• Welcome, Guest! We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMW MOA forum provides. Some forum content will be hidden from you if you remain logged out. If you want to view all content, please click the 'Log in' button above and enter your BMW MOA username and password.

    If you are not an MOA member, why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the BMW Owners News magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMW MOA offers?

Testing Bike Batteries with Automotive Tester

Global Rider,

Thanks for the feedback. The tester is a SPX OTC 3181. Got it as a gift.

3181_735.jpg
http://www.otctools.com/products/130_amp_heavy-duty_battery_load_tester

Just a cheapo tester, but it should work fine for my cars. It is nothing more than a 0.1 Ohm resistor with a voltmeter and a switch. I am just concerned that sucking 130A out of a battery could shorten its life, even thought it rated at 200 CCA. I am an EE, but not real familiar with the internal limits of AGM batteries.

Thanks
 
Easier test:

1. Wait five years.
2. Replace battery.

With my K75, yes.
With my R1200R, no. Three years if you are lucky, and they tend to quit on short notice. Oh, and when it goes, the bike will not run, even if you jump it.
 
With my K75, yes.
With my R1200R, no. Three years if you are lucky, and they tend to quit on short notice. Oh, and when it goes, the bike will not run, even if you jump it.

I think it depends on the failure mode. With an open circuit between two cells, the bike certainly will not start or run.

But a battery that's merely flat, or won't take a charge, will not prevent the bike from being jump-started and will allow the motor to continue running provided the rider doesn't turn it off. DAMHIK.
 
I am just concerned that sucking 130A out of a battery could shorten its life, even thought it rated at 200 CCA. I am an EE, but not real familiar with the internal limits of AGM batteries.

I loaded my FLA airhead GS battery with my 100A load tester and I believe it was a 130A battery. Just give it a top-up charge.

AGMs are good at sourcing current; one of their advantages.
 
I think it depends on the failure mode. With an open circuit between two cells, the bike certainly will not start or run.

But a battery that's merely flat, or won't take a charge, will not prevent the bike from being jump-started and will allow the motor to continue running provided the rider doesn't turn it off. DAMHIK.

You would think, buy I inadvertently ran mine down, and even though it started, it coughed, shook and sputtered and would not run right. I charged it up and all was fine. I am told this is normal on HexHeads. The voltage dip during starting may have corrupted the ECU settings temporarily.
 
Back
Top