Have no clue

[rygar85]

I just bought a 81' Yamaha Maxim 650 drove and rode like a dream. I was riding today and it just died and wouldn't start it sounded like it ran out of gas but i just left the gas station when it started acting funny. I don't know much about bike being this is the first bike i ever purchased. The bike wouldn't even turn over and the battery was dead put it on the charger but still nothing. Any ideas please help?

[Motorcycle Forum]

[QZephyr]

Welcome and good luck. A buddy of mine has an 80's Maxim and he can't ride his because he says says he needs parts that aren't available anymore.

[rygar85]

really that's what i was afraid of, thanks i will need it.

[Y2K]

Sounds like the battery gave up the ghost,how long had it been sitting before you got it?
There may also be a plugged carb problem from possible rust & crud in the gas tank.
First things first,pull the battery and have it tested,most likely you'll be replacing it.
Make sure all connections are clean and free of any corrosion,even a little corrosive film can cause a start failure.
Once you know you have a hot battery and she turns over if you still have start or stall problems next likely suspect on an old bike is plugged carb/s.

[Easy Rider]

the battery was dead put it on the charger but still nothing. Any ideas please help?

There is about a 90% probability that the battery itself is bad.

If you left it on the charger long enough and the battery really IS still dead......the probability goes up to 100%.

[omegajim]

I've had batteries go dead while riding the bike, batteries just barely linger on while riding, and all sorts of things in between.

If the bike dies while driving, it could be ignition - possibly.

But it's even odds the battery just went.

Go fetch yourself the climer manual at your local store (not a particular stealership, just a bike shop that services all sorts of things, failing that Amazon). You will find out that bike batteries are made cheap from old technology and among other things, require watering from time to time.

If you have an older battery, and you never added water to it, any exposed battery plate is cooked and gone forever.

Add to this, you will have 6 cells in your battery, and they do not all consume water (for sake of argument, but that's not really how they work) at the same rate.

One cell will require distinctly more water - this is the cell that will go dead first if you don't keep the water / acid level maintained and then no more battery.

Which is why I went to gel cell (way more expensive, but maintenance drops to about 0, just throw the charger on it now and again if it has trouble).

[Easy Rider]

You will find out that bike batteries are made cheap from old technology and among other things, require watering from time to time.

Which is why I went to gel cell (way more expensive, but maintenance drops to about 0, just throw the charger on it now and again if it has trouble).

Make up your mind !!

J/K......good post.

My current recommendation for batteries......in ANY vehicle, bikes included......is a sealed AGM type.
They are more expensive than wet-cell but less than gel.
They do not self-discharge like wet-cell and last about twice as long.
I've let mine sit for as long as 3 months now and the battery tender switches to green within about 10 seconds of being connected.

Yausa (sp?) batteries have been recommended for bikes for years because of quality and value; I've heard that still applies to their AGM line too.