Battery Probs

[Tyke]

I usually leave my '06 Sprint STD on trickle charge overnight, but hadn't bothered for the last 3-4 weeks.
The last couple of days it seemed a bit wheezy on starting, but I had a good run down to the lake district, and the next morning it wouldn't start after a couple of coughs - just died! It bump started fine, and the auxiliary socket with a multimeter read 11.4v, and when revved to the nuts 11.5v.
Tricklecharged the battery overnight at my folks in Yorkshire to get it topped up and it's fine now (well, it started 3-4 times on the way up with a hefty 'harumphh'.

But surely - my alternator should have charged the battery on the long run down to the lakes......or is 2 years about the limit on a battery?

So what's knackered, battery, or can you have a weak alternator?

Ta

[Bydand]

Could be the Solenoid I had the same problem with My Yam last couple of weeks traced it back to that changed it and works a treat now

[johncat68]

had a prob like that and was a broken wire on starter

most places that do batteries do a free check , see if cells are duff

[chaos]

I usually leave my '06 Sprint STD on trickle charge overnight, but hadn't bothered for the last 3-4 weeks.

a multimeter read 11.4v, and when revved to the nuts 11.5v.

I had a similar fault on my Firestorm a few years ago, found it to be the regulator/rectifier that was at fault.
When the engine is revved, the voltage should go up to about 14 volts, mine barely changed from the 11 odd volts when it was revved.

Because the bike was on an optimate every night, it hid the fact that the bike was not charging the battery, and it only failed after it had been off the optimate for a while.

[al]

I would suspect that your alternator is shot or not actually connected! If you can, trace the cable coming from the side of the engine and make sure that it is plugged into the wiring loom.

Just out of interest, check the oil level of the bike. (The alternator is oil cooled and can potentially burn out of there is not sufficient cooling.)

[Tyke]

I had thought of the alternator - but thought that if it wasn't working, then the battery would just run out of spark and I'd grind to a halt, so assumed it must be only producing enough current to keep me going. Or am I talking shizzle?

[SugR1]

sounds like a sell in battray, mybe reg/ rec. but dout full cos it would have started miss fireing as battray went down an cut out if it was not getting a power feed on the way down to the lakes. its easy start at the obves simple things. if battrey is good, put a volt metter cross the battray when the bike is runing, it should be puting oot 13.6 13.4 13.8 there about pritty ok any thing up to 14.00 volts. if not prob with the reg/rec.if alternater is fooket it will prob have fooket reg/rec to after time an ditance been used reg/recs are very sincitive things. hope that helps

[Gazza]

Battery life can be as short as 2 years.

If a battery is allowed to run completely flat, it does it no good whatsoever, particularly if it is left for a while. If it is then recharged in a hurry (ie on boost), that will knacker it even more.

Optimate is the answer. The battery on my Ducati 998S was nearly 5 years old before selling it and never had a problem.

The cost of an optimate will pay for itself failry quickly as batteries aren't cheap.

[metallninja]

Gimme a shout if ye need a hand.

I have a multimeter here too, we can check the output of the alternator while it`s running.

I have to wait in all morning to have Sky fitted, pop round any time.

I`d be suspecting the solenoid or battery.

[Taz]

On the subject of batterys - Is there any possibility of borrowing an optimate of someone please? Bandits not been used as it should and the batterys getting run down with the alarm. Still fires up no problem but can feel when its kicking over its about to die. Not wanting to fill it up with petrol and give it a good run as im a grippy sod and wanting the ecofriendly Tdm on the road. Taz

[Graeme]

I gather that once a lead acid battery has gone flat once then it probably won't be reliable ever again.

I have a flattening battery problem at the moment (it's gone flat now a couple of times after the winter layoff). My trickle charger fairly basic - the light goes out when charging level falls below a certain amount (.2Ah?). Over the last 4 days it never finished charging. The voltage lastnight was a constant 13.11V over the course of about a minute.

Nice and healthy I thought, but this morning it had dropped to 13.08V. 3/100ths of a volt might not sound like a lot but in a few hours? I guess that means it's lost its ability to hold a charge? Anyway I don't trust it enough to ride anywhere in case I get stranded again

How do you go about measuring the charging ability while the engine is running with a multimeter? One lead on the positive terminal and one on a ground e.g. the engine? I'd like to know its kapoot before I dispose of it!

Anyway there's a new one in the post, should be here soon. £56 from motorcycleproducts.co.uk

[metallninja]

How do you go about measuring the charging ability while the engine is running with a multimeter?

Simply take the voltage across the battery whilst the engine is running. i.e red lead of voltmeter on positive terminal and Black lead on the negative terminal. The voltage seen is what the alternator is producing and not a true reflection of the condition of the battery. You should observe around 13 - 14 volts.

Best bet is to mosey to somewhere like Halfords / Kwikfit and see if they use a discharge tester on your battery, this will indicate the batterys ability to hold a charge.

[al]

I had thought of the alternator - but thought that if it wasn't working, then the battery would just run out of spark and I'd grind to a halt, so assumed it must be only producing enough current to keep me going. Or am I talking shizzle?

You'll be surprised on how far you can go on only the battery power. However the real killer are powering the lights and starting the bike.

What to do is switch the bike on but dont' start it. Measure the voltage at the battery terminals and take a not of the voltage (if you can get someone to hold the probes on the terminals for you so you can get a continuous voltage reading then great). Start the bike and then take a note of the voltage at idle. Rev the bike and observe the voltage reading. The voltage should rise but be capped at no more than 1about 14.5v. Take a note of the maximum voltage you get when revving the bike. Post the results on here.

The following fault finding chart may be usefull if you know your way round a multi-meter - http://www.electrosport.com/technical-r ... iagram.pdf

Big Kneed Al (master of the emergency stop & "stand up" comedian).

[al]

Diode testing guide (rectifier par of the regulator/rectifier)

Big Kneed Al (master of the emergency stop & "stand up" comedian).

[Bydand]

Dildo testing guide (rectumfier par of the erector/rectumfier)

Big Kneed Al (master of the emergency stop & "stand up" comedian) ( Super Nanny ).

getting very worried now Big Kneed Al (master of the emergency stop & "stand up" comedian)

[al]

Dildo testing guide (rectumfier par of the erector/rectumfier)

Big Kneed Al (master of the emergency stop & "stand up" comedian) ( Super Nanny ) ( Super Nanny ).

getting very worried now Big Kneed Al (master of the emergency stop & "stand up" comedian) ( Super Nanny )

Worried that I pinched one of yours after the other night sweetie??

[Tyke]

Take a note of the maximum voltage you get when revving the bike. Post the results on here.

Big Kneed Al (master of the emergency stop & "stand up" comedian) ( Super Nanny ).

It's a Triumph Sprint - no way am I taking the seat off to check the battery, it's a right pain in the hoop to get back on.....
I'm booked in for a service at Shylocks anyway, so will get them to have a nosey while they're at it.
Thanks for all the info chaps

[al]

Good luck!

[Tyke]

Cheers..........I hear Mark's left and service standards have plummeted somewhat?!

[Grant]

sounds like a sell in battray, mybe reg/ rec. but dout full cos it would have started miss fireing as battray went down an cut out if it was not getting a power feed on the way down to the lakes. its easy start at the obves simple things. if battrey is good, put a volt metter cross the battray when the bike is runing, it should be puting oot 13.6 13.4 13.8 there about pritty ok any thing up to 14.00 volts. if not prob with the reg/rec.if alternater is fooket it will prob have fooket reg/rec to after time an ditance been used reg/recs are very sincitive things. hope that helps

That took me absolutely ages to read and understand! Worst case of spelling I've ever seen!

[al]

I would prefer not to comment any further.

[al]

That took me absolutely ages to read and understand! Worst case of spelling I've ever seen!

Give him a break, ha has bad Dyslexia.

Big Kneed Al (master of the emergency stop & "stand up" comedian).

[Grant]

That took me absolutely ages to read and understand! Worst case of spelling I've ever seen!

Give him a break, ha has bad Dyslexia.

Big Kneed Al (master of the emergency stop & "stand up" comedian) ( Super Nanny ).

!yrroS

[metallninja]

Give him a break, ha has bad Dyslexia.

Are you mocking him?

Should we thwow you to the gwound woughly?

[CBRXX]

just for info my old Firestorm just started playing up out of the blue with lights dimming and starting really badly checked the reg rec and turn out jst to be a poor earth between this and the frame cleaned up the contact and bolted back on and never had any more problems






apart from the obvious CCT fecked valves etc