Has to be the battery!

[Kobi]

I bought my Ridgeback four years ago with only 1100 miles on it. I have 2200 miles now, so you get the picture I don't ride it much. From time to time, this thing will not turn over. Loud clunk, tach goes crazy and I try it again and it turns over fine. I thought I had a sticking compression release causing this. Yesterday I played with it, starting it several times and again BIG CLUNK, hit it again and it labors then spins and starts. I put a volt meter on the battery and tried it again and found it drops down to 5 volts when I crank it. Battery! That battery is a Deka and two years old. Shorty after I installed this battery, I upgraded my EHC to one of Axels units and noticed how much less I have to tender the bike, less drain for sure. I don't leave a tender on the bike, just put one on it for a day or so every few weeks when stored over the winter.
Bottom line, I guess I don't exercise the battery enough to keep in good shape, sulfating I suspect. Funny when I check it, It stays above 12.7 volts and passes my battery tester test, but fails when loaded hard.
I am thinking of trying a HD battery this time. I guess with my little riding, I can expect to replace batteries often. My story for the day!!

 

[dentdude36]

I'm running Axels ehc too it doesn't draw constant powerlike the original ehc but I still keep it on a tender whenever I'm not riding it I use this one it desulfates

BatteryMINDer Model 2012-AGM: 12Volt-2 Amp Battery Charger Maintainer/Desulfator for Odyssey, Optima and AGM Lead-Acid Batteries - Designed for Cars, Trucks, Motorcycles, ATV, Boat, RV, etc. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005EKY20K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_2xNeBbDXYKA9B

 

[BWG56]

Here's the battery some of us have, I only have it in mine a year or so, I hoping for at least 3.

https://www.amazon.com/MX20L-MOTORC...=1527937744&sr=8-1&keywords=throttlex+battery

 

[Reddickracing]

Yea I need to get one of those tenders. I got one from a local parts store, it works but, When it reaches the desired voltage it goes green and stops charging which I know is what its supposed to do. The battery has to drop to low for it to kick back on which could take 6 months or longer with a good battery. So just cause its on the tender doesn't mean its doing anything. I need to get one that maintains tighter tolerances if such a thing

 

[Nukeranger]

I’ve observed that people who don’t ride much end up getting a new battery every time they do ride!

 

[Sven]

Here's what I've come across... Magnetism = you cannot separate heat and the chemical reaction it creates.
With that said:
ChemRe [outside]= The ground cable has this white powder (acid in solid form) that covers the bolts, nuts, lead post, under the cable's eye [touching the lead] side. This underside chemRe is a resistor type you might say, where it stops the flow and you get this click to surge type startup at the starter. A poor ground occurs [chemRe wise] in other words. To counter that reaction, you use vaseline or dielectric grease and cover the cable's eye end, the lead post, nut, bolt, etc. to curtail the chemRe.

ChemRe [inside] = The acid to water needs heat to keep the acid from separating the two liquids or sulfation kicks in. And that white powder forms on the lead plates inside. By using the charger to keep the liquids from separating, use a charger that shuts down and starts up maintaining a certain voltage range. This way the heat does not overcook the liquid out of it, and the charger stays on longer.

Will a charge every so often work? No. The battery [according to yuasa] loses 1% charge per day. So 30 days and it's down 30%. You charge it up for so many hours and it may not be enough, as in, you charged about 20% back up and stopped and now we start at 10%, add 30 days again [before charging] and you are now down 40%. Compound the problem and did the chemRear its ugly head? See WATT I'm saying?