Lesson Learned....

Discussion of the Genuine Buddy, Hooligan, Black Jack and other topics, both scooter related and not

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MoniqueKV
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Lesson Learned....

Post by MoniqueKV »

So, I hadn't ridden my scooter in a month because of a variety of things, e.g., schedule, weather, etc. Now my husband was diligently starting it weekly and riding it around the block. Apparently that wasn't enough. Went to start it and it was dead. Was able to kick start but battery was extremely low. Got a battery charger and the battery would not even charge. It was dead!

New battery ordered and lesson learned!
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skully93
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Post by skully93 »

doh!

Even through I ride 'year round', it gets really spotty from say, Dec-April. We get arctic plunges where it's just a huge pain to ride. If I know some of that is coming, we pull all the batteries out (4 bikes, kind of a pain). if needed we top them off.

Short rides around the block won't return enough juice at all. You need some longer rides.

That being said, the stock Yuasa batteries, while very pricey, are pretty tough. Original lasted 4 years before I didn't trust it anymore.
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wheelbender6
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Post by wheelbender6 »

If your hubby gets the scoot up to cruising speed for a while during rides, that helps a lot.
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lovemysan
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Post by lovemysan »

I read on here somewhere that a 7 mile ride restores the battery voltage used by the starter. For me about 15 minutes ride. Cold weather kills my battery. The older the battery the worse it is. I trickle charge in the cold.
161cc big bore kit, NCY big valve head Hand ported, NCY transmission kit, jetted and tuned. I can port your cylinder head.
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Dooglas
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Post by Dooglas »

What kind of a "battery charger" did you get? You want a low output "smart" battery tender to keep your scooter's battery topped off when it is not being ridden for a while. Automotive chargers can harm the small scooter batteries. As others have commented, riding the scooter around the block to "top off" the battery does more harm than good.
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RoaringTodd
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Post by RoaringTodd »

@Skully - why pull the batteries? I have three scoots - they all have the battery tenders connections on them, and I just rotate the plug between those scoots weekly. The indicator on the batter tender tells me when the charge is full.
Just because I am Deaf ... does not mean I can't roar.
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skully93
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Post by skully93 »

RoaringTodd wrote:@Skully - why pull the batteries? I have three scoots - they all have the battery tenders connections on them, and I just rotate the plug between those scoots weekly. The indicator on the batter tender tells me when the charge is full.
Because I have no garage. They live 100% outside, no electrical connection. They do have pigtails on them, but there's not a spot to plug them in.
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KooK
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Post by KooK »

I bought a 25 ft extension so I could charge up mine while the plug is inside my apartment.
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Whimscootie
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Post by Whimscootie »

Keep it on a trickle charger if you don't ride everyday or over winter. Battery Tender Junior can be purchased at Wal-Mart for 30 bucks. Go on-line to learn how to hook up the pigtail to your scoot's terminals. Then just plug it in when you need to and charge her up!
When my scoot is out of storage I park it outside my apartment window and run the charger out the window to keep it charged up if there will be a lag time in riding. Easy as pie!
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Mikestib1
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Post by Mikestib1 »

Still learning
Last edited by Mikestib1 on Sat Mar 11, 2017 9:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
50 motorcycles and scooters from age 16 to 67. Loved every one but always had to sell one to buy the next, damn shame of economics. After spine surgery it's been all scooters. The light weight and CVT transmissions will let me ride as long as I breathe
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Mikestib1
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Battery Tender

Post by Mikestib1 »

I haven't bought a new battery in 10 years with multiple bikes. If I don't ride more tha a few miles at a time, I hook it up once a month. If I don't ride at all in the Winter, I just leave it connected. I never overcharges and I never remove the battery.
50 motorcycles and scooters from age 16 to 67. Loved every one but always had to sell one to buy the next, damn shame of economics. After spine surgery it's been all scooters. The light weight and CVT transmissions will let me ride as long as I breathe
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