Battery life ?

[alibaba]

Hi all, new member here.

I purchased a new Monster 696. I have found that if not ridden, the battery will discharge in ONLY 3 WEEKS so that it will still light the dash but not have enough power to turn over the starter motor. Just a small noise. In another 3 -4 days it goes stone dead.

I have owned and maintained dozens of motorcycles (mostly Brit-Iron) over the years - many sitting for months and months - and still the batteries were good. I have never had a bike battery discharge so quickly.

Is this normal? Anyone else experience this? Do I have a bad battery in a brand new bike? Do I have a warranty issue?

It is a real PITA job to access this battery to recharge it or I could live with it.

Ron Patterson

[Howie]

No, it is not normal.  I suspect your battery is suffering from a parasitic drain.  This is a warranty issue.  While the bike is in the shop, have them put i pigtail on the bike for a battery tender.

[TobyDanger]

The battery on my s2r was doing the same thing last year and got progressively worse.  One of the cells had gone bad.  At first I just got a tender, thinking I just wasn't riding enough, but when it wouldn't start after just a few days of sitting, I knew it wasn't just me.  I was told at the time that the warranty on the battery was only 6 months, so don't wait...

[ute]

you haven't ridden in 3 weeks ?

[ScottRNelson]

I would have the dealer look at it as a warranty issue, but independent from that, you should own a Battery Tender and have the connector installed on the battery.  Put the plug where it's easy to reach just inside the frame rails on the right side.  Any time the bike sits, it takes less than half a minute to hook it up to the tender, then you know the battery will remain charged.

The battery on my first Monster lasted more than six years.

[dlearl476]

The battery on my first Monster lasted more than six years.

IMO, batteries are a crap-shoot.  I've had identical Yuasas last anywhere from 2-6 years in bikes.  Same with cars, I've had batts go in two years, and my personal best, an Optima that I put in my Alfa Romeo in 1996 that still functioned perfectly.

If your bike is still in warranty, get it to the dealer, poste haste.  They may give you a new one, or at least a pro-rated deal on a new one.  FWIW, one of the things that kills a battery before it's time is keeping it on a partial charge.  (allows the plates to "sulfate.") Since very few bikes have charging systems that will fully charge in a bike the short trips most of us take, a Battery Tender is a must, like Scott said.

[teddy037.2]

+1 on not normal...

my battery's been kind to me, for... four years? now... 8k miles, so you know she sits...