Electrical Problem

[Glenn]

I started my '79 T140 up and was going for a ride when I forgot that I had something to do before I left, I shut it down. When I got back to it and tried to start it, nothing. No lights when I turned the switch on. Nothing when I hit the starter button. My bike has an Ozzie Oswald QPD (Quiet Power Drive) starter system. I took the head light off to check to see if the kill switch wire had worked lose from the connector. Everything there was OK. I took the switch out to see if a wire had come off a lug. Everything there was OK. I am thinking that I may take the starter switch apart to see if a wire has come loose. I installed a 1981 right handlebar switch with a push button starter switch. Other than that I am at wits end. I guess I will start tracing wires I guess to see if that is a problem. Any suggestions please send them to me. All suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[triumph david]

Have you checked to see if elect is getting to the starter, if not trace back to the solenoid.

 

[Glenn]

Problem solved and YES I feel SID. I forgot the one thing I learned a long time ago which is START AT THE POWER SUPPLY AND WORK FORWARD!!!!! What i did do when the bike would not start a second time was push it back in the garage and take off in my truck because I was running late. The next day the battery had a reading of 12.86 Volts and also showed that the charge was full (it has a meter built in). That was when I suspected other things. When I got home today I checked and the same readings appeared. I then put my test light on it and no light. Then I realized that I had left the trickle charger on and the reading of 12.86 volts was coming from the trickle charger. Had I put my recharger on I would have gotten a reading telling me that the battery was shot. I had only had it 2 months. The battery had an 18 month warranty. I bought it through Amazon. They refunded my money. I had the same thing happen with my lawn mower battery (Duracell) that I bought at Batteries Plus. It only had a 6 month warranty. I was mowing and it started up great with plenty of power. Turned the mower off to go get a cold one. G ot back on it and it was as dead as a door nail. The battery that came in my Cub Cadet Zero turn mower lasted 4 years. I keep trickle chargers on all my equipment including my 3 bikes (soon to be 2-more on that later) and my 1953 Chevy Hot Rod Show truck. My question is why are the lawn mower and bike batteries so pittiful? I have no idea how this thumb got on here.

 

[Rudie]

why are the lawn mower and bike batteries so pittiful?
I keep trickle chargers on all my equipment

By "trickle chargers", you mean modern 'battery maintainers'? If so, while you might have got a couple of dud batteries, you could also ask, "Why are modern battery maintainers so pitiful?"; I know so many people who have used 'battery maintainers' who have had batteries stop working after only a short period to ever believe they are a good idea.

Otoh, if you do mean real old "trickle chargers", that's your problem. Any battery based on lead-acid technology (so including modern AGM and gel variants) can only be charged at 1/10th of their Amp-hour (Ah) rate, "trickle chargers" to do this have been around as long as the batteries; however, these "trickle chargers" cannot be left connected continuously, they have to be switched off and disconnected after a nominal ten hours.

Last motorcycle batteries I replaced were a lead-acid Varta I had had for ten years and a Chinese cheapie I had had for over eight years, the Varta before the last one also lasted about ten years. I either use them in the bikes they were intended for or, in winter, I keep the batteries in the house (batteries don't like cold) and charge them about once a month with a trickle charger I bought about forty years ago, that can do the crucial 1/10th of the batteries' Ah rate.

Only time will tell if the AGM replacements last as long ...

 

[Glenn]

The ones I use are the Battery Tender brand. I have no issues with the 2 vehicles I have them attached to or the BMW K75 I am selling, The only issue has been with the two mentioned ('79 T140 and cub Cadet zero turn mower).

https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tend...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

 

[Glenn]

Now I do have these two on my truck and car. They have been on there for 5-7 years and have created no problem on these two vehicles.

https://www.harborfreight.com/automatic-battery-float-charger-42292.html?_br_psugg_q=float+charger

 

[triumph david]

I use those Harbor freight batt float chargers on my stuff seems to work great