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Disclaimer: I'm totally oblivious when it comes to anything automotive related.
I have a 2001 Yamaha Vino sitting at my parents house. It doesn't start at the moment, I'm pretty sure its just a dead battery since it ran fine the 2 summer I used it (bought used). Could this be recharged or should I get a new battery for a scooter this old? And if they can be recharged, what should I be looking for at AutoZone... I don't know anything about voltage and whatnot.
Also any thoughts on the worth of one today? I want to say it only has 700-800 miles on it.
Check craigslist to gauge values, they'll vary by season, location, and demand.
Most batteries for motorcycles, scooters, lawnmowers, etc only last a couple seasons...unless you've got an expensive Gel celled battery, in which case you might get four years out of the unit...sometimes a bit more. A wet cell battery (The ones with 6 little caps on top, or a removable strip to get to the cells) will be filled with electrolyte initially, then charged, then used...it's important to top off the cells every few hundred miles with distilled water to keep the battery operating at full potential, if this is neglected, the battery will have a difficult time holding the charge. If this is the type of battery you have, you'd have to remove it, add water to each cell to the recomended level (as visible on the side of the battery) and then chage the battery on a charger for 6-8 hours at a low amperage say 2amp/hr. Then test and see if the battery works.
If this doesn't work, you'll have to replace the battery. It doesn't sound like you have a charger currently, so i'd recommend getting one of those, you'll likely need it for your current battery and even if you buy a new battery that's not a precharged Gel battery. In order to increase battery life, i'd stop by battery plus and pick up a cheap battery tender too. It'll have a pigtail connection that's always on the scooter allowing you to plug the scooter into the wall to keep the battery charged when you're not using the bike!
Thanks for the reply. I just ordered a replacement battery since I'm sure the old one wouldn't be able to hold a charge very long. Will look into a battery tender as well.
Hopefully I can get this bad larry on the road soon.
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