Battery question.......

The best and only way to test a battery that I'm aware of is to load test it. With the battery fully charged they apply a specific load and see how long the voltage holds. It simulates cranking the engine which you already know your battery fails even after a night of trickle charging. So you probably do have a bad battery but you have to ask why. More than likely it is just a result of your charging systems poor performance allowing the battery to get drawn down too many times. Overcharging will also ruin the battery but you would likely have smelled the hot battery as it boiled dry and melted your connectors as it all circled the drain. Morbid thought that.

So a new battery will likely get you going but not for long as undercharging will have that one on its knees in a week or so depending on how much you use it.

 

Thanks...trying two tests now. I checked the battery last night...around 12v out of the bike but purposefully left off the charger...but sapped to a miniscule 4-5V while trying to crank. While I wait for the new unit (arrives tomorrow), will fiddle with the trickle charged unit tonight. It showed fully charged after an hour last night, raising further suspicions!), let me see if I can see the voltage dropping after it starts. Will follow the general advice (and yours) and do the Rec/Reg voltmeter test per the manual and work my way from there. Will post any results, and thanks again!

 

There is a great deal of difference in the batteries that you can buy. I used to have a Moto Guzzi LeMans, and in it's owners manual it emphatically stated that only an "all position" battery was to be used. It explained that in any lead acid battery, the battery posts had to be above the liquid level, and this included most AGM batteries. The VFR has a similar battery placement. laid on it's side at about 45deg, posts down. The PO of my VFR had a career of replacing batteries, R/Rs, connectors, etc. That's why he sold the bike. I put in a Tru-Gel all position battery. No problems since. I also suspect that Honda uses the electrical components from the VFR in other of it's bikes with no problems, the difference being an upright battery placement. Just my thoughts on the matter.