GL1500A power loss

Ol' Man Jeb

1750+ Posts
Sep 8, 2013
1,838
894
Bettendorf, Ia
My Motortrike (39903 miles) has been sitting in my garage hooked up to a battery tender for about 4 mos. I was puttzing around out there today and decided to fire it up. Turned the key, all the usual lights & gauges came on, gave 'er some choke, hit the start button and all the lights & gauges went out immediatly. The neutral light dimly cycled on and off. While dumbfoundedly scratching my head, I heard a faint clicking noise similar to a relay that started out slow then sped up and stopped. Battery checks 11.5V. Can anyone bail me out? Thanks for your input.
 
Sounds like a "dead" battery...

- bum battery tender?
- tender attached but not plugged in to live socket? A-C socket loses power when garage lights go off?
- bad battery - won't hold charge regardless of tender?

I'm no expert, but I don't think 11.5 volts is enough to start your 1500...

Let us know results when problem is solved - good luck. ThumbUp
 
Sounds like a "dead" battery...

- bum battery tender?
- tender attached but not plugged in to live socket? A-C socket loses power when garage lights go off?
- bad battery - won't hold charge regardless of tender?

I'm no expert, but I don't think 11.5 volts is enough to start your 1500...

Let us know results when problem is solved - good luck. ThumbUp
Is it O.K. to jump start? I'd think 11.5 v would light the dash lights and gauges but I don't even know that.:blush:
 
Is it O.K. to jump start? I'd think 11.5 v would light the dash lights and gauges but I don't even know that.:blush:

Yes you can jump start a GL1500. Disconnect the bike battery and attach the jumper cables directly to the bike cables.

Before you buy a new battery see if you can charge it and then put a load tester on it. I've seen a tiny bit of corrosion on battery terminals cause your issue.

Hope you get going. Spring is coming. :xszpv::xszpv:
 
Yes you can jump start a GL1500. Disconnect the bike battery and attach the jumper cables directly to the bike cables.

Before you buy a new battery see if you can charge it and then put a load tester on it. I've seen a tiny bit of corrosion on battery terminals cause your issue.

Hope you get going. Spring is coming. :xszpv::xszpv:

ThumbUpThumbUpThumbUpThumbUp:Agree::Agree::Agree:,,,Just helped a friend on his 1800 , it stuck in reverse after cranking and then died . Turned out the treads on the terminals were a little dirty , cleaned it up charged the battery good to go !!!!!!
 
1. Clean the battery terminals and the the battery ends of the cables.
2. Make sure the cables are tight.
3. Try to start.
If that fails
4. Have the battery load tested.
BTW, you can jump start without the need to unhook the battery!!! If using an automotive battery, do not have the "donor"vehicle running
 
Yes you can jump start a GL1500. Disconnect the bike battery and attach the jumper cables directly to the bike cables.

Before you buy a new battery see if you can charge it and then put a load tester on it. I've seen a tiny bit of corrosion on battery terminals cause your issue.

Hope you get going. Spring is coming. :xszpv::xszpv:
I disconnected the bike battery and used my boat battery. The bike ran like a new one. Have the old battery on the charger as I type. Thanks for your help.
 
I disconnected the bike battery and used my boat battery. The bike ran like a new one. Have the old battery on the charger as I type. Thanks for your help.

Good News!! Hopefully the battery is not shot. These batteries don't seem to like being discharged for long so it won't surprise me if you get the pleasure of visiting the battery store. On the good side, at least you know it's not the bike.

Have a GREAT DAY !! :xszpv::xszpv:
 

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