trackandroad
Member
I was wondering if you have any ideas about what could be wrong with my 2007 Yamaha FZ1 motorcycle.
I put in a new battery 2 months ago because with the previous battery, in the morning (after trickle charging all night) it would start up fine, but at night after being at work, it would usually start on the second attempt (switched off then on) when I gave it a handful of throttle.
The new battery made the problem go away for a month, then it started to return.
Last night I swapped in the reliable battery from my back up FZ1. Same thing: perfect in the morning and bad at night.
After charging overnight, the battery voltage is about 13.5 when I disconnect it from the trickle charger. Battery voltage at idle is about 14.2. After I return home and the bike has been sitting, the voltage drops to roughly 12.8.
One thing I noticed just now is that the engine won't even start in the 12.8-13v range. This seems strange because everything I've read says it should start even at 12.6v.
I don't know...maybe since the bike is older, the starter motor needs more wattage.
I thought that the charging system isn't working when I ride the bike and that's why the battery doesn't have enough power to reliably start the engine at night.
It normally rides fine with no flickering dash or lights. One time on the previous battery, it died at idle. But that morning it hadn't been on a trickle charger.
Yesterday, I replaced the regulator rectifier with a tested one I got used. It didn't help.
I was thinking about replacing the rotor part of the stator anyway but maybe I don't need to.
I'm confused because if the battery's voltage goes up to about 14.2 at idle, then the stator should probably be producing enough output and the R/R should be working properly.
I was thinking maybe the O'Reilly's battery was a dud but the current one is a Yuasa that I swapped in from my back up 2008 FZ1. That battery in that other bike had zero issues.
I was thinking parasitic loss, but I only have trickle charger leads attached to the battery. No accessories are connected.
Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks
I put in a new battery 2 months ago because with the previous battery, in the morning (after trickle charging all night) it would start up fine, but at night after being at work, it would usually start on the second attempt (switched off then on) when I gave it a handful of throttle.
The new battery made the problem go away for a month, then it started to return.
Last night I swapped in the reliable battery from my back up FZ1. Same thing: perfect in the morning and bad at night.
After charging overnight, the battery voltage is about 13.5 when I disconnect it from the trickle charger. Battery voltage at idle is about 14.2. After I return home and the bike has been sitting, the voltage drops to roughly 12.8.
One thing I noticed just now is that the engine won't even start in the 12.8-13v range. This seems strange because everything I've read says it should start even at 12.6v.
I don't know...maybe since the bike is older, the starter motor needs more wattage.
I thought that the charging system isn't working when I ride the bike and that's why the battery doesn't have enough power to reliably start the engine at night.
It normally rides fine with no flickering dash or lights. One time on the previous battery, it died at idle. But that morning it hadn't been on a trickle charger.
Yesterday, I replaced the regulator rectifier with a tested one I got used. It didn't help.
I was thinking about replacing the rotor part of the stator anyway but maybe I don't need to.
I'm confused because if the battery's voltage goes up to about 14.2 at idle, then the stator should probably be producing enough output and the R/R should be working properly.
I was thinking maybe the O'Reilly's battery was a dud but the current one is a Yuasa that I swapped in from my back up 2008 FZ1. That battery in that other bike had zero issues.
I was thinking parasitic loss, but I only have trickle charger leads attached to the battery. No accessories are connected.
Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks