Odyssey PC535 died

[Plane Dr]

So if big ugly sits for more than 2-3 days I need to put the bike on a charger. I went with the Odyssey after the great reviews here. I am tired of constantly changing batteries. I ride constantly, virtually everday commuting. if it sits a week or so I can almostunderstand topping it up. It should still bloody start the thing. It goes on a tender regularily.

Today I went to start it an sure enough just enough to make the 1200 grunt. I has sat for 3 days I rode to work friday.

I am contacting the dealer I purchased it from I'm within 2-3 weeks of being out of warranty. If it is deemed good and how is that call made??? The dealer is a reputable motor cycle web p arts seller, nowhere near here. Not big but not shady as far as I can tell.

Will the local Batteries plus swap it out?

Then since this is definitely not the wunder battery what else is out there? Yuasa suck replace every 2 years...Wally World? Cycle gear doesn't have a lifetime warranty one that fits.

This is not intended to turn into an oil thread. What do you use and how does it stand up?

AAArrrgh.

[acejones]

If you're going through batteries that fast, you have a problem on your bike.
I have had the same Odyssey in my R1150R for over five years. I hardly remember to charge it and it always starts.
You probably have some sort of parasytic drain going on.

[JimVonBaden]

Originally Posted by acejones

If you're going through batteries that fast, you have a problem on your bike.

I would have to agree. Yousa and Oddysey are the best out there. If neither is working for long, you have an issue.

Jim

[steve_k]

I would put an amp meter in line on the positive side of the battery and see what your current draw is with the bike off.

[Plane Dr]

The experience with Yuasa is just about every bike I've ever owned. Not the BMW. I had the BMW about 6 months when I replaced the battery. I have no idea when that one was put in. I have never had a battery in any bike go more than 2 years. I had my hopes up this time.

But for the Odyssey to be that bad I find hard to believe it is the bike. It sat 40 minutes on the charger and was to where it would start. I'm seeing 14+V at the battery when running.

I only have a small parasitic display I just installed today Voltmeter/clock/temp gauge. So that would have to mean the base system is drawing it down. The Odyssey was fine to start but has been getting worse and worse.

[rdwalker]

Originally Posted by acejones

If you're going through batteries that fast, you have a problem on your bike.... You probably have some sort of parasitic drain going on.

Yup.
For reference, my 12GS with a Westco battery (bought July 2009 from Beemer Boneyard) is at 12.9V on battery tender. Once disconnected, it goes down to 12.2V within a week, still no problem cranking. Once it drops below 12V of quiescent voltage - after another week or so - it will have hard time cranking.

If your battery is sucked down within 3 days, you have something untoward going on there. And since you wrote that you had similar problem with previous battery, I'd blame the bike. Time to go on a hunt...

Good luck, Robert.

[WindSailor]

Originally Posted by rdwalker

Yup.
For reference, my 12GS with a Westco battery (bought July 2009 from Beemer Boneyard) is at 12.9V on battery tender. Once disconnected, it goes down to 12.2V within a week, still no problem cranking. Once it drops below 12V of quiescent voltage - after another week or so - it will have hard time cranking.

If your battery is sucked down within 3 days, you have something untoward going on there. And since you wrote that you had similar problem with previous battery, I'd blame the bike. Time to go on a hunt...

Good luck, Robert.

About the same here; my GSA will start after 2 weeks of just sitting there with no tender attached.

Completely stock bike - no electrical farkling?

A friend of mine -occasionally- forgets to disarm his aftermarket alarm - and his is dead too in about three days.

[Plane Dr]

Well that's the way the battery performed 2 years ago. Even 1 year ago. No changes to the bike, but the battery isn't there anymore.

[lhendrik]

You have work to do. You have to look at all the electrical connections in the charging system. One of these may be loose, corroded or suffering from a psychotic breakdown. You cannot diagnose this on an internet forum, you have to get a little dirty. You can get the battery load tested if you really think that is what it is, but there are too many other "leak points" to test first. Have a nice day.

[Plane Dr]

Not parasitic draw (0.06 A). There is some but not enough. The Dealer recommended deep cycling the battery. I figure I'll give that a go.

[Disco Dean]

I had my original BMW - oem battery last me 6 years and that was sitting in the garage for 4 months of the year and it started every spring - it was a heated garage.

I have had nothing but great results with Yuosa batteries - running those exclusively in my race bikes.

New this last month is my Odyssey so lets hope it will work - although I have every confidence that it will perform just fine.

Something must be up with your bike - either that or bad luck.

[vintagerider]

Q: What was the voltage during absorption charge?
Q: How many minutes and at what amperage in absorption mode?
Q: How hot in deg F was the battery allowed to get at any point including charging?
Q: At what voltage did charger transition to float?
Q: What was the float voltage?
Q: How did you determine that Odyssey "failed"?

Chances are that you never charged the Odyssey according to the charging parameters. Hint: Enesys> Odyssey> Literature> Owner's manual. See also list of approved chargers and/or technical manual.

What is the point of re-posting the official charging and test information? Read the booklet that comes with the battery or refer to the Enersys Odyssey site. When charged outside of the approved parameters the Odyssey may not start you bike. Its that simple.

Whenever a vehicle battery is replaced the starter should be checked for excessive load amperage. True for all vehicles.

[ragtoplvr]

Originally Posted by Plane Dr

Not parasitic draw (0.06 A). There is some but not enough. The Dealer recommended deep cycling the battery. I figure I'll give that a go.

BAD

.06 * 24 is 1.44 amp hour per day! The PC535 is 13 amp hour.
9 days is dead. After 5 you would be lucky to start. you have something drawing too much current. Cycling the battery too much, and killing it by wearing it out

Rod

[Plane Dr]

Originally Posted by ragtoplvr

BAD

.06 * 24 is 1.44 amp hour per day! The PC535 is 13 amp hour.
9 days is dead. After 5 you would be lucky to start. you have something drawing too much current. Cycling the battery too much, and killing it by wearing it out

Rod

It seems high but every post I've seen under the GS forum says between 0.05-0.07 is normal. Given I ride every day, often with multiple starts, and from 113F to 28F the other day the battery gets a work out.

Due to my former experiences with batteries I am religous about the tender which Odyssey says is actually very hard on their battery type. Causing sulfation. So the desulfate experiment is in progress.

I am having a hard time draining it to the low voltage needed (quickly) for cycling everything is bloody LED or high efficiency.... I don't want to have the electron fluctuations while hooked to the precious ZFE.

[Disco Dean]

Odyssey has their own tender that is properly made - of course - for their batteries.

When I bought my battery they threw one in at cost for me.

Dean