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jbfla · 04-13-2017, 07:18 PM

Replacing a dead battery isn't a big deal.

Having a dead battery will eventually happen to everyone.

However, if you are far from home, and totally unprepared, makes it more inconvenient....and more story-worthy....

In Ormond by the Sea, on A1A, (north of Daytona Beach, FL),

.....I stopped at a convenience store/gas station to fill up the gas tank.

After the fill-up, when I tried to start the bike, all that happened was crank, crank, clunk....the engine would turn over twice, then stop with a loud clunk.

I repeated this several times....crank, crank, clunk.

I've had dead batteries before. This was different.

Usually the engine turns over slower and slower, then stops.

Or you only hear the click of the starter solenoid.

Or nothing happens.

I pushed the bike to a parking spot to the side of the convenience store, and pondered what to do.

Removing the seat and the side panel, and the battery revealed this:

It is supposed to look like this:

I asked inside the convenience store, and some of the people who pulled into the station for gas, if they had any jumper cables....no luck...

.....where's Joe #2 when you need him?

At least my phone battery wasn't dead.

There is an extra fee to have AAA motorcycle coverage, which I had added to my basic coverage for years, but had never used.

Now to see if it was worth the extra money.

I called the Auto Club (AAA) to get the battery jumped, or a tow.

After several minutes on the phone giving the AAA girl my location, and all my personal info, she asked where I would like the bike towed to, if necessary.

Where's the nearest Zongshen dealer?

I said, “Azusa, California”.

Without missing a beat, the girl says that my towing was limited to 50 miles.

I had just spent the night with some friends in Ormond, so I reluctantly gave their address, and sat down to wait the 1 to 2 hours for the tow truck.

While I was waiting, a man in an old truck pulled up and asked if I needed a jump.

Woooo Hooooo!

Connected the cables, and the bike started on the first touch of the starter button.

I thanked the man, and offered him some compensation, which he declined.

I thanked him again, then called AAA to cancel the tow truck.

Calling my friends to warn them that they hadn't seen the last of me yet, I headed back over the bridge to the mainland and to their house.

We spent the next couple of hours driving around trying to find a YTZ12S-BS battery with no success.

We also learned that the nearest motorcycle dealers are closed on Mondays.

At Auto Zone we finally found a battery (although it didn't have the same alpha-numerical designation).

The case size was the same, but it was 9 amps instead of the claimed 11 amps on the Guyue battery.

The guy at Auto Zone put the old battery on a load tester.

It showed a voltage of 12.5 But when he applied the "load", the battery went to zero, then back to 12.

And for a switch, this battery said it was made in the USA!

With the new battery installed, the bike started right up......

It was late in the day, so my friends invited me to stay over another night, which I did.

So, everything turned out OK.

I only lost a day of my trip....it could have been a lot worse.

My RX3 was from the second shipment, with the supposedly upgraded battery (according to 5,000 Miles at 8,000 RPM).

The battery was 1 ½ years old.

I had fully charged the battery the day I received the RX3.

And when I wasn't riding the bike, the battery has always been on a smart charger.

Hopefully, the new battery will last longer.

Oh....I ordered a set of motorcycle jumper cables, which should been waiting for me when I get home.

jb

04-13-2017, 07:18 PM	#1
jbfla Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: FL, GA, NC Posts: 771	New Battery Replacing a dead battery isn't a big deal. Having a dead battery will eventually happen to everyone. However, if you are far from home, and totally unprepared, makes it more inconvenient....and more story-worthy.... In Ormond by the Sea, on A1A, (north of Daytona Beach, FL), .....I stopped at a convenience store/gas station to fill up the gas tank. After the fill-up, when I tried to start the bike, all that happened was crank, crank, clunk....the engine would turn over twice, then stop with a loud clunk. I repeated this several times....crank, crank, clunk. I've had dead batteries before. This was different. Usually the engine turns over slower and slower, then stops. Or you only hear the click of the starter solenoid. Or nothing happens. I pushed the bike to a parking spot to the side of the convenience store, and pondered what to do. Removing the seat and the side panel, and the battery revealed this: It is supposed to look like this: I asked inside the convenience store, and some of the people who pulled into the station for gas, if they had any jumper cables....no luck... .....where's Joe #2 when you need him? At least my phone battery wasn't dead. There is an extra fee to have AAA motorcycle coverage, which I had added to my basic coverage for years, but had never used. Now to see if it was worth the extra money. I called the Auto Club (AAA) to get the battery jumped, or a tow. After several minutes on the phone giving the AAA girl my location, and all my personal info, she asked where I would like the bike towed to, if necessary. Where's the nearest Zongshen dealer? I said, “Azusa, California”. Without missing a beat, the girl says that my towing was limited to 50 miles. I had just spent the night with some friends in Ormond, so I reluctantly gave their address, and sat down to wait the 1 to 2 hours for the tow truck. While I was waiting, a man in an old truck pulled up and asked if I needed a jump. Woooo Hooooo! Connected the cables, and the bike started on the first touch of the starter button. I thanked the man, and offered him some compensation, which he declined. I thanked him again, then called AAA to cancel the tow truck. Calling my friends to warn them that they hadn't seen the last of me yet, I headed back over the bridge to the mainland and to their house. We spent the next couple of hours driving around trying to find a YTZ12S-BS battery with no success. We also learned that the nearest motorcycle dealers are closed on Mondays. At Auto Zone we finally found a battery (although it didn't have the same alpha-numerical designation). The case size was the same, but it was 9 amps instead of the claimed 11 amps on the Guyue battery. The guy at Auto Zone put the old battery on a load tester. It showed a voltage of 12.5 But when he applied the "load", the battery went to zero, then back to 12. And for a switch, this battery said it was made in the USA! With the new battery installed, the bike started right up...... It was late in the day, so my friends invited me to stay over another night, which I did. So, everything turned out OK. I only lost a day of my trip....it could have been a lot worse. My RX3 was from the second shipment, with the supposedly upgraded battery (according to 5,000 Miles at 8,000 RPM). The battery was 1 ½ years old. I had fully charged the battery the day I received the RX3. And when I wasn't riding the bike, the battery has always been on a smart charger. Hopefully, the new battery will last longer. Oh....I ordered a set of motorcycle jumper cables, which should been waiting for me when I get home. jb __________________ 2016 Honda CB500F......2017 Triumph Street Twin 2014 XT 250........ Last edited by jbfla; 09-15-2017 at 12:40 AM.
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