Leaving keys in ignition OK? Also charging question

IF I leave the keys in the ignition (on OFF obviously) does it drain the battery? I know on my truck it does but I don't know about on these bikes.

I keep it in the garage and sometimes I'd like to leave the keys in the ignition so I don't have to spend time looking for them in the morning.

Secondly, when I left work yesterday the starter was turning the engine over slowly as if the battery was low. When I got home I pulled the battery and added some distilled water to one of the cells and recharged it with a Battery Tender Jr. It starts like a champ now.

I'm wondering how I check my charging system. I am familiar with automotive alternators. I understand these have stators and also a seperate regulator/rectifier. I just have no idea how to check them. The voltmeter reads just under 14 (per the bike's guages) when the bike is running.

As I recall my last Kawasaki needed to be recharged periodically as well, so maybe it's just the characteristics of the bikes.

shouldnt hurt anything to leave key in,your truck battery drains when key is turned off?or is it on accesory?:whistle:

Yeah, my Dodge is will drain the battery if I leave the keys in, even in OFF. It completes a circuit just by being in the ignition. I don't leave my keys in my truck so it doesn't matter to me.

I figured the bike would be different. But since the bike sits for as long as 3 days in a row without being run, I don't want to be draining the battery even if the current draw is low.

Is there a way to check the charging system? I wouldn't mind buying a new stator if it needs one. It would be better to do that than try to start it and find out it won't go. Push starting the 1100 sucks. I've done it. I wish it had a kickstart like my old 650 did.

GPZ1100 wrote:

I figured the bike would be different. But since the bike sits for as long as 3 days in a row without being run, I don't want to be draining the battery even if the current draw is low.

Is there a way to check the charging system? I wouldn't mind buying a new stator if it needs one. It would be better to do that than try to start it and find out it won't go. Push starting the 1100 sucks. I've done it. I wish it had a kickstart like my old 650 did.

Poke around in our Filebase for some great articles and this is one you want to look at about the charging system and how to test it.
Electrosport Fault Finding Flowchart

If my bike sits for more than a few days I put the smart charger on it.

as stated by wireman levaing the key in the ignition won't hurt anything. I always leave my key in the ignition and my bike sit for weeks at a time and have never had a with the battery going dead.

tw

tw.. wrote:

sit for weeks at a time

Weeks at a time HOW COULD YOU! LOL. Kust kidding.
If I don't ride for a few days and the weather is good enough I get antsy. Even for an hour.
Mine starts up easily after sitting for as long as a week..longest I've let either one sit.

GPZ1100 wrote:

Yeah, my Dodge is will drain the battery if I leave the keys in, even in OFF. It completes a circuit just by being in the ignition. I don't leave my keys in my truck so it doesn't matter to me.

I figured the bike would be different. But since the bike sits for as long as 3 days in a row without being run, I don't want to be draining the battery even if the current draw is low.

Is there a way to check the charging system? I wouldn't mind buying a new stator if it needs one. It would be better to do that than try to start it and find out it won't go. Push starting the 1100 sucks. I've done it. I wish it had a kickstart like my old 650 did.

The truck probably has a key-in detection switch (the thing the tells it to BONG-BONG at you when you open the door with the key off), so it's probably powering something waiting for you to open the door. Our motorcycles aren't quite so sophisticated.

Getting close to 14V sounds ok, ideally it should be slightly over 14V at 4-5000rpm to put some charge back into it. If you drain the battery somehow (leaving lights on, starting it repeatedly) it will be a good idea to recharge it. Batteries should have fluid levels checked and be recharged once a month for maximum health. The stator/regulator isn't the best for that.