Swapped battery, now heated grips don't heat - 2012 R1200R

[mchad]

I can't imagine that its related, but I took my battery out today, to replace it with a ballistic performance LiFePo battery, and when I installed it, I no longer have heated grips... Everything was off, no key in, I disco'd the neg cable, then the pos. Installed in reverse. There are only the two cables, one pos, one neg. No other wires I could have forgotten to connect. I'm still under warrantee (and I'll put the oem battery back in if I have to bring it in, even though it's only a battery change, JUST to be safe) So hopefully i'm not looking at any expensive repair, luckily.

I can't fathom it could be related to the battery change. Just bad timing I guess. Also, I couldn't find any info on a breaker or fuse for the heated grips. In case I missed it, is there anything I should check?

Thanks.

[Lost Rider]

Strange timing, but like you I don't see an obvious reason for it.

Also weird it's both grips, as it seems more common for just one to fail at a time, leading me to believe it's not necessarily the grips themselves.
I'm no mechanic though.

There's no breakers or fuses, the CANBUS takes care of that, cycling the ignition "should" reset the "breaker" in any case.

[ammolab]

My grips "fail" to work some mornings. I think if the starting voltage drops below some level they don't work after that start. This does seem to happen after the bike has been idle for a week or so.

Turning the ignition off, then on, will make mine work. I just do this on the road when coasting (no throttle).

I wonder what voltage you had on that first start?

[mchad]

Interesting. I went and took out the LiFePo battery and put the stock AGM battery in, and voila, the grips worked. I didn't bother putting the ballistic battery back in yet. They do say (the battery mfgr) that the initial start will lower voltage quite a bit, while the chemestry "wakes up" as they describe it. So I wonder if that voltage drop isn't compatible with the zfe (w/e) controller. Seems so, especially after ammo's comment. So back to 20th century battery technology for me I guess...

I wonder if the shorai batteries will be the same. They are basically the same chemestry, as I understand it, so I imagine the answer is yes.

[Lost Rider]

Is your bike running when your testing the grips?

How many Amps is your battery?

Shorai says the 21A version is required for our bikes.

[mchad]

Is your bike running when your testing the grips?

How many Amps is your battery?

Shorai says the 21A version is required for our bikes.

Yes, I took a couple hour ride today, after installing the ballistic battery. Made a couple of stops, so I started up a few times. Grips never worked at all. I bought their 12 cell, 20ah version, 410cca supposedly.

[Lost Rider]

Very interesting. I guess a call to them might be in order.
Keep us posted please.



For anyone that want to read way too much information about motorcycle batteries, here's an ongoing thread on ADV, look for JoelWiseman's posts:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=763470

[ammolab]

Brand new bike? And you just 'wanted' a special hi tech battery?

For??? Low weight?

[mchad]

Brand new bike? And you just 'wanted' a special hi tech battery?

For??? Low weight?

Well, if I must explain my reasoning...

Where I park for the winter, I do not have access to an outlet, therefore I can not use a trickle charger. Under normal circumstances, the bike would sit for months, without running. (Unlike this particular "winter", here in NY) One of the proposed advantages of the LiFePo batteries is an extremely low self discharge rate. So... It could sit basically all winter w/o ending up with a dead battery.

[red baron]

I installed a Shorai Battery in my 08 R1200R and no problems with the heated grips.

Peter

[deilenberger]

Volts is volts - so I'd say the battery has nothing to do with non-working grips. If the bike is under warranty, let the dealer worry about it.