong smell, a bit like cat food.
The bike was running fine (seen as it had £1200 of work done to it, including a new battery an bits of clutch).
On saturday, it took a few attempts to start it, and when i got it started, the clocks on the tripmaster had been reset.
I thought this was a bit strange, so i took the bike to my local garage.
He said he wasn't sure what it was, but the battery might just need charging.
So, in the evening, i decided to go to southport, hoping that the battery might charge (and i just wanted to go for a ride)
When i got there, the bike was taking longer and longer each time to start, with the smell getting really bad.
So i didn't bother riding it yesterday, and only rode it up to the garage today.
I left the bike with him so that he could check the problem (he wasn't sure if it was the battery or the starter motor)
When i went back this afternoon, he showed me the battery which had expanded like a bloated pig.
It was a brand new gel battery, which left him stunned as he'd never seen anything like this.
Its been sent off now, and the replacement is coming tomorrow.

Has any one else had this happen to them?

[Rubberchicken]

Could it be that your regulator is stuffed, so it puts the full output of the generator across the battery?

[AT Kid]

Could it be that your regulator is stuffed, so it puts the full output of the generator across the battery?

To be honest, i wouldn't know
The most techno thing i know is bout spark plugs

The mechanic said everything seemed ok, it was just the battery

[YEN_POWELL]

Could it be that your regulator is stuffed, so it puts the full output of the generator across the battery?

To be honest, i wouldn't know
The most techno thing i know is bout spark plugs

The mechanic said everything seemed ok, it was just the battery

Sounds like the regulator trying to boil the battery, hence the smell. All you need is a voltmeter to test it.

[Tarka]

Assuming your gel battery was a bike specfic one,that`s regulator or rectifier trouble matey.

Some gel batteries can be fried by conventional battery chargers.

The rectifier converts Alternating Current ( AC ) from the Alternator into Direct Current (DC) for the bike`s battery and wiring circuit.

The regulator limits the amount of voltage going into the battery, typically between 12.8 volts and 14.2 volts..

They`re usually both combined into one rectifier/regulator unit that is seperate from the crank mounted alternator on Jap bikes
(The unit is sometimes called a regulator on car type alternators)

A fully charged battery without the engine running should have about 12.6 - 12.8 volts DC across it,and with the engine at about 5000 rpm the voltage shouldn`t exceed the previously mentioned 14.2 volts DC.

You`ll need to test for AC as well to prove the rectifier.

Use a Digital Voltmeter and put the red (positive) meter lead on the battery positive terminal....and similarly put the black (negative) meter lead on the negative battery terminal.

Set the meter to DC volts and with the engine running the voltage reading should stay constant ... if it goes on and off in quick succession,you`ve got AC going to your battery.

If you`re unsure of how to check this...and would have to pay a dealer....send me a PM and I`ll pop over to check it for you.
I`m only over the water from you.
It`ll cost you a coffee.

[JB1]

I had the same problem on a CBR600. The smell was more like rotten eggs than cat food. Replaced the regulator and battery and then everything was fine. Replaced it with an aftermarket regulator rather than mr Hondas gold plated one, or at least it should be the amount of wonga they wanted for a new one

[Mudwiz]

If you cut all the wireing crap off the bike, they will work OK without a Reg/Rec.

I had a chop (Z550) once that ran about 90v ac at the front headlight! It ran for about 5000 miles like it though, then got sold!

(NB Not reccommended with a bike you like!)

[Simon]

i had a problem like this on my brothers ER5, the rectifier went and cooked the battery. I thought it was the fault of the battery and replaced it but fortunatly figured out the real problem before wrecking the new battery.

If you get the bike running with another battery and then with use of a meter take a running reading of the electrics. If the rectifier is gone then the battery will just keep charging as my understanding of a rectifier is that it controls the amount of charge to the battery to stop it being cooked.

Hope this helps.

[Tarka]

my understanding of a rectifier is that it controls the amount of charge to the battery to stop it being cooked.

Wrong.....a Rectifier converts AC to DC.


A Regulator controls the amount of charge.

[Tarka]

If you cut all the wireing cr*p off the bike, they will work OK without a Reg/Rec.

They won`t if they`re CDI ignition.

Your old Kwacker may possibly have managed it by being points ignition,though it is rather hard to believe.