[commonbear]

Hello all,

Was hoping someone might be able to point me in a particular direction, as I am currently without a clue and the dealership is insisting that there is nothing wrong.

I bought a brand new 2009 G5 last year in May.  In the 10 months that I have owned the bike it has spent about 2 of them in the shop (ignition issue) and I've ridden it 1300 miles now (I walk everywhere, including to work, so my riding is typically during weekends).  This morning I pulled the battery off the bike to toss it onto my charger, and the charger is giving me indicators that the battery may be bad.  If this is the case, this will be the third battery that had gone bad on this bike.

The bike is stored outdoors in the weather as I am an apartment dweller, and no I am not mechanically inclined, however, my previous two bikes (a 50cc Honda Ruckus and a 250cc Yamaha V-Star) endured the same conditions totaling 6 winters and never had battery issues.  This is my comparison.

My G5 is stock with the exception of a headlight replacement halogen kit that I had installed (by the dealership).

Edit: The first two batteries were killed prior to the halogen kit installation.

Is this normal behavior for this bike?  Are there any common issues that may be causing this?

[Ducati Scotty]

My G5 is stock with the exception of a headlight replacement halogen kit that I had installed (by the dealership).

First off, have your bike checked for parasitic leaks. 

That said, I had the same exact problem, kept eating batteries.  The charging systems on these bikes is just not that great and while some seem to do fine with a 55W headlight others, like mine, cannot keep up.  It's just too much draw on the system.

All is not lost.  I recommend you do what I did: get an H4 halogen bulb that is 35/35W instead of 55/60W.  It fits right into the Halogen headlight.  Since doing that and my bike has started fine every time, even in freezing temperatures after sitting for two weeks.  If the local motorcycle shop doesn't have these bulbs check with a scooter shop, they are more common on scooters.  If all else fails order one online.

Scott

[commonbear]

Hi Ducati Scotty,

Thank you for the reply.  Out of curiosity how much candle power is one loosing if they go from a 55/60W to a 35/35W halogen bulb?  I ask because near 50% of the time that I do ride is after dark, and I really enjoy being able to see.   

[Ducati Scotty]

Enough that you notice   The 55/60 throws out notably more light.  The 35/35 is still better than stock as the pattern is better.

Scott

[barenekd]

What kind of battery are you using? There are definitely quality differences between them. I have a Deka AGM in mine and have had absolutely no battery problems in 7600 miles and a year of riding. It has been severely mistreated on a couple of occasions, like leaving the key on for several hours. I haven't even had to recharge it. I have had a variety of bulbs in the headlight including a 65W sealed beam that's in it now.
If you keep replacing yours with the OEM batteries, I would suggest looking elsewhere. The OEM batteries seem to be a bit problematic and short lived.
There are three things that should be replaced on the new bikes sometime early in their live. The tires, chain and batteries need to be upgraded.
Bare

[Ducati Scotty]

I had the stocker and a Yuasa and it ate both, now on my second Yuasa with no trouble. Some bikes can handle it, some can't.  My mechanic and I both tested every component and connection to no avail.  Put in the 35W headlight and all is well.

I do usually ride only 11miles/30 minutes to and from work but the bike just won't charge with the big bulb.  My one hope is that my rotor is loaded up with iron filings and it's killing the output.  I'll check in a few months when I do the 10k service kit and have the side cover off.

Scott

[prof_stack]

The charging system on the UCE is not the strongest one around. 

I always kept a Battery Tender attached when the bike was in the garage.  That alone paid for itself after a year and a half.  It's worth it, also for peace of mind.

[commonbear]

Definitely looks like a headlight replacement would be my best/easiest bang-for-buck solution.

Am hunting around now looking at H4 halogen bulbs.  Is there any particular brand or manufacturer that is recommended, or to be avoided, for this application?  I'm seeing a lot of stuff from CandlePower and Super White.

Also, might someone know of an H4 LED option?  A quick Google search found me this link but it is for "fog light use only."

[Chiefharlock]

So this begs to have the question asked:  Are there any upgrades that can be made to the charging system itself?

[Ducati Scotty]

No charging system upgrades that I know of.  As for brands, I usually just get a name brand like GE or Hella at the store.  For the 35/35 I got whatever it was they had in stock at the shop.  Most of the super white or whatever is low quality stuff with marketing hype.

Scott

[singhg5]

In the 10 months that I have owned the bike it has spent about 2 of them in the shop (ignition issue) and I've ridden it 1300 miles ...........    this will be the third battery that had gone bad on this bike.  Edit: The first two batteries killed prior to the halogen kit installation.

Is this normal behavior for this bike?  Are there any common issues that may be causing this?

It appears that the bike is run for short periods of time and at low rpms which may not produce enough alternator output to charge the battery, especially if headlight is high wattage.  Smaller bulb as suggested by Ducati and definitely check parasitic losses.  

Is your headlight switch working, so that headlight is OFF when cranking the bike. If not, you can see the link below on how to do it. This way the battery has less load when starting the bike with electric button.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhQUNMKRix4

What battery do you have and do you keep it on charger ? My bike is also parked outside and I run it a fair bit at high rpms to charge battery. I use a Yuasa sealed battery and have a 35/50W headlight bulb.

Also, you can test if alternator is charging the battery by looking at the voltage when throttle is opened and compare the readings to this link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6GnwkCXPi4&feature=plcp&context=C43123e3VDvjVQa1PpcFOtRaSii1IepNsg6XYWEj06A11bICQLlf0=

[GlennF]

Replacing the pilot lights and instrument illumination lights with LEDs will save you another 10-15 watts depending exactly which bulbs you replace.

I replaced the two pilot lights, the parking light inside the headlights, the speedo illumination lamp, high beam light and neutral light with LED units.

[commonbear]

I replaced the two pilot lights, the parking light inside the headlights, the speedo illumination lamp, high beam light and neutral light with LED units.

I found a video showing how to replace the pilot, speedometer, high beam, and neutral lights with LEDs which looks very simple.  The video specifically mentions BA9 replacement bulbs, and everything I am finding online is BA9S (single contact instead of dual?).  Would these work fine?

[Pauly]

would anyone who"s converted these to LED be willing to do a tutorial on it, I'd love to but have no clue about LEDS

thanks

Paul

[GlennF]

I found a video showing how to replace the pilot, speedometer, high beam, and neutral lights with LEDs which looks very simple.  The video specifically mentions BA9 replacement bulbs, and everything I am finding online is BA9S (single contact instead of dual?).  Would these work fine?

The ones I bought on EBAY were called BA9S and worked fine.