I've had my cbr 1000 for 3 years, and am constantly having trouble with the gel battery.. is there any alternative? Why can't I use a regular cell battery? Might be a stupid question but it's been driving me crazy
Starting and charging.. bike will run fine with new battery until weather gets a little colder around September, then the problems occur, below 40 degrees outside and it won't start at all. Me and my dad were working on the issue before he passed away in October.. just wanted to know why I can't run a regular bike battery in it, why does it have to be a gel battery
Geeza at work says with Lithium batteries in the cold you have to turn the ignition on and make sure the headlight is on for a few minutes to “warm it up” before starting
I've heard that too. Not sure whether it was from you, hitch, or another member. Not sure how much truth there is in it because mine's never started in anything less than 'room' temperature. On the surface it seems as if the battery might not be holding sufficient charge. Obviously in summer and warmer months the engine will spin freer, so it follows there'll be much more drain in winter. Is it a three-year-old bike or an older one you've had for three years? Either way, it doesn't necessarily have to be a gel battery; owners have survived on lead acid for years and Li-ion (lithium) is a good alternative. If you have, or have access to a multi meter, you should check both the static (standing) voltage and then the charging voltage. If you can't do that a bike shop will - with the necessary costs which would probably be waived if you did need to purchase a battery from them.
before you spend your money, 5deg C would be challenging for lithium bettery. The OEM battery is able to cope with those temps unless you have drain issues on your bike (which would be a big problem with lithium) or the dreaded alarm! If a new battery doesn't hold it's charge. Also check if you should use AGM and not GEL batteries
