Another Battery sudden death syndrome question.

[iowawill]

I have had a battery problem for the last couple of years in this way: the battery is fine for much of the riding season, but if I don't ride it for a week or two I go to start the mc up and the battery is completely discharged. Always it has meant a new battery(using lead acid type) because the old will not accept charge. I am starting to wonder if the problem is possibly the key switch...mainly because this problem came along about the same time as another related switch issue. Turn signals frequently won't work until I jiggle the key. Is it possible that the key switch when turned off is still intermittently passing current? It's not the trunk light.

[Tonyvdb]

The radio will draw enough power to keep the clock running that after about 8 days of non riding it can drain a weak battery.

[voyager55]

I always have my battery on a Battery Tender.

[Lumpy Rider]

A parasitic draw could certainly be eating up your battery. A shorting ignition switch would drain the battery in a '73 Firebird I once had. You can check for this using a multimeter. Set it to 10amp DC, touch the positive lead to the disconnected negative battery cable, and the negative lead to the negative post of the battery. Read the amps being drawn. Anything above .02 and you have a draw.

You may also just have a weak battery - one that's on it's way out (unless you're talking about a new battery). An '03 Suzuki Intruder 1500 that I bought new performed this same way after 7 years and I just put up with it for a couple years after. A new YUASA solved this.

[Bill O]

Over the years there have been many, many threads about battery and starting issues. Then the onslaught of what battery is better than the next. The issue of the Clock and CB draining the battery over a two week period, ect. Less we forget, the threads on the alternator's 35amp vs 55 amp upgrade, pro's and con's. Too many accessories on the system........yada yada yada.

Too, too many times a symptom can cross over the fine line of possible causes. You see, many problems will show similar symptoms and everyone on this board who has been helped by someone, will remember their particular problem and will start flooding answers and causes to the respectives. This, more time than not, also tend to lead some, not considering themselves, a adequately trained "wrench", off on a Voyager scavenger hunt in their own bike.

Too many times those who are attempting to help, inadvertently hurt because solutions are spouted out instead of questions asked. Over the years so many of us have learned the in's and out's of the complete Voyager by the experiences of others, our own experience and problems encountered, etc.

The Voyager 1200 is genetically not very different from most other bikes, but the history of the engineering, construction, and the shortcomings stemming from improper fabrication and set-up at the factories has caused many of us to biologically store many, many fixes to memory as they have surfaced and have had to face them.

Every problem that can surface on the Voyager usually has one fix. However there is rarely one symptom. This is where logical thought and troubleshooting must come into play. And likewise, the multiple questions.

This is why, when someone new addresses a problem to the message board, expect to receive as many questions as you do suggestions for the cures. There are many of us old military electronic service techs out here who use systematic troubleshooting techniques, realizing that multiple causes can cause the same symptom, so we logically dissect and diagnose to eventually get to the root of the problem.

I know I may have taken the long way around the block, but I think I've got the foundation I was heading to.........

How many of you old timers remember "Smokey"? He was another of our bretheren that was cut from a similar cloth as our "Beloved" "Carl". Smokey was also a Kawasaki Service Tech/Manager who loved his Voyager 1200. And Smokey was also free with his expertise to any who would ask for his help. As side from Carl Leo, Smokey is the only other Voyager expert that I would take their input's as gospel. Now don't get me wrong, there are a gaggle of very skilled and experienced folks on board here and I value their expertise. Which get me around to the points I wanted to get To.

To all you new folks, by all means ask your questions, no matter how lame you might think it is. (We have all been there!, there are no dumb question!) Just remember, the answer you get may be from another newbee who just asked that same question last week. (He may not have gotten the correct answer.) Semi-newbees, don't be too anxious to jump in and give an answer that might not be quite so!, the guy receiving the solution might believe you when you might not know that there are other issues that can cause the problem.

Also, read the Tech material for known and discovered problems and know fixes. Don't just pop questions, look for them. There is an extensive amount of information here to discover.

Again, a response you receive on this board about a problem you are having, until you are comfortable with the individual providing the information, take it with a grain of salt. I ain't saing that are possibly wrong, they just might not be completely right..

And old favorite saying of mine.... It's not what you don't know that can get you into trouble, it what you do know, that ain't so!

Bill O

[iowawill]

I will check for a parasitic drain as suggested. Just wondered if folks with more knowledge thought it was possible for the key switch to cause this kind of problem on an intermittent basis - the switch has a problem re: turn signals (I've tried cleaning). It seemed unlikely to me that running an lcd clock could discharge the battery so quickly and I didn't have this problem for the first eight or nine years. I have no cb. Bill, I remember seeing Smokey's posts. Thanks for the responses.

[Lumpy Rider]

Bill, that's a real negative message for those of us semi-newbies/non experts wanting to help others and be part of a club consisting of members with like interests.

[Bill O]

Bill, that's a real negative message for those of us semi-newbies/non experts wanting to help others and be part of a club consisting of members with like interests.

Please don't get me wrong. It was not intended to be negative, but to only help all of us think of the consequences of too quick to judgement.

I remember back in the '90's, after just a few short months of activity with the AVA, I was being quoted on the message boards... ie:. "Bill O" said this or that, etc..... and I was as new as the next guy. I just realized the danger in being too easy with the information from only my position. Don't get me wrong, It made me feel good to think I was helping people, but to be artificially elevated in the eyes of others for repeating things others before me had taught me just days or weeks before.

I think it is really great that the spirit of sharing still thrives in the group. I just want those that give info and that those that receive, do so with the knowledge that there exist limitation that and consequences we must be aware of. I know of numerous instances where someone received erroneous information, and even after being informed of the correct action to take, he pursued the initial fix action that just cost him more $$ and additional aggravation.

Lumpy, look at the Dunlop 404 tires! Many times I've jumped out and beat my chest telling folks, "Do not use the 404's on the Voyager", but a new bee will succumb to what some other newbee says as far as what he heard or price.....ect. Too much info is offered freely that may not be "Just So!" For over 20 + years we've know the 404 tire is just crap on the Voyager, but we still are fighting that issue. ???

There are so many fixes, tricks, and work-arounds with the Voyager. Many are documented on the site, but we still re-invent the wheel, year after year. A key point.....any new Voyager owner who goes to a Kawasaki dealership to talk to their shop experts, should just park the bike and put a sigh on it. Look for those who have not abandoned the Voyager 1200 because they discovered the Voyager 1200 has always been the best kept secret in the motorcycle world. And, If properly maintained and cared for, will last them a lifetime. You want to find a true Voyager owner, look for those who own more than one, consecutively or concurrently.

Back in the day, the biggest question that became a sour note to many was...."How do you set the Clock". A simple question! asked multiple times per day, for what seemed like years. In fact it was probably one of the skills I had that got me tagged as an expert in the early days. (@17 years ago)

No, my intention was not to discourage or offend, but to encourage and teach a process. I want to be able to help those who walk up to a Voyager, and it burps, you be able to know where to stick the thermometer!

Bill O

[Chris near Kansas City]

Ahh, yes. Smokey. That takes me waay back.

[Bill O]

I will check for a parasitic drain as suggested. Just wondered if folks with more knowledge thought it was possible for the key switch to cause this kind of problem on an intermittent basis - the switch has a problem re: turn signals (I've tried cleaning). It seemed unlikely to me that running an lcd clock could discharge the battery so quickly and I didn't have this problem for the first eight or nine years. I have no cb. Bill, I remember seeing Smokey's posts. Thanks for the responses.

A notorious problem with Voyagers is that at the factory, the ignition harness' were tie wrapped to the triple tree too tight. Over time the cable would flex until one or more of the conductors would break, but make intermittent connection based on the turn of the bars. Since all wires were susceptible to this the symptoms ranged from the accessories going out, to the signals not functioning to the bike shutting off. Wiggling the harness would usually make the issue come and go. Best fix is to remove harness, open the outer coating, find the broken wire(s) (note flexed wires will bend at a 90% at the break point) Open up and solder, then reseal. Also the wires, due to stretching could break off of the solder pads at the key switch. Easy to re solder to pads.

Bill O

[Ditto]

Funny - Joanne and I were just talking, whatever happened to Smokey? He was very helpful with VXII info just as Carl, Chris and a few others on this great board have been. If they tell you something you can take it to the bank. If they are not sure of what they tell you they will let you know. They usually have already done the work they are sharing with you and it worked for them. Chris has even taken a lot of his time to make how to videos and put them on youtube for everyone to use. Thanks to everyone who gives proven advice.