[Daveg53]

I have a 2018 Roadmaster with about 6,500 miles on it. So far, it's been trouble free; however, today I rode to my son's house about 15 miles away...I shut the bike completely off and stayed for about 15 min. When I got on the bike for my return trip, I has a blinking battery light. Traffic and road conditions did not allow me to pull off, so I went about 3 miles with the battery light flashing continuously. I stopped and completely shut down and then restarted the bike and everything was normal. The rest of the ride home was fault free. Whenever my bike is going to be sitting for 3 or more days I put the trickle charger on it. Could my battery already be going bad?

 

[Chief Signguru]

Pull your seat and tighten the battery cables. Take care not to short out the computer that sits above it...
or put those 2 tall fuses in the front of the fuse block before you tighten the cables.
or you might need a fresh FOB key battery.

 

[Daveg53]

Chief Signguru,
Thank you for the response! I will check/tighten as necessary the cables under the seat; however, I think you nailed it for me when you mentioned the FOB. I certainly did not realize that the FOB not transmitting properly could cause a battery light. I've noticed over the past month or so that intermittently when I approach the bike to start it with the FOB in my pocket, I sometimes have to take the FOB out and shake it close to the bike to have the bike respond to it. Regardless of the situation with the cable connections, I will replace my fob battery tomorrow. Again, thanks for your insight/expertise!

 

[Chief Signguru]

Chief Signguru,
Thank you for the response! I will check/tighten as necessary the cables under the seat; however, I think you nailed it for me when you mentioned the FOB. I certainly did not realize that the FOB not transmitting properly could cause a battery light. I've noticed over the past month or so that intermittently when I approach the bike to start it with the FOB in my pocket, I sometimes have to take the FOB out and shake it close to the bike to have the bike respond to it. Regardless of the situation with the cable connections, I will replace my fob battery tomorrow. Again, thanks for your insight/expertise!

Also, make sure, when you put the FOB in your pocket, that the signal is not blocked behind any metal keys. That could also cause problems. My money is on the FOB battery.

 

[Dr.Shifty]

+1 for keeping the fob away from too many keys or coins or pocket knife or gun or bulky metal in your pocket. The metal soaks up the signal and the poor bike gets confused. The antenna for the fob is the little black box about finger size that sits on top of the battery. Keep your fob in a right side pocket so its closer - it shouldn't matter but my bike is happier when I do.

 

[shovel52]

Whenever I forget and put my fob in the same pocket with my cell phone, the Roadmaster doesn't want to start and it sort of jacks things up. When I put the fob in the other pocket, it works like it should. My Harley Roadglide wouldn't even grunt if it was parked near a cell tower. Took me a while to figure that one out. I pushed the bike over about 50 feet and it fired right up. I parked in the same place the next time as a test and, sure enough, I was two legged power for a few feet. Ken

 

[Dr.Shifty]

Whenever I forget and put my fob in the same pocket with my cell phone, the Roadmaster doesn't want to start and it sort of jacks things up. When I put the fob in the other pocket, it works like it should. My Harley Roadglide wouldn't even grunt if it was parked near a cell tower. Took me a while to figure that one out. I pushed the bike over about 50 feet and it fired right up. I parked in the same place the next time as a test and, sure enough, I was two legged power for a few feet. Ken

I've heard of this before, and sometimes with cars that are not so easy to push. I had a friend in the early days of fob entry and sometimes he had to walk around the car and hold the fob against various windows to see which position it needed to be in for that particular parking spot.

I wonder how these problem fobs react to the changes in frequency in the move to 3G, 4G, 5G etc.

 

[Chief Signguru]

This is going to sound utterly ridiculous, but try it with your car lock/unlock remote on your 4 wheel cage...
Walk far enough away from your vehicle that your remote will not lock or unlock. Now walk even farther. Stand facing your car. Put your remote under your chin, open your mouth, focusing on your vehicle, now hit your remote. It will lock or unlock with no problem. The scientific theory is that your mouth acts like a satellite dish, focusing the beam directly at you vehicle, instead of a wide broadcast. Sounds farfetched! Yes? Give it a try! I have locked/unlocked my vehicles 3 to 4 times the normal working distance.
I am wondering if our FOBs would work the same way? I'm going to have to try it using 2 people... one person using the starter button, and the person with the FOB out of the normal distance range, focusing the FOB under the chin.

 

[jayred1]

I've heard of this before, and sometimes with cars that are not so easy to push. I had a friend in the early days of fob entry and sometimes he had to walk around the car and hold the fob against various windows to see which position it needed to be in for that particular parking spot.

I wonder how these problem fobs react to the changes in frequency in the move to 3G, 4G, 5G etc.

Most key fobs (auto & bike) operate at a frequency of 315 MHz.
In the US, 2G & 3G wireless phones use frequencies around 2100 MHz, 4G was in multiple frequency bands ... the lowest ~600 MHz - up to 2.5GHz. 5G is much higher ...using the band from 6-24 GHz. None of these cause interference with the fobs.

Sorry, I'm not up to speed on the Australian frequency allocations.
Edit: This has some of the band info ... Australian Phone Networks and Frequencies Explained

 

[jayred1]

This is going to sound utterly ridiculous, but try it with your car lock/unlock remote on your 4 wheel cage...
Walk far enough away from your vehicle that your remote will not lock or unlock. Now walk even farther. Stand facing your car. Put your remote under your chin, open your mouth, focusing on your vehicle, now hit your remote. It will lock or unlock with no problem. The scientific theory is that your mouth acts like a satellite dish, focusing the beam directly at you vehicle, instead of a wide broadcast. Sounds farfetched! Yes? Give it a try! I have locked/unlocked my vehicles 3 to 4 times the normal working distance.
I am wondering if our FOBs would work the same way? I'm going to have to try it using 2 people... one person using the starter button, and the person with the FOB out of the normal distance range, focusing the FOB under the chin.

Yes, this works (but you don't have to open your mouth). What is happening is the human skull works like an "extended antenna" on the fob causing more RF energy to be radiated out rather than just lost in the air near the fob. This fact might scare some, but the fob doesn't transmit enough energy to cause any damage to human tissue. But it's also important to know that it might not work if you're wearing a tin foil hat!

 

[Chief Signguru]

Yes, this works (but you don't have to open your mouth). What is happening is the human skull works like an "extended antenna" on the fob causing more RF energy to be radiated out rather than just lost in the air near the fob. This fact might scare some, but the fob doesn't transmit enough energy to cause any damage to human tissue. But it's also important to know that it might not work if you're wearing a tin foil hat!

That excludes most of us then! Hahaha!

 

[PapasRide]

Plus One on the suggestions of keeping the FOB in your pocket free of other items, keys, cellphone, etc. Also I like to change the FOB battery every year in the spring. It's a commonly found CR2032 battery and easy to change, just need a small Phillips screw driver to remove the screw holding it together.

 

[Eleman4762]

Fob batteries last about two years while your main battery should last about four years under normal conditions

 

[Inst7877]

Good luck getting 4 years out of the battery. Had to replace mine after 2 and that seems to be normal in this area from what I have heard from other owners.

 

[PapasRide]

I have never had a motorcycle battery last more than 3 years on any of my bikes. It might be possible to get 2 years from the fob battery, but changing it every year is cheap insurance fro me.

 

[somebody]

I believe there's an reflash to fix the battery drain issue. I'm on battery #4 on a 17 RM. I dread getting the bike out in the spring, there's always something wrong. I should've asked the dealer last year when I had to drag it up there after it's winter hibernation.

 

[RM2062]

Something else to keep in mind. When you park the bike for the day, especially if it will be sitting for a few days or more, take the key fob off the bike and away from it. The Fob if left on the bike is constantly communicating with the bike sending the signal to allow it to start. Once I started taking the fob off, and away from the bike when I was done for the night, I've had virtually no low battery issues.

Just my observations. Hopefully it will help others too.

 

[Baron58]

Something else to keep in mind. When you park the bike for the day, especially if it will be sitting for a few days or more, take the key fob off the bike and away from it. The Fob if left on the bike is constantly communicating with the bike sending the signal to allow it to start. Once I started taking the fob off, and away from the bike when I was done for the night, I've had virtually no low battery issues.

Just my observations. Hopefully it will help others too.

The FOB does not continuously communicate with the bike. This has already been beaten into the ground. The only time the FOB communicates is:

1. When you push the power button
2.Hit the start switch
3.Put the bike in gear
4. When he you push a button on the FOB.

 

[jayred1]

The FOB does not continuously communicate with the bike. This has already been beaten into the ground. The only time the FOB communicates is:

1. When you push the power button
2.Hit the start switch
3.Put the bike in gear
4. When he you push a button on the FOB.

Beat me to it ... you're 100% correct.
Those doubting this need to ask themselves, "Why would the bike and fob talk to each other when the bike is off?"