Scooter Battery

HoolyNI

Anyone know how to judge a batterys power?

Have a 125 Epicuro and twice in the past week the battery has went flat just by using the electric start......i fitted a trickle charger and left home yesterday with a full battery, rode 8 miles to work and back and the charger took 2.5 hours to top battery up again last night....presumably this means battery is done?

[Deleted User]

Have you got an alarm fitted?

I had an after market bike alarm fitted to a scooter years ago and it used to just drain the battery. Had to stop using it in the end.

boyse7en

Does it struggle to start? If it has to turn over for a while before starting, it will take a lot out of what will be a very small battery.
I'd also doubt that an 8 mile trip is far enough to fully recharge the battery. I used to do 5 miles each way to work, and had to put the bike on charge every few days or it wouldn't start again (especially in the winter)

oldtoolie

How old is the battery? If it is more than two years old, it is probably on the way out.

But it could be dirty or loose connections.

You need to check the battery with a multimeter and test the charging system to see that it is charging. Check google or youtube for 'test motorcycle battery' for more detailed advice. Or your public library for a book on basic scooter maintenance.

kwaks

I would be looking at the alternator as well as the battery

HoolyNI

No alarm fitted, have one on another bike so fitted an optimate trickle charger to use durng the winter months.

Despite a full charge took about 4 goes on starter button to get it to start yesterday, then blueish smoke was coming out round the clocks [battery underneath them] thankfully i was only riding a mile to the mechanics to get it checked over.....he says my regulator has packed up and is over-charging/draining the battery, just curious that this all started when temperatures started to dip, hope its just a coincidence and not a sign of trouble throughout the winter months...

missile

Winter tests the electrics of any bike. Suzuki electrics are not the best and blue smoke sounds like the wires are overheating i.e. carrying too much current. This should not happen and I would be concerned. maybe something simple like a bad connection, but your mechanic should have checked that first off.

You might want to invest in one of these> http://www.amazon.co.uk/PORTABLE-POWER-STATION-ENGINE-COMPRESSOR/dp/B000R5F7Z6

HoolyNI

I had checked all the connections, wires etc was only taking scooter out to him so he could check everything else with a meter, but the smell and smoke issue led him to the regulator under the battery which was red hot after just a 1 mile ride....hopefully that will sort the issue.