My 1998 450 es will not hold a charge if it sits more than 2 weeks without starting it. I have heard rumors that this may be caused by the speedometer pod draining to much juice while it sits. Is any body else having this problem? If so what has your dealer told you, Any news on a recall? If you hav this problem please post.

 

I was told by my dealer when I bought the bike that this would happen if it sat a couple of weeks without riding it. He mentioned there is a fuse underneath the seat I could pull to prevent this from happening.

 

The recall is coming. Honda will be adding an inline cut-off switch to disable the pod. TF

 

The Honda shop manual for the 450ES states that a 5 miliamp draw while in storage is normal for this model. However...

Honda did supply some pretty weak batteries for these things in the spring of '98. Mine went dead a week after purchasing the vehicle. Dealer was no help all he did was charge the battery, so did I... it was no use.

After I purchased a new battery from Fleet Farm I have not had a problem with discharging batteries. Even after the machine has sat for a month.

It would be nice if Honda came out with a fix for it.

 

TailFeathers, where dd you hear about this recall? My dealer told me they have never heard of the problem and tried to sell me a battery.

 

djlewis,
My local Honda dealer here in Minnesota. This dealer has been around for a long time, and has been a straight shooter when it comes to reliable information. Now the next question will be will they replace the weak & dead battery along with adding the switch? I'll try and find the answer to that one next. TF