Batt. life span

[08087]

For you all in colder or 4 season climates, how long should you expect your scoot batt to last assuming you plug her into a tickler every night?

I've noticed my batt is a bit slow these past few nights when the temps have been down in the 30's or just above freezing for you that use C. instead of F.

[MotoRandy123]

I generally get 4 years or more from my batteries but I bring them inside during the winter
and put them on a piece of wood with a smart charger. Cold weather is bad for a battery and
a weak one will freeze and be ruined.

[Zimmerman]

Randy's advise is good.


It's interesting that when I rode my old Riva 180 year round in northeastern PA, that for three years I never had any trouble.

That Yamaha was a wonderful scooter, but more than anything I think scooters just like to be ridden.

I'm not suggesting that's a practical solution to this question . . . . more than anything I'm waxing nostalgic.

[08087]

I ride every day unless there is rain, on weekends when I don't use it I's tied to a tender.

So I out on avg 60 miles per week on the scoot, 6 miles each way to and from work.

My next question is this, If my Batt went dead and I had my tender with me could I plug it in and use it as a jump start or would I have to let it charge for awhile?

[MotoRandy123]

Well it takes 100 amps to run the starter. The tender is usually 1 amp or so. So you
couldn't jump it with the tender. You can jump it from another vehicle. Just don't run
the other vehicle and make sure to put the jumpers on the correct terminals. My last
bike had special terminals to jump from as the battery is usually buried.

[blue]

dont use a tender as a jump start. they do make bigger chargers for that. the one I have is a tender and a charger.it shuts its self off after the battery is fully charged the keeps the battery at a worming stage.

[08087]

I've been told not to jump start a scoot from a car because you could short out or overload your electrical system.

Will have to think of some way of making a jump start for my scoot just in case.

[bleys]

Heat is actually worse for your battery than cold.  But a cold engine is harder to start and so exposes a weak battery.  Warmer engines start easier....go figure.  It is the heat of the summer that kills the battery and then the first really cold day....wham your battery is dead.

[blue]

I've been told not to jump start a scoot from a car because you could short out or overload your electrical system.

Will have to think of some way of making a jump start for my scoot just in case.

I keep a small deepcycle battery and cables under the seat of my scoot works great for a jump start used it many of times for all my scooter buddys

[MotoRandy123]

Not using a car to jump is because when the car is running you can get 16v out of it.
It's OK as long as the car is not running. This is especially true for all fuel injected vehicles.
I'm sure it's been done but a spike can blow up the ECU and kill your scoot (if donor vehicle
 is running).

[Zimmerman]

At my local cycle shop - the parts guys told me not to jump my scooter with the car running - he said it would blow the fuse.
I had already been doing it for a long time - the fuse never blew but the headlight did.
Anyway, his advise made sense to me and I've followed it ever since.

Jumping a scooter from a car battery (with the car not running) should not cause a problem.
They are the same voltage and the scooter will simply draw the current it needs - no more no less.

$0.02,

     Kevin

As others have said - don't jump from the tender (trickle charger.)
The voltage is correct but the little charger just can't supply the large amounts of current needed to turn the starter.
It will probably damage the trickle charger by putting into an overload.

If you're really stuck and the trickle charger is all you have - then leave it plugged in for days to charge the battery as much as possible - then pull the light fuses (if you can) and try to start the scooter using its own battery.

[ts1]

I don't pamper my batteries and they last 5-8 years outside.
Using jump start from a modern car is easy (same voltage rating assumed, don't combine 6-12V or 12-24V). There is no need of the car engine to run, because the car battery has a much higher capacity and can do the side job with ease.
But even with car engine runnning: the electronics of the car doesn't like high voltage too. A killed scooter electronic would indicate a severe error in the cars charge controller and warn you in advance.