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Part of the reason I waited so long to get a battery load tester is I did not know which one to get. HF has 50A, 100A and 500A testers. I did not know they had separate CCA ratings. Previously I had been thinking that only the 500A model would test the 220 CCA of the T's battery and that even the 500A model would not fully test a car battery. I was wrong as I found out when I read the pamphlet that came with the 100A unit. It tests up to 1000 CCA making it suitable for a motorcycle or car. Granted most cars have electrical systems that produce more than 100A, but when it comes to testing batteries I would think starting capability is more important and 1000 CCA is more capacity than any car battery I have ever seen advertised. Anyhow I am too cheap to buy a 500A load tester. For just over $17 I think the 100A BLT is a lot of bang for the buck. There is no doubt it can test any motorcycle battery made.

That Autocraft battery, made in China, distributed by Autocraft from Roanoke, VA is baffling me. I took it out of the bike and it took a charge from my 2/10/25A Vector Smart battery charger. That charger will not charge the battery if there is a short or open cell. It actually has codes to display if one of those conditions exists. After charging and while the battery voltage was still overly high, 13.8-13.9V, I ran the Battery Load Tester for 10 seconds. The battery voltage dropped to 10.4V indicating there were slightly more than 200 CCA, as it should be. Afterwards the resting voltage was 12.5V, so I charged the battery back up to full again and put it back in the bike.

At that point, I had already checked the main fuse and also the other fuses, which were all fine. I had also started the bike with my booster battery, so I knew there was nothing wrong with my T's electricals.

With the Autocraft T battery back in place, I turned the ignition on and the headlight came on. That's more than happened before I charged the battery. However, as soon as I pushed the starter button, it all died again, no cranking, no lights. So I put the booster battery on the Autocraft's battery terminals. The bike started right up. I disconnected the booster battery's cables and the bike still ran, but barely. The headlight was flickering, the engine was idling unsteadily and the tachometer was jumping between less than 0 rpm and beyond the full scale 8000 rpm. I reapplied the positive cable of the booster battery and everything is smooth and bright again. Take it off and things go wonky.

I now have the Autocraft battery on a 24 hour desulfate cycle. It probably will not help, but I have never before had a battery that will take a full charge yet still crap-out when under load. Anybody experience this before? I am not overly concerned since I already have another battery on order. I am just interested to know how this can happen.

Stan,

Thanks for the suggestions. I reckon it could be the hard knock that is now keeping the battery from supplying power under load. I suppose it could also be "dirty" terminals. I will clean them once the battery is off the 24 hour desulfate cycle.

I would not think it would be dirty battery cables or loose connections at the starter or elsewhere, or even the starter button since the booster battery has no trouble at all starting or keeping my T running when the Autocraft battery is completely out of the bike.

I'll let you know if cleaning the battery's terminals or the desulsate cycle is any help. In the meantime, I await for my new battery to arrive.

Tony,

You did not try to take a shortcut across a turn on SR 16 with your wagon did you? It's interesting how a battery can take a surface charge and have no significant energy storage. At 7:41 this evening I will see if desulfated my battery did any good. I have nothing else to try after that. Did you stop on the way home from work last evening and get a battery load tester? Does the 500A model have a control for how much load you put on? My 100A unit has no control. I assume it tries to put on 100A every time.

Gary,

Of the batteries I have tried (OEM, Pro-Start, Auto Zone, Autocraft) all of them have lasted 2 years except this last Advanced Auto Part Autocraft. I have not tried an Interstate battery, but the one I ordered this time is the T-shaped maintenance-free model. It is rated for 2 more amp-hours and hopefully it will last longer than any of the others. For me having a Battery Tender Jr. and desulfating the batteries one a year has not helped compared to when I did not have those tools. I still have not gotten more than 2 years life from a motorcycle battery.

My Autocraft battery is working again. The 24 hour desulfation cycle plus the battery charge that ends the cycle made the battery powerful enough to light the lights, start the engine and keep it running smoothly. There was no flickering headlight or tachometer needle bouncing tonight. We'll see how long that lasts. In the meantime, I'll wait for my new maintenance-free battery.