[redmosquito1]

So I think I ruined my battery. It was supposed to be new when I bought the bike but the seller told me a lot about the bike that wasn't true, like the fact it hadn't been laid down which it had. I killed it with in 20 minutes the second time I rode the bike chatting with my buddies and left the lights on. I had to jump it with my jeep cause I was about an hour from home. I've done this several times and I think that I cooked the battery, oops.

So I need a suggestion for a good quality battery that can handle a little lights and not break the bank. Maybe suggest where to buy and what model etc.

Thanks in advance guys
Tom

Oh and primer went on the bike sunday, final sand yesterday and hopefully color on it by this weekend.
WooHoo

 

[redmosquito1]

I should also ask - I saw a coleman solar powered trickle charger for $50 or so and wondering if these are any good for the battery?

I can't use a traditional tender because I park my baby in my covered parking spot and there is not an electrical outlet and my apartment is much to far to run an extension cord.
Thanks

 

[DEcosse]

I've been really impressed with my SVR - sometimes it sits for several weeks without being started or on the trickle charger & it it is always good to go.

Re the solar charger - I have no experience with those, but given where you intend to use it, I would supect that it's not going to be there very long before someone thanks you for the free gift!

 

[redmosquito1]

yeah i guess i never thought of that. I had 2 flashlights borrowed from my topless jeep this summer. I don't keep any thing else in there thats why i left the top off.

 

[Grae_ST]

Red,

Try one of these... (i'm not sure which model fits your year Sprint)

But IMHO these are the best batteries available for Bikes.

Cheers, G


http://www.eastpenn-deka.com/default.aspx?pageid=510

 

[wannab]

I'll +1 on SVR batteries. a little on the pricey side, but they pack a punch. On the warrior, I had a 108 cubic inch kit, with high compression pistons and racing cams. The clock and trip meters would always reset every time I started the bike with the stock battery. It would just drag the battery down until the motor kicked to life. After replacing the warrior stocker with a SVR, it sounded like it was going to sling the starter off the bike. It honestly kicked over faster than a stock warrior with the stock battery, and my clock resets were over. It lasted well past 3 years that I had it installed in the bike, I dont know how it is now, I sold that bike about 3 months after buying the sprint. I just didnt ride it anymore.

 

[Air_Bob]

I should also ask - I saw a coleman solar powered trickle charger for $50 or so and wondering if these are any good for the battery?

I can't use a traditional tender because I park my baby in my covered parking spot and there is not an electrical outlet and my apartment is much to far to run an extension cord.
Thanks

Costco sells a twin pack of solar powered trickle chargers for $25. They charge at a rate of 1.5 amps/hr. The only problem is they don't work like a Battery Tender. You'll probably need to disconnect it every once in a while in order to not overcharge the battery. I just put one of them on my travel trailer last week, so I can't say if works yet.

 

[Calliway]

10 amp hour battery with a 1.5 amp hour charger.....

10ah/1.5ah = 6.66

Number of the beast! All the more reason to stay away from this!

Since you ride a 99 your battery will be a 12a/h battery so no duels with evil but for all you 05+ riders.... see the above math.

If you left that charger on your battery would boil dry in about 10 hours. If the charger is auto then it will shut off when the battery is charged but wont start back up when it drops voltage.

Your factory battery is a YTX14BS. This is good news because that is a bigger battery then the 1050's and why whenever I am answering a battery question is usually on the 05+ models. However, your battery should be an AGM battery and everything I have ever said about AGM batteries still stands true for 99-04 model bikes.

No trickle chargers - the cook AGMs by not regulating voltage
Battery Tenders only or AGM approved chargers with a voltage regulator.

Deka # ETX14
Yuasa # YTX14-BS

 

[dolson]

I just knew Mr. Battery would come through.
Thanks Cal

 

[oldndumb]

You wold think that by now, with all of the information re battery chargers in this forum, that there would be an understanding that old technology "trickle chargers" are not the best option to keep a battery charged.

Read and heed Cal's advice.

This is a reference that has been linked previously.

http://www.yuasabatteries.com/pdfs/TechMan.pdf

 

[Calliway]

One would think....... OnD, one would think........

 

[Air_Bob]

10 amp hour battery with a 1.5 amp hour charger.....

10ah/1.5ah = 6.66

Number of the beast! All the more reason to stay away from this!

Since you ride a 99 your battery will be a 12a/h battery so no duels with evil but for all you 05+ riders.... see the above math.

If you left that charger on your battery would boil dry in about 10 hours. If the charger is auto then it will shut off when the battery is charged but wont start back up when it drops voltage.

Your factory battery is a YTX14BS. This is good news because that is a bigger battery then the 1050's and why whenever I am answering a battery question is usually on the 05+ models. However, your battery should be an AGM battery and everything I have ever said about AGM batteries still stands true for 99-04 model bikes.

No trickle chargers - the cook AGMs by not regulating voltage
Battery Tenders only or AGM approved chargers with a voltage regulator.

Deka # ETX14
Yuasa # YTX14-BS

I do believe the manufacturer of the Solar Charger offers some sort of regulator that works like a tender. This is not included with the solar charger. It's an extra. I use a Battery Tender Jr. on my Sprint.

The TT has to huge batteries to charge and I'm assuming the solar panel charger only works during daylight hours, so it works for that application without the regulator.

 

[redmosquito1]

OnD I searched for battery suggestions, but failed to search for the charger suggestions (lazy) but I think I'll forgo the solar deal because A- it won't be there long and B- per everyone they are not verry good for the battery.

I think what may have finally killed the battery is I let it freeze when the temp dipped. Oh well.

thanks for the thoughts guys

 

[Calliway]

If it froze then you had the wrong battery. An AGM battery won't freeze the same way a standard battery will. It get to -55c up here and no frozen batteries. Mine are out in an unheated garage all winter.

 

[redmosquito1]

I think its a deka or something, never really looked at it that much. I'm not sure if it froze per se but it got very cold (not as cold as yours cal) and thats when it stopped turning over the bike. In all reality it probably only needs a good charge but I don't want to run the risk of being in the middle of no where and needing a jump.