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Second Battery? Second Battery?
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Yamaha Tech Originally the Yamaha XT600 Tech Forum, due to demand it now includes all Yamaha's technical / mechanical / repair / preparation questions.
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  #1  
Old 10 Sep 2008
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Second Battery?
Hi all, Just a thought, if i leave my 3aj for any more than a day without the optimate charger connected, the battery will not start it. (new battery by the way& the bike is charging ok) i have a spare battery and when i connect this to the one in the bike she fires up straight away. is there any way i can connect the second battery permanently(say in an ammo box in front of engine)?? or will i smell burning plastic?? like i said, just a thought!
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  #2  
Old 10 Sep 2008
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Technically you can but..
Will add a lot of weight (good idea only if you plan to travel long time in places where you cannot find a replacement one, or if you travel alone in places where no other vehicle available)

If permanently connected will add work to your regulator\rectifier, that is already a component prone to fail in our bikes.

Better option could be to add a Voltmeter so you can check every time your battery and regulator health, and stop problems just when they begin to appear.
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  #3  
Old 10 Sep 2008
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Mmmh so it would work, im wondering if i was sold the wrong battery. When i bought the bike it had a new battery fitted but has always had this starting problem. I replaced the battery at the start of (summer!!) but no better. when i rev the bike from idle the lights brighten and when its warmed up she starts ok. If i connected a switch then i could use second battery just as a booster when cold starting? thanks for the reply: T
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Old 10 Sep 2008
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I would really rather recommend that you fit a kickstart.

Easiest mod you're likely to make

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  #5  
Old 10 Sep 2008
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Sounds like a duff battery
I had similar issues with my 3aj. Now I have a decent new battery as apposed to the junk I was sold by the first shop and it'll hold charge for a couple of weeks. It didn't help that the old battery ended up short on battery acid, but the second battery I bought is the business. I can find out the make if you like?

Also, do you have anything like an alarm that might be draining the battery a bit? Finally, I kept my old battery on trickle charge all winter and it was totally knackered by the spring - it wouldn't start the bike even when it was apparently fully charged from the Oxford 'Optimiser' thing. Use sparingly I'd suggest.
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  #6  
Old 10 Sep 2008
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The backup idea is good, but as partially said, if your battery goes quickly down,

or

A) you bought a low quality battery (then better to buy a good one, YUASA is one of the good ones)

or

B) you regulator rectifier does not charge, or charges too much and the overcharge kill the battery

I would investigate the cause of the problem, because a spare battery kept parallel can surely help, but not solving the problem will bring further problems in future (for example also an old\bad battery will damage your reg\rect)


My idea is that yamaha sold thousands XT600, all worked ok with their battery, if yours has problems, there is something wrong, a palliative could help you in short term but bring you to further damages.
Last edited by cyberzar; 10 Sep 2008 at 18:20. Reason: added info
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Old 10 Sep 2008
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I am inclined to agree with other comments that the battery is poor, or you have a slow drain taking current and reducing the batteries power.

My XTZ660 had a new battery by the previous owner last November, and the battery has no marking to suggest what make it is so i guess it was a cheap one he put on to sell the bike,

BUT, I have either a fuel pump or carburation problem I think, if the bike has been run in the last day or two, then its starts immediately, but after a week of standing the time taken for it to start increases, after a month of standing it takes about a eternity (probably only a minute really) but the starter keeps whirling around for all that time

To check if there is a drain then disconnect the battery and leave the bike for a few days then reconnect and see if it has lost power, if it has then the battery is not good, if it starts ok then there is something draining it (have you got an alarm?)

The only time mine hasn't started was when I left the heated grips switched on for a week,and then the battery was even to flat for the optimate to charge it, but using jump leads kicked enought from the alternator to fix the battery
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  #8  
Old 11 Sep 2008
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Exclamation Fix it ......
Quote:
Originally Posted by big t View Post
Hi all, Just a thought, if i leave my 3aj for any more than a day without the optimate charger connected, the battery will not start it.
Something is wrong!!!!!!

If your engine was not running would you put a second engine in parallel to the first? No - you fix the problem!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!


FIX IT!

Don't work around ... fix the probnlem...

Something is discharging the battery ... find it and replace/fix ...

It should be possible to leave the bike parked for at least 2 week (while you explore some park in Africa say) and have it start .. with no connections anywhere...
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  #9  
Old 11 Sep 2008
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I'm with Frank and Brian on this one you have some sort of problem and you need to get it fixed
I have an XT600E which has been left for over a month on a few occasions and it starts no problem at all
do the battery disconnect thing that will tell you were the problem is

Bob
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  #10  
Old 12 Sep 2008
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OK FRANK OK!!!! lol Like i said, it was just a thought. There is no other electrical gizmos fitted to the bike so i think i was just sold a sh*t battery which cost £40 incidently. Thanks for the replies anyway guys. T
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Old 12 Sep 2008
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Hi,

With the engines being a dry-sump design, could the engine be "wet-sumping"? The longer the bike is left, the more oil seeps into the sump. The more oil in the sump, the more difficult it is to turn over, etc....

Just a thought.

Geoff
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  #12  
Old 12 Sep 2008
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And by the way: This is a freakin' good looking bike!

(It had to be said...)


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  #13  
Old 12 Sep 2008
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You may have hit on something there Geoff, Another symptom the bike has is a lot of smoke for 1-2 minutes when i start her from cold. Anyone know if i can check the one way valve that stops oil reurning to the crank case. I have checked the clymer manual, but cant see any valve. Does the engine need partially stripped to get at this? cheers T
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Old 12 Sep 2008
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Hi,

It is a job I have been thinking about, but not looked into much, so no first hand knowledge.
This link may help visualise the valve (ball-bearing; cup; spring)
http://parts.yamaha-motor.com/partim...x?d=123126,2,0
The valve is located in the clutch cover and shown as items 25, 26 & 27 in the diagram. Perhaps a clean & inspection first?

I guess checking the oil level difference shortly after a run and then again after having left the bike for a day or two, should show you the condition of this valve.

Good luck.
Geoff
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