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Replacing speedometer to save the DRZ battery

By 52wheelz,
in DRZ400/E/S/SM

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52wheelz

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I have a 2009 DRZ400S and just replaced the battery for the first time because it was dead and wouldn't take a charge. I have two 2009 DRZ's, one I primarily ride and one my son rides. It was my sons DRZ that has the dead battery. He doesn't ride as much as me and we have let the battery go dead several times over the last 1 1/2 years.

It is my understanding that the clock in the speedometer will eventually drain the battery beyond repair.

Assuming this is true, has anyone replaced the DRZ speedometer with one like the Trail Tek Vapor that uses a watch battery to power the clock?

I suppose I could also use my Garmin Zumo to replace my speedometer as it has MPH and trip odometer.

Has anyone installed an inline switch to be able to turn off power to the speedometer from the battery?

If a DRZ is going to sit for months without being started or run, it seems the battery needs to be disconnected or a different solution for the speedometer needs to be set up.

I know Eddie has a more powerful battery option, but won't that battery also go dead, beyond repair, if the bike sits for months without being started?

This is probably an old topic so if there is a link I can be pointed to, that would be great.

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timbanditos

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I have never had an issue, I keep my bike on a battery tender at all times when in mhy garage. But when its running I run the lights, speedo and power my heated grips or my GPS hardwired to the battery with no electrical issues. Turn tech lithium battery might be a better option to hold charge longer, but I found battery tender is key.

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52wheelz

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I have never had an issue, I keep my bike on a battery tender at all times when in mhy garage. But when its running I run the lights, speedo and power my heated grips or my GPS hardwired to the battery with no electrical issues. Turn tech lithium battery might be a better option to hold charge longer, but I found battery tender is key.

How many years have you gone without replacing a battery in your DRZ and are you using the stock battery of a different one?

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Noble

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The speedometer is about 1/2 of the drain on the battery. Add to that the natural internal loss of power that occurs to a battery and the leakage thru the regulator/rectifier and there is not much to be gained by replacing or even disconnecting the speedometer. A TrailTech Vapor does have an internal battery but it still uses the on board motorcycle battery for stay alive power.

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SupermotoHooligans

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I have never had an issue, I keep my bike on a battery tender at all times when in mhy garage. But when its running I run the lights, speedo and power my heated grips or my GPS hardwired to the battery with no electrical issues. Turn tech lithium battery might be a better option to hold charge longer, but I found battery tender is key.

Same for me, the pigtail is wired (zip-tied) on my bike. Whenever the bike sits in the garage i usually plug it in. Stock battery since 07 with 11xxx miles.:bonk:

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sbootsma

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i've got a $15 battery maintainer from harbor freight for my bike.... its super easy to wire up a couple of bullet connector pigtails of the battery to some place easy to get to and put the same connectors on the chargers.... takes 30 seconds to hook up.

use a female bullet connector for the + lead off the battery so it won't accidentally touch anything metal to metal and a male connector off the - lead and then that way you'll never hook it up backwards either.

Edited by sbootsma
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52wheelz

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My stock battery is original from when I bought it in 2001. All you need it a Battery Tender hooked up and it will be fine.

That's impressive!!!!!

I have had a Battery Tender Plus for years and usually only plug it into my bikes, for 24 hours, after they have sat for a while. I always thought leaving it plugged in all the time would ruin the battery eventually but that isn't the case in your situation. Glad to hear this.

I know there has been some discussion about different battery chargers and how they affect batteries but it sounds like you have had amazing success just leaving it plugged in all the time.

I've got four bikes in the garage right now, two are mine, and would need to buy three more battery tenders to do what you have done not to mention a farm quad, tractor and riding mower. None of these is used on a weekly basis and they all have batteries that can die from lack of use. I've only had battery problems with the DRZ to date.

My Yamaha farm quad can sit, with no use, for up to six months, and it is 6 years old with the original battery. It fires up everytime I start it so that battery isn't draining or going bad for some reason.

Looks like I should but stock in the Battery Tender company if the right solution is to leave all of them plugged in all the time.

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jtiv19

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That's impressive!!!!!

I have had a Battery Tender Plus for years and usually only plug it into my bikes, for 24 hours, after they have sat for a while. I always thought leaving it plugged in all the time would ruin the battery eventually but that isn't the case in your situation. Glad to hear this.

I know there has been some discussion about different battery chargers and how they affect batteries but it sounds like you have had amazing success just leaving it plugged in all the time.

I've got four bikes in the garage right now, two are mine, and would need to buy three more battery tenders to do what you have done not to mention a farm quad, tractor and riding mower. None of these is used on a weekly basis and they all have batteries that can die from lack of use. I've only had battery problems with the DRZ to date.

My Yamaha farm quad can sit, with no use, for up to six months, and it is 6 years old with the original battery. It fires up everytime I start it so that battery isn't draining or going bad for some reason.

Looks like I should but stock in the Battery Tender company if the right solution is to leave all of them plugged in all the time.

I have one battery tender that rotates between 2 ATVs and 1 riding mower. Works great. Only problem I've ever had was when my son left the key switched on the Honda Recon all night. After that the battery was done.

Also do the the free power mod. Very easy and inexpensive to do.

https://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=627031

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spiderman302

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Lead acid batteries will self discharge in 3 to 6 months with nothing hooked up. the C-mos clock in the speedometer will run forever on a motorcycle battery and is not likely that which is running down your battey. It is best to run a float charger (Tender) when your bike is not in use. You can leave this type charger on indefinently. I have had to put a small solar panel on my Suburban to keep the battery fresh since I now commute on a bike.

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drz400s_guy

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You can leave them on there for pretty much ever if you have them hooked up right. I just use the Battery Tender Junior 12V with pigtail connector right on the battery. It is nice because you just unplug from the charger an put the cap on the plug to the bike and go ride. Then when I get back just plug it right back in on the bike. I didn't usa any charger the first couple months I had the bike and nearly killed the battery. It was almost dead even when I did get a charger, but it brought it back to life and it still cranks about the same as it did over 10 years ago!

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Goebz

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I have used CTEK products for 0ver 5 years. I used a smaller on then sold it to a friend for on with a "recondition" mode. It was about $125 but it saved 2 batteries that were totally dead. I picked up a quart of battery acid, topped them off and put one on the recondition. I took about a week to go through the complete cycle then about 48 hours for a full charge. Both batteries worked better than new.

I put anything I am not using on for about a week and it keeps for a month. I had at one time 3 bikes and a lawn mower I switched every week. Weach had a pigtail so I didnt have to open anything up. I even made a set of jumper cables out of RC car connections and they were great if we had a failure in the field. I just hooked them up and jumped the other bike.

You can get the 7002 from Lee at Summit Racing...

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/CTE-56-353

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captb

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Does the battery tender manual say anything about leaving it unattended? I wouldn't recommend leaving a full sized charger running unattended in a garage. I leave the charger and battery plugged in outside if I can't keep an eye on them, they could burn down your house/garage.

Steve

I left my Battery tender Jr. on my Blackbird and the 2 year old batt went bad while on charge, I had rode it 3 days before and voltage and starting was fine, the tender was still trying to charge the defunct batt... the Batt Tender was really HOT, so it could have caused a fire if I didn't check it...or in this case smell it. Now I just charge while I'm in the garage now and rotate it from one bike to another till they're fully charged.

A friend did burn down his house and a few cars charging LiPo batteries and they were in a metal container in the center of the garage, when they returned from dinner the Fire Dept was about finished with the smoldering pile.

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