flat battery
 

i have left the bike for about 2½ weeks and the battery was flat (i got lights on,and it turned over, but not enough to start), so i put it on the optimate yesterday, and afer 3 hours i got 2 green lights, i thought that was quick, but nevermind

so it started fine last night, i just started it let it run for 30 secs, knocked it off, then started it again, then off

i was just about to go out, and the same problem, theres not enough life in the battery to start it, it was fine last night, so the battery has drained over night?

the battery is only about 6 months old, i fitted hotgrips about a moth ago, i have a meta 3 alarm

Re: flat battery
 

How long did you ride the bike for last night?

Re: flat battery
 

i didnt i just started it let it run for 30 secs, knock it off, then start it again, then off

(added to OP)

Re: flat battery
 

I don't think they like being run flat - I had the same problems, and I don't have an alarm or grips - just not started for a while - so ended up buying a new battery last week ( £30 delivered off Ebay )

I leave the optimate rigged up all the time now - I also don't like alarms as they can also drain the battery ( from my experience )
Don't know about the hot grips.

Sound like new battery time :(

Nana

Re: flat battery
 

its only 6 months old, the guy fitted it b4 he sold me the bike (he even showed me the old one) i was surprised it flatened in less then 3 weeks, but even more when it flatened overnight
the only other thing i can think of is the hotgrips are drawing power from the battery, when the are turned off?

Re: flat battery
 

Get your multimeter out & tell us the readings
i.e. After you have finished charging & then at intervals of 1 hour or 12 hours, depending on how quickly it is draining.

Re: flat battery
 

I managed to flatten the (tiny) battery on the Sprint by firing it up two or three times without moving it a while ago. It takes a huge amount of power out of the battery to crank it over, so if yours was only partly charged, perhaps simply starting it the once took a bit too much out of it.

Re: flat battery
 

great idea......... but i have no multimeter, i got one off ebay for a £2 but i did not know how to use it, i then left it on overnight and the battery ran flat, i could not get a replacement battrey, so i slung it in the bin,


but

the only thing i can think of is either

the battery is forkered

the 3 hours on the optimate were not enough (even though i got the 2 green lights)
or
the hot grips are sucking power from the battery


so........ im going to leave the bike on the optimate overnight, with the hotgrips disconected, and pray.

maybe the 3 hours on the optimate were not enough? i dont mind buying a new battery if thats what i need (come to think of it i flattened the battery on NW4 as i left my indy (and lights) on to mark a junction, but pete bumped me and it was fine after that)

Re: flat battery
 

as said on the other thread I find it hard to believe that the hot grips have flattened the battery.

I have the same alarm and hot grips, plus GPS mount with power hard wired to the bike, plus intercom, plus speedohealer plus whatever else!!

NEVER had an issue with the battery. saying that all of the accessories run only when the ignition is on and when it's not used it's on the optimate.

I reckon you should leave it to charge for 2 days at least, then ride it for a couple of hours and get a multimeter to check the drain. It could be that it's not charging - though an optimate wouldn't have brought it back to life now that I think about it.

Re: flat battery
 

bare in mind that the optimate only sends through a small current to keep the battery alive. it's not one of those trickle charger things that charges the battery fully in a couple of hours.

different things

Re: flat battery
 

You need to get yourself a new multimeter. And maybe get a buddy to show you how it works.

But do as you say you will. The lights which indicates when a battery is fully charged are not always reliable, so just keep charging.

If it isn't the grips nor the lack of charging time, you would probably be looking for a new battery.

Happy charging!

Re: flat battery
 

WTF Hovis you have an optimate & you left your bike for 2&1/2 weeks without connecting it. :smt102

I don't know how you could go that long without riding your bike anyway, I would be climbing the walls.

Re: flat battery
 

yeah......... i thought it would be ok, i was tempted at times,

but what with the wedding/stag night/work/collage/bad weather and hangovers, i just did not have the time

Re: flat battery
 

277 posts on the org since you posted on the Battery thread :roll: 2 & 1/2 weeks ago. Yeah I can see you just didn't have the time to plug it in :smt102









;)

Re: flat battery
 

i said i have not had time to go out on the bike, not i have not had time to connect optimate

i did not think it would need optimate after just 2½ weeks


anywho, i can always find time for you and the rest of the org :kiss:

Re: flat battery
 

I've had this with a knackered battery, the optimate shows green lights and says the batteries OK, but the battery isnt man enough to start the bike.

I let the alarm completely flatten the battery over last winter. It knackered the battery and it wouldnt hold any charge and I had to buy a new battery.

I'm wandering if the same thing has happened to your battery. The gel batteries dont like being fully discharged they dont recover from it IIRC.

Re: flat battery
 

possilbly yes....... but im shocked a 6 month old battery gives up after just 2 weeks of not being used

i will leave over night on optimate, then take it for a spin for an hour or 2 tomorow, then i will have to leave it for the weekend, as im away, i wont connect the optimate , cos if its flat when i get back i will get a new battery

Re: flat battery
 

I don't have an optimate, & my zx7R will last at least a couple of weeks between use. But from what 600+ says looks like you just connect the optimate every day anyway unless you commute every day on it.

If I was you I would keep it connected from now to over the w/e & see how it is.

Re: flat battery
 

i could do that, though that would mean leaving it on for nearly a week, but thats what they are for, right

Re: flat battery
 

Yep. Dad leaves his on his Fazer all the time, He doenst ride it much so it he leaves it on the optimate so he doesnt have to worry about the battery being flat when he goes to ride it.

Re: flat battery
 

but it will charge it fully over time?

Re: flat battery
 

I believe it does if you leave it long enough. I've used it to recover flat batteries in a few hours. It even put enough juice into my GSXR in 20 minutes so that the bike would start. But the battery wasnt completely discharged in that case though.

Re: flat battery
 

i have the 2 green lights, but going to leave it on

either till tomorrow or monday

Re: flat battery
 

til Monday!!!

Re: flat battery
 

monday it is then good sir.......... ;)


what then? take it for a spin and leave it then try the day after?

i have a big rideout planned for saturday, so i may need a push:smt044

Re: flat battery
 

the two lights on mean the battery is as charged as the optimate will get it, not that it will start the bike. Charge it enough to start the bike, take it out for an hours run and leave the bike for a day and see if it discharges. If it does the battery is being drained off by something or is knackered (and as you haven't added anything recently i'd say it's knackered).

Re: flat battery
 

Once the green light comes on it means it has stopped demanding 90% of the charge current it began with. It is still charging, and then will go into conditioning mode, where it will monitor the batteries self discharge rate, then charge again. The red 'knackered' lamp can come on many hours later after it has evaluated for a while. This doesn't always mean the battery has failed, but that something has been drawing current whilst the evaluation has been going on. If this occurs the test is to remove the +ve lead from the battery to the bike, or remove the battery, and try again. Leaving it connected for days or weeks at a time is nothing but beneficial.

Re: flat battery
 

its been on charge since thursday, so im goin out this afternoon, then i will see what its like my mate has a multimeter and i have just watched this http://www.expertvillage.com/video/1...attery-two.htm i will check the battery when i get back, then again in a few hours

Re: flat battery
 

right is been on the optimate for4 days so

5pm today 13.31volts on the battery

Re: flat battery
 

it isnt ever gonig to charge if you dont ride. i had same problem jsut charged battery then did lik 300 miles and came back and it was fine :P

Re: flat battery
 

yes, i was a bit busy in amsterdam over the weekend;), please forgive me, i will be going out after tea (or maybe tomorrow now, as its dark and cold)

Re: flat battery
 

lol im not even gonig to ask lol yea it dark and cold :( sun please come back

Re: flat battery
 

If its one of these non-maintenance batteries and it was allowed to go flat its probably dead dead :( They just don't like going flat and an optimate wont be able to recover it, a proper charger might but it will take a few charge/run flat cycles to recover it, may be easier to just replace it

Re: flat battery
 

[quote=hovis;1668385]yes, i was a bit busy in amsterdam over the weekend;), please forgive me, i will be going out after tea (or maybe tomorrow now, as its dark and cold)[/quote
Two things:
It's dark & cold till Easter
Early post - starting the bike uses a lot of the battery's capacity, so it needs to be run & charging for several minutes, preferably 50 miles or so?

Re: flat battery
 

not tomorow morning its not:smt080

thanks, will be going for a few hours tomorow