We were out Thursday riding around to nowhere particular. Just picked a remote point and used the GPS to help guide us along remote roads. Really enjoyed the slow, remote, farm type roads, some gravel… wandering…
We were just leaving the outbound part and started heading “towards” the house, still in wandering mode…. and… the dash lights stated blinking and alternating blinking… then the engine started sputtering and died. We were about 30 miles from home at this point..
I was able to start and turn the trike around (the main road we had just crossed would be the closest way home) and get it heading towards home the shortest way. We got a few miles and had to get off the highway, let it rest a few minutes, and tried starting it for it to just click…. the battery is dead….I pulled the side panel off the left side to get to the battery and removed the small plastic panel to expose the positive terminal of the battery. Just setting there the voltage was low…. in the 11.??? range… my mind is racing now…. It’s late in the day and nowhere near home with a dead battery and an alternator that wasn’t working…. (I carry a Fluke digital meter in the front storage of the bike all the time)
Then I remembered I had put the Lithium jump starter in the front storage of the trike from the car where it’s usually setting before heading out! I forgot about it as I got in the habit of just doing it …With the side panel off and the battery terminals exposed I was able to connect the large clamps of the jump starter to the battery posts and stand the starter pack on it’s side on the passenger floorboard. Connecting it up and then starting the trike we were able to ride the trike 1 to 2 miles before it would die…
We did this a few times, with each time the riding distance being shorter…. then I realized I should unplug the headlights, as that would probably be the largest current draw… so I did…After unplugging the headlights we were able to start and splutter a short distance, find a decent pull off and then do it all over again…. many, many, many, many times… until we were home!!!!
I’ve since recharged the Lithium battery starter and put it back in the car’s trunk and put a small charger on the trike battery and started it to see that the alternator wasn’t charging, yet… it’s gone...
So a replacement battery has been ordered along with a voltmeter to mount somewhere on the bike….. and hopefully I’ll pull the alternator out in a few days…. and find a new alternator and see if I can get the old one rebuilt…..
Oh, did I mention, praise the Lord, we made it home……!!!!! Isn’t technology grand!!!!!