Battery drain

TheChairman · 02-15-2021, 12:58 AM

Anyone else noticed a battery drain on their TT250?

I have a 2020. The factory battery was always weak, so I replaced it with a new one. Filled, charged it slowly with a 1A charger, ect. Put it in the bike and it cranked over fast and started easy.

It got cold. Go back a week later, and it's back to barely cranking again.

These bikes are crazy simple, so there's only a few places the juice could be going. Anyone seen this? Did you find the culprit, or should I start unplugging stuff and see what happens?

ChipToothy · 02-15-2021, 05:31 AM

Cold will drain any battery it seems. A guy I know has a month old Tesla and it lost 19% of the miles just from being parked outside in the ice cold.

I ordered the Black and Decker trickle charger off Amazon for the battery I replaced a couple months ago. It makes a huge difference starting at 9 degrees 5:45 am. I was told the trickle will extend the life of a battery by a couple years but I’ve abandoned the bike about 5 days ago since the average temp has been 1 and isn’t changing for a whole mother week.

ChillRider · 02-17-2021, 04:08 AM

Yup, cold will wreak havoc on any battery, no matter how simple or complex the vehicle. My '07 ZongShen 200 GY-2 is carbureted, no alarm or immobilizer etc. and yet, after just a few days out in slightly sub-zero temperatures (min of -4 C during the night), it could not crank at all this morning, even though the headlight appeared to turn on just fine.

The day was saved by the kickstarter, although combining it with full choke is tricky (gotta keep the choke pulled by hand, while at the same time kicking and holding the front brake and being ready to give just a tiny amount of gas) and when sitting for days, compression is somewhat low, so a lot of kicks will be wasted just circulating enough oil to build up compression. I will of course have to remove, warm and refill/recharge the battery properly when back at home (flooded cell type...)

BuffaloChinaRider · 02-17-2021, 07:36 AM

While I go outside and start my Apollo up after about 10 seconds after sitting for weeks in freezing buffalo weather.lol Gotta love Lithium Ion batteries. My lead acid one dies after 3 days in cold weather! It was very annoying.

NinjaSICKthirtysix · 02-17-2021, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheChairman

Anyone else noticed a battery drain on their TT250?

I have a 2020. The factory battery was always weak, so I replaced it with a new one. Filled, charged it slowly with a 1A charger, ect. Put it in the bike and it cranked over fast and started easy.

It got cold. Go back a week later, and it's back to barely cranking again.

These bikes are crazy simple, so there's only a few places the juice could be going. Anyone seen this? Did you find the culprit, or should I start unplugging stuff and see what happens?

It's funny you should say that because I have a 2021 tt250 and the day I unboxed it I killed the factory battery trying to start it. So I replaced it with an AGM battery which was fully charged and I used it maybe twice and then it has sat in my garage for about 3 weeks and I went to start it the other day and I killed it while trying to get it started and it didn't take much it died within just a few tries. So I just put the AGM on the charger and it was only at 20% so in three weeks it dropped 80% I'm about to put it in right now and give it another go.

Apologize if there are any spelling or grammar mistakes I am using talk to text.

tknj99 · 02-17-2021, 11:25 AM

Ive had a similar experience, i swapped out the stock battery to an AGM as well. .my bike is in a cold shed and after the first attempt with choke on, the second attempt will be a slow start as the battery is taxed at that point.
On previous bikes, id always keep them on a battery tended in the garage and that always worked well, but the Brozz is slim enough for the shed and il just charge up from the attached dongle as needed.
I'm much more happy to recharge the AGM then the crummy stock battery.

ChillRider · 02-18-2021, 03:59 AM

FWIW, I ended up swapping the new battery (a noname 'POWER" brand YB9L-B flooded cell type) I had gotten exactly one year ago with the one that came with my bike (similar type, GK brand), which I kept somewhat charged during this last year so it didn't die completely. Of course that one is on borrowed time too, but surprisingly it can still turn the engine over.

The "new" one has developed the usual sulfation/increasing internal resistance symptoms: in an "smart" battery charger it just appears full after a short time charging, OCV appears high just by letting it sit (12.7 V), it will deliver low to moderate loads up to a few A no problem, but it just cannot deliver enough current for a starter to operate.

TBQH, getting the "new" battery a year ago was probably a mistake on my part: it was on sale pretty cheap, but the seller delivered it to me pre-filled with acid...so who knows how long it had been sitting without being used prior to that, or if it has ever been properly charged/tended.... It worked OK most of the time though, I regularly checked the electrolyte level and recharged it on a tender from time to time, so I didn't really believe it would just turn to rock one day

TheChairman · 03-09-2021, 09:55 PM

OK. I dove into this problem again.

The TT250 has the B+ wire from the battery to the solenoid tied into the battery hot wire into the harness, and through a crummy glass fuse. The ground strap is a crummy wire that goes into the sprocket cover.

I cut out the garbage glass fuse and installed an inline automotive type holder, while giving that it's own terminals. I cut out the trash 10ga wire from the battery to the solenoid and replaced it with 8ga, with it's own terminals. There is now sufficient wire on the starter hot side. As for the ground strap, I made a new one using 3/4" copper braided with copper terminals and ran it from the battery to the tank bolt on the frame. The original to the engine case remains connected. The battery I am using is an ES5L-BS from Walmart, which is the crossreference for the replacement battery that CSC sells.

The bike still cranks like crap. I even jumped the solenoid to make sure it wasn't bad connections and it made no difference. So, my deduction is that either this battery is just as defective as the OEM, the starter is garbage, or the battery is too small for the application. I'm going to take actual measurements of the battery box, as there seems to be plenty of room both up and over for a larger battery and see what I can cram in there next.

Biker_Andy · 03-11-2021, 09:00 PM

Do the new TT250s with the digital cluster have a wire going directly to the battery? When I bought my TT250 it came with an analog cluster and I replaced it for a digital one, same as they have now. My cluster came with a fused red wire that, according to instructions, goes to the battery. With this wire removed the digital cluster works perfectly fine no difference at all. After I removed the wire my battery seemed to no longer be draining. I haven't put my meter on it to be certain thought. Honestly I was surprised it worked without it. I figured I needed to hook it up to ignition instead.

TheChairman · 03-11-2021, 10:32 PM

I have no idea.

There is only one fuse on the bike, and it is in line with the battery.

motochutuya · 03-13-2021, 01:38 AM

my stock battery went flat after two drained, replaced with lithium and its been resilient even after several hard drains. I know lithium is not an option forevery one.

my bike was draining at idle due to stock bulb and even aftermarket led one. I don't think the bike charges enough or at all during idle. I cut the wire corresponding to the headlamp and now it acts like an ON/OFF switch. Brilliant for trails where I want it off, and at night I get both beams.

My lithium battery would drain while tuning the carb, meaning I had to stop and ride it for 15min to give the battery a chance. After turning off the front bulb I can no longer detect drain.

TheChairman · 03-14-2021, 06:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by motochutuya

My lithium battery would drain while tuning the carb, meaning I had to stop and ride it for 15min to give the battery a chance. After turning off the front bulb I can no longer detect drain.

Interesting you should say this. I usually allow my bike to idle until the float bowl is dry before putting it away. It's just something I've always done. I also live in a city and get stuck in traffic all of the time.

So you essentially remove the low beam?

I'm certainly willing to do this. The headlamp isn't bright enough even with the high beam on to be really useful. Riding with it on at night all of the time (if ever needed at all) would be an option for me.

02-15-2021, 12:58 AM	#1
TheChairman Join Date: May 2020 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 115	Battery drain Anyone else noticed a battery drain on their TT250? I have a 2020. The factory battery was always weak, so I replaced it with a new one. Filled, charged it slowly with a 1A charger, ect. Put it in the bike and it cranked over fast and started easy. It got cold. Go back a week later, and it's back to barely cranking again. These bikes are crazy simple, so there's only a few places the juice could be going. Anyone seen this? Did you find the culprit, or should I start unplugging stuff and see what happens?
	1

02-15-2021, 05:31 AM	#2
ChipToothy Join Date: Apr 2018 Posts: 819	Cold will drain any battery it seems. A guy I know has a month old Tesla and it lost 19% of the miles just from being parked outside in the ice cold. I ordered the Black and Decker trickle charger off Amazon for the battery I replaced a couple months ago. It makes a huge difference starting at 9 degrees 5:45 am. I was told the trickle will extend the life of a battery by a couple years but I’ve abandoned the bike about 5 days ago since the average temp has been 1 and isn’t changing for a whole mother week. __________________ Bashan Storm: Ebay steel exhaust wrapped, folding shift lever, seat mod, vm26 carb, air pod, dual led scrambler headlamps, windshield mod, led brake/tail light, secondary led brake light (swingarm), Ebay 295mm rear shock, back up CDI (racing unknown), oil cooler, digital gauge cluster,
	0

02-17-2021, 04:08 AM	#3
ChillRider Join Date: Jun 2020 Location: A small country with a funny name Posts: 164	Hurray for kickstarters! Yup, cold will wreak havoc on any battery, no matter how simple or complex the vehicle. My '07 ZongShen 200 GY-2 is carbureted, no alarm or immobilizer etc. and yet, after just a few days out in slightly sub-zero temperatures (min of -4 C during the night), it could not crank at all this morning, even though the headlight appeared to turn on just fine. The day was saved by the kickstarter, although combining it with full choke is tricky (gotta keep the choke pulled by hand, while at the same time kicking and holding the front brake and being ready to give just a tiny amount of gas) and when sitting for days, compression is somewhat low, so a lot of kicks will be wasted just circulating enough oil to build up compression. I will of course have to remove, warm and refill/recharge the battery properly when back at home (flooded cell type...)
	0

02-17-2021, 07:36 AM	#4
BuffaloChinaRider Join Date: Feb 2020 Location: Buffalo NY Posts: 224	While I go outside and start my Apollo up after about 10 seconds after sitting for weeks in freezing buffalo weather.lol Gotta love Lithium Ion batteries. My lead acid one dies after 3 days in cold weather! It was very annoying. __________________ BuffaloChinaRider on Youtube Bashan Storm 250 (2018) Apollo Db-36 Deluxe (2019)
	2

02-17-2021, 11:25 AM	#6
tknj99 Join Date: Oct 2020 Location: Central VA Posts: 1,251	Ive had a similar experience, i swapped out the stock battery to an AGM as well. .my bike is in a cold shed and after the first attempt with choke on, the second attempt will be a slow start as the battery is taxed at that point. On previous bikes, id always keep them on a battery tended in the garage and that always worked well, but the Brozz is slim enough for the shed and il just charge up from the attached dongle as needed. I'm much more happy to recharge the AGM then the crummy stock battery. __________________ 2024 Zuma Storm 150 DLX 2019 Beta 430 RRS 2017 Honda Fury Former China Bikes: Tao DBX1, Brozz 250, CSC RX4, Titan DLX, Templar X
	0

02-18-2021, 03:59 AM	#7
ChillRider Join Date: Jun 2020 Location: A small country with a funny name Posts: 164	FWIW, I ended up swapping the new battery (a noname 'POWER" brand YB9L-B flooded cell type) I had gotten exactly one year ago with the one that came with my bike (similar type, GK brand), which I kept somewhat charged during this last year so it didn't die completely. Of course that one is on borrowed time too, but surprisingly it can still turn the engine over. The "new" one has developed the usual sulfation/increasing internal resistance symptoms: in an "smart" battery charger it just appears full after a short time charging, OCV appears high just by letting it sit (12.7 V), it will deliver low to moderate loads up to a few A no problem, but it just cannot deliver enough current for a starter to operate. TBQH, getting the "new" battery a year ago was probably a mistake on my part: it was on sale pretty cheap, but the seller delivered it to me pre-filled with acid...so who knows how long it had been sitting without being used prior to that, or if it has ever been properly charged/tended.... It worked OK most of the time though, I regularly checked the electrolyte level and recharged it on a tender from time to time, so I didn't really believe it would just turn to rock one day
	0

03-09-2021, 09:55 PM	#8
TheChairman Join Date: May 2020 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 115	OK. I dove into this problem again. The TT250 has the B+ wire from the battery to the solenoid tied into the battery hot wire into the harness, and through a crummy glass fuse. The ground strap is a crummy wire that goes into the sprocket cover. I cut out the garbage glass fuse and installed an inline automotive type holder, while giving that it's own terminals. I cut out the trash 10ga wire from the battery to the solenoid and replaced it with 8ga, with it's own terminals. There is now sufficient wire on the starter hot side. As for the ground strap, I made a new one using 3/4" copper braided with copper terminals and ran it from the battery to the tank bolt on the frame. The original to the engine case remains connected. The battery I am using is an ES5L-BS from Walmart, which is the crossreference for the replacement battery that CSC sells. The bike still cranks like crap. I even jumped the solenoid to make sure it wasn't bad connections and it made no difference. So, my deduction is that either this battery is just as defective as the OEM, the starter is garbage, or the battery is too small for the application. I'm going to take actual measurements of the battery box, as there seems to be plenty of room both up and over for a larger battery and see what I can cram in there next.
	0

03-11-2021, 09:00 PM	#9
Biker_Andy Join Date: Oct 2016 Posts: 347	Do the new TT250s with the digital cluster have a wire going directly to the battery? When I bought my TT250 it came with an analog cluster and I replaced it for a digital one, same as they have now. My cluster came with a fused red wire that, according to instructions, goes to the battery. With this wire removed the digital cluster works perfectly fine no difference at all. After I removed the wire my battery seemed to no longer be draining. I haven't put my meter on it to be certain thought. Honestly I was surprised it worked without it. I figured I needed to hook it up to ignition instead. __________________ Electrician & Electronics Tech 2014 Honda CB500XA 2016 CSC TT250 1976 Honda CJ360T 2022 Honda Navi
	0

03-11-2021, 10:32 PM	#10
TheChairman Join Date: May 2020 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 115	I have no idea. There is only one fuse on the bike, and it is in line with the battery.
	0

03-13-2021, 01:38 AM	#11
motochutuya Join Date: Nov 2020 Posts: 47	my stock battery went flat after two drained, replaced with lithium and its been resilient even after several hard drains. I know lithium is not an option forevery one. my bike was draining at idle due to stock bulb and even aftermarket led one. I don't think the bike charges enough or at all during idle. I cut the wire corresponding to the headlamp and now it acts like an ON/OFF switch. Brilliant for trails where I want it off, and at night I get both beams. My lithium battery would drain while tuning the carb, meaning I had to stop and ride it for 15min to give the battery a chance. After turning off the front bulb I can no longer detect drain.
	0