2008 Yamaha WR250X bad battery?

[ProfessorXavier]

Picked her up in mid jan for $2900. Then and Now.
Rode her only on the weekends for a month then the battery died. Took battery to autozone to get it recharged.
2 weeks after this, it died again.
Was set to buy a new battery but was advised to check the stator and R/R, I found this. http://i.imgur.com/Ej5ni6b.jpg

I replaced it http://i.imgur.com/A42AxCz.jpg
and went ahead and replaced the R/R as well. Battery was dead once it was all installed so I plugged her up to me cheap Battery Maintainer I got at walmart for $20
Figured it would give it enough juice to go and give the stator a chance to charge her right up(at least that's how I think it works). Took her out today and she ran well until I got about 4mi or 30min on her and the she died on me, good thing I wasn't on a big busy road. I barley got her back home.

Thoughts? I was thinking of taking the battery to autozone again and if it dies, I would get a new one.

[SF Boyz]

Picked her up in mid jan for $2900. Then and Now.
Rode her only on the weekends for a month then the battery died. Took battery to autozone to get it recharged.
2 weeks after this, it died again.
Was set to buy a new battery but was advised to check the stator and R/R, I found this. http://i.imgur.com/Ej5ni6b.jpg

I replaced it http://i.imgur.com/A42AxCz.jpg
and went ahead and replaced the R/R as well. Battery was dead once it was all installed so I plugged her up to me cheap Battery Maintainer I got at walmart for $20
Figured it would give it enough juice to go and give the stator a chance to charge her right up(at least that's how I think it works). Took her out today and she ran well until I got about 4mi or 30min on her and the she died on me, good thing I wasn't on a big busy road. I barley got her back home.

Thoughts? I was thinking of taking the battery to autozone again and if it dies, I would get a new one.

Instead of replacing parts over and over why not test the voltage so you actually know where to begin. If u buy cheap parts it won't last long only about 4 miles ( lol just a joke)...

[hippylong]

best battery i've bought ...
motorbatt.
gel,
higher cranking amps
70 to 80 bucks.,

[ProfessorXavier]

Instead of replacing parts over and over why not test the voltage so you actually know where to begin. If u buy cheap parts it won't last long only about 4 miles ( lol just a joke)...

Yeah, I got the stator from amazon for $40 and regulator for $28. I am on a student budget, so I can't go all out.
I bought a voltmeter, that's how I found out the stator was not working as it should.

[ProfessorXavier]

best battery i've bought ...
motorbatt.
gel,
higher cranking amps
70 to 80 bucks.,

I was thinking of going with Shorai for the battery.

[montibank]

Yeah, I got the stator from amazon for $40 and regulator for $28. I am on a student budget, so I can't go all out.
I bought a voltmeter, that's how I found out the stator was not working as it should.

I was thinking of going with Shorai for the battery.

I think there is. contradiction there - spoken like a true motorcycle addict there

If you let the voltage drop too low on a shoria you will ruin it. If you need a 'practice' battery till you sort it out I have one you can borrow. It will only cost you the gas to get to my house so I can check yer bike out. If you on fresno state campus I can haul it to work with me but I'll still need ta see the bike ;p

[ProfessorXavier]

I think there is. contradiction there - spoken like a true motorcycle addict there

If you let the voltage drop too low on a shoria you will ruin it. If you need a 'practice' battery till you sort it out I have one you can borrow. It will only cost you the gas to get to my house so I can check yer bike out. If you on fresno state campus I can haul it to work with me but I'll still need ta see the bike ;p

oops, little too late. I got a new battery on it and it still died. like it did with the old battery when I charged it.

[SF Boyz]

oops, little too late. I got a new battery on it and it still died. like it did with the old battery when I charged it.

Ok Fine learn the long way...

[RC51Sp2]

We need to get you back on the road. Please give us more detail. How did you determine stator was not working with the multimeter? Should have let Montibank take a look at your bike. I know me is dying to take it for a spin

(1) I presume when you say the battery goes dead, that you mean the engine stops running. The battery is not dead. Horn works, dash lights still work.

(2) Does the starter turn?

Voltage is probably too low for the igniter/ecu to operate.

Charge battery fully disconnected from your bike.

(3) Measure voltage of your fully charged battery with you voltage meter.

(4) Reconnect battery to bike and measure voltage. Same/Different? If it drops a lot there may be some sort of short or unusual load.

(5) Leave multimeter connected and start you bike. Will drop while the stater turns.

(6) Watch your voltage as you let your bike run. My guess is it will continue to decrease until it to low to run. At what voltage does it stop running. When you rev engine the voltage should increase. It the voltage does not increase when you rev. your engine there is some sort of charing problem.

Let us know the outcome.

[ProfessorXavier]

We need to get you back on the road. Please give us more detail. How did you determine stator was not working with the multimeter? Should have let Montibank take a look at your bike. I know me is dying to take it for a spin

(1) I presume when you say the battery goes dead, that you mean the engine stops running. The battery is not dead. Horn works, dash lights still work.

(2) Does the starter turn?

Voltage is probably too low for the igniter/ecu to operate.

Charge battery fully disconnected from your bike.

(3) Measure voltage of your fully charged battery with you voltage meter.

(4) Reconnect battery to bike and measure voltage. Same/Different? If it drops a lot there may be some sort of short or unusual load.

(5) Leave multimeter connected and start you bike. Will drop while the stater turns.

(6) Watch your voltage as you let your bike run. My guess is it will continue to decrease until it to low to run. At what voltage does it stop running. When you rev engine the voltage should increase. It the voltage does not increase when you rev. your engine there is some sort of charing problem.

Let us know the outcome.

I will try measuring again tomorrow and post results and when I say the battery dies, I mean the engine light goes on and a few minutes later, lights and all go out. I then pull over and try turning it back on and the dash lights go on but it doesn't have enough juice to turn on, I get a buzzing noise when I try turning her on.

[RC51Sp2]

I will try measuring again tomorrow and post results and when I say the battery dies, I mean the engine light goes on and a few minutes later, lights and all go out. I then pull over and try turning it back on and the dash lights go on but it doesn't have enough juice to turn on, I get a buzzing noise when I try turning her on.

Does the buzzing sound happen when you push the start switch ( I am not familiar with your Yamaha and presume it is an electric start rather than a kick start.) ?

In a low battery condition I will guess the buzzing is your starter relay trying to close (opening and closing rapidly because the voltage is too low to close)

Let's presume that the new stator and regulator are fine. Start checking all the connectors and wires to and from your regulator and stator. Look for burnt and blackened connectors, melted insulation on your wires since you implied the stator windings were over heated (dark wires don't mean the stator is bad. I have had windings that have bubbled from heat but still were not shorted and functioned fine). All connectors and wires in between would probably be over heated too. You will probably not be able to see the wires in your harness since they will probably be wrapped. A good indication of melted wires that are wrapped is that the harness will feel very stiff, brittle, and not flexible.

You may have to take your bike into a repair shop.

[ProfessorXavier]

Does the buzzing sound happen when you push the start switch ( I am not familiar with your Yamaha and presume it is an electric start rather than a kick start.) ?

In a low battery condition I will guess the buzzing is your starter relay trying to close (opening and closing rapidly because the voltage is too low to close)

Let's presume that the new stator and regulator are fine. Start checking all the connectors and wires to and from your regulator and stator. Look for burnt and blackened connectors, melted insulation on your wires since you implied the stator windings were over heated (dark wires don't mean the stator is bad. I have had windings that have bubbled from heat but still were not shorted and functioned fine). All connectors and wires in between would probably be over heated too. You will probably not be able to see the wires in your harness since they will probably be wrapped. A good indication of melted wires that are wrapped is that the harness will feel very stiff, brittle, and not flexible.

You may have to take your bike into a repair shop.

Any idea how much it would cost to take it in and diagnosing the problem?

[RC51Sp2]

Any idea how much it would cost to take it in and diagnosing the problem?

If you call around you should be able to get a rough estimate from the repair shops. They will probably charge a hour mininum to diagnose the problem that could be used as credit towards the repair.

[montibank]

Should have let Montibank take a look at your bike.

[montibank]

You get it sorted?

[ProfessorXavier]

You get it sorted?

Pretty much.
I was pressured by friends to take her to wilsons to have her checked out and they confirmed that it was indeed my poor choice in cheap parts.
I now ordered OEM parts and now I am waiting.
I learned my lesson.

[montibank]

Pretty much.
I was pressured by friends to take her to wilsons to have her checked out and they confirmed that it was indeed my poor choice in cheap parts.
I now ordered OEM parts and now I am waiting.
I learned my lesson.

Ahh bummer - I hate when that happens. Electrical problems suck.

Hopefully yer back in the saddle again soon out trying to keep the front wheel down on public roads.