Ducati Monster Forum

The battery in my 07 S2R seems to be totally dead and won't charge at all. It only lasted 2 years and around 14k. I travel and commute a lot. I'm running a heated liner, gloves and powered bag a good part of the year

Here is my question with the new Shorai lithium ion batteries being smaller. Could I get a more powerful battery to fit in the same spot and if I got a bigger battery would it put less strain on the battery and bike to keep up with my heated gear and other power stuff.

OR has this battery just been getting bad for a while and I should be fine running a liner, gloves and charging a phone with a regular battery?

 

battery shouldn't be running the gear. unless your bike is off

+1. With the bike running the charging system should be providing the power - but it sounds like you might be running too much stuff for it to keep up. The monsters alternator doesn't have a huge wattage surplus - what's the total that gear is sucking up?

Thanks guys this was helpful. I thought since the gear pulls from the battery terminals that a bigger battery would help. But if it just pulls the power coming from the charging system then I guess I stick with a stock battery. The bike always starts fine and I have no need to run stuff when the bike is off.

run 2 in series....

When the bike isnt running it should be on a battery tender - always.

Why do you say that? I feel like this is totally dependent on how often you ride. If you're going weeks inbetween rides, then yeah I guess I can see leaving it on a tender. But if you're riding every day or every couple of days, I don't know why you would need to.

"seems to be dead and won't charge at all" is not a diagnosis.  Disconnect the battery, fully charge it, then have it load tested.  This way you know the battery is the problem.  Heated gear should be no problem if you keep the RPM up a bit and the charging system and connections are in good order.  Your charging system puts out 520 watts, only 20 less than my 1979 BMW automobile did.  Battery tender all the time?  Nah.  Only if the bike is not being used enough, like winter storage or got run down for some reason.  7 years on my battery, seen the tender maybe 3 or 4 times.

actually, i never use a tender.
the only time i've had issues is a bad regulator, bad stators (2  [bang]) and left the parking light on  [bang]

If the battery is down on power, or is old it pushes the r/r hard, which forces the r/r to work harder and overheat, this cooks the battery and makes the situation worse.  If you are lucky, you will just boil the battery and loose the r/r.  Most folks change the battery and don understand why "a brand new battery" fails in 2-3 weeks.  It's because the r/r is over charging it.  In the pathological the stator will overheat and fail as well.

A tender lets the r/r run the bike and does. Not force it into deep charging mode that is wasn't designed for and cause the aforementioned overheat.  Additionally the tender helps remove sulfation and get more useful life out of the battery

While I have no specific Ducati experience in this matter, one of my other bikes - a Honda Vfr - is the king of this behavior. As a result of regular tender use, I have never had a battery failure or r/r problem on a dozen bikes over 25 years.  For me the $35 is well spent.  Your call.

Errrm, no. Parallel, maybe - but not series...

big (but it still won't help if the problem is that the current draw is more than the alternator can supply while still having enough left over to charge the battery)

A little background on my battery issues. I took a camping trip to Watkins glen and on the way home I had a 5 hour ride in the 40s with a little drizzle. I had my liner and glove cranked up. A couple days later I went to leave for work and my battery was really low. I bump started it and then put it on the tender that night. I rode the bike about 400 miles after that. Sunday I went to start the bike and there was nothing. Not even a click. Then when I plugged it into charge it I get the not charging error (light red blinking). I had thought that if I got a battery with more amps the bike wouldn't have to work as hard. But after some great comments I now get that accessories run from the charging system not that battery so I guess I'll just get a new stock battery and make sure it gets plugged on then it is cold out and I'm using my heated gear.

Thanks for all the great comments.

Sounds to me like during that run you were running 'net negative' voltage - i.e. you're heated gear plus the bike running load was taking all the voltage your alternator could produce plus a bit of the voltage stored in the battery.

You might want to install a voltmeter to monitor things since you're running heated gear.  You'll see the voltage drop as you turn-on each item.  You need to see 13+ volts minimum to be charging the battery as you run.  14+ is even better for long-term battery life unless you run a tender at home to help it along.  If voltage approaches 12 as you ride, it's time to shut off some of the load lest you be caught dead at some point.  You can run it low enough with that kind of load to cause the bike to stop from lack of ignition voltage (shut-off all the gear, bump-start and run home cold on just the alternator).

Here's a pic of a Datel digital voltmeter next to two Heatrollers (gloves and jacket liner) and above the aux light switch on my '04 ZG1000 Connie.  With 900 watts of alternator (lots more than any Duc I suspect) I'm maintaining 14.2 volts from just above idle with 175 watts of fwd lighting (2x55 aux + 60 headlight) plus the liner and gloves full-tilt.  14.6 volts with none of the farkles running, so that's the regulator limit I guess.  My brake/turn/run/dash lights are low wattage LED on that bike.  The battery stays healthy year-round without any tender between rides.
(http://i1188.photobucket.com/albums/z419/mypicnow/Connie/heat1small.png)

A more powerful battery will carry you a bit farther while running ‘net negative’ IF IT WAS FULLY CHARGED when you started the trip.  But once running with a load that exceeds what the alternator can keep up with while also providing sufficient voltage to charge the battery, you’re running on borrowed time no matter what.

HTH

I like the voltage meter idea, thanks!

It does seem you need a battery.  Definitely check your charging system after you install the battery.    You want to see 13.5-14.5 volts at the battery at about 3K RPM.

Get the shorai, the bigger version. It's only 20 bucks more.

Click here to see the source for the datel digital voltmeter. (http://www.themeterstore.com/datel-voltmeter-for-motorcycle-battery-monitor-44-c.asp)  There's lots of other choices of course.  The Datel is fully potted so with a dab of liquid insulation over the connecting terminals it's totally waterproof as far as I can tell, and very accurate to the 1/10 volt.

Slight tangent .... you're a better man than I  ;)  The Duc stays at home when I need heated gear, I gotta wuss-out and take the Connie in that kind of weather:
(http://i1188.photobucket.com/albums/z419/mypicnow/Connie/C10Ride.jpg)

Nice SUV. That is next on my list I'm down to just my 72 cb500f and the S2R1000 right now. I think the next bike will something more sport touring or a little more sport utility than the monster. I would even do a FZ6 with hard bags, VFR, ST or a little GS. Something that isn't too pretty and I can put a ton of miles on without caring about too much.   

But the Connie is sweet, that bike can go cross country in style and comfort.

Thanks again

Eggzactly   [thumbsup]

I like this single led voltage monitor. I might have to try this.
http://www.twistedthrottle.com/electrical-connection-led-motorcycle-battery-voltage-monitor-flush-mount-kit (http://www.twistedthrottle.com/electrical-connection-led-motorcycle-battery-voltage-monitor-flush-mount-kit)