SV650S - possible dud battery?

Hi guys and gals

Got my bike out of the garage last weekend after just 2 weeks (I only ride on weekends) of not riding and it had difficulty starting - clicked when I pressed the ignition a couple of times, then started but died, then eventually seemed ok after I revved the throttle for a minute or so.

I assume it's a battery thing, but bearing in mind it's a 2010 bike (have had it since beginning of June), should I already be having battery problems? Didn't have this with my K9 (although admittedly only had that for 2 months before it got written off).

The only things I can think of are:
a) slightly colder weather now - but strange that such a new bike's battery would be so susceptible to the cold
b) I did accidentally leave my heated grips on in June (I was in Scotland, it was cold!) and the battery had to be charged up by an AA guy the next day - does this ruin the life of a battery?

Basically, I need to know if:
a) this is acceptable for a bike this new, or should I check my warranty cover, and
b) I should be investing in an optimiser over the winter when there are bound to be fewer rideable weekends and the bike may sit in the garage for weeks at a time...

Thanks

Jo

Battery may have been damaged by rough charging treatment from AA guy meaning it wont keep the charge so well and especially when the weather gets colder the engine will be tighter and demand more from it meaning..............splut! Best bet is a new battery to get you through this winter as, being relatively cheap, is a small price to pay for reliable starting - I doubt it is covered by the warranty following possible abuse. An optimiser can be a good soultion as it treats and charges the battery in a more intelligent way extending its life and is easy to fit. Hope you get sorted.

Thanks coxxy. Don't know if it was 'rough treatment' by the AA guy - I was there when he was doing it and it seemed relatively gentle to me! He just connected the cable clips, charged it up to the required charge (which wasn't that much more, but the immobiliser seems to take up a lot of battery power to switch off), and then unclipped...

"Relatively cheap" - so how much should I look at spending and do you know if it has to be a genuine Suzuki battery (if such a thing exists) or if it makes a difference (to quality / warranty etc) if it's not genuine Suzuki? If there's no such thing, are there any particular brands I should look for?

On optimisers - can anyone recommend any good ones? And do they need a mains to plug into?

Thanks

Jo

[TamSV]

An optimiser is a good bet if you're not using the bike much over the winter. The Optimate always seems to get good reviews. It does need to plug into the mains.

If it was me, and as this is not your daily transport, I'd be tempted to get an optimiser and see how the battery goes - it did start the bike after all.

However, if you do need a battery, Batteryman on here gives a discount to orgers www.mdsbattery.co.uk. Phone up and mention the org for your discount.

HTH.

Thanks TamSV!

[embee]

Aftermarket immobilisers and alarms are notoriously "hungry".

I'd be checking the current drain as the first thing, a cheap multimeter will do the job, fit between the earth (neg) lead and the battery terminal. You can usually achieve this without even breaking the circuit if the alarm/immob gets upset by being disconnected from power, hold/clip the meter leads on the cable end and the battery terminal while removing the cable from the terminal so the meter maintains the circuit.

If you see more than a few milli-amps it's likely to cause you problems regardless of how good the charging system is working and the battery condition.

As a side issue, try removing all fuses and clean/lube the blades (vaseline will do) and refit, poor connections here will drop voltage.

When it is running, do a very basic voltage check, put the meter directly on the battery terminals and see what you get idling and also revving at 4-5k rpm with the lights on, should be in the realms of 14V when revved.

This is the time of year when batteries die.

youve got warrenty use it ,its a new bike with a issue take it back and have them look it over, it is probably what the lads have said but if youve got it why not use it

Doesnt have to be suzuki battery but follow advice above. Optimate is a trade name: http://www.optimate.co.uk/ and does need mains for overnight charging - better than boost charging. Charging a battery by what must have been 'boost' charging is not a good idea and may have damaged the battery which may have been dodgy anyway - has been known. Claiming warranty on the battery is a waste of time in my opinion as you may have left something switched on?

Thanks guys. Sounds like Optimate (or other reputable optimiser - any other brands, anyone?) is the way to go, although it probably won't do me any harm to check all the connections and drain (if I can get my head around your post, embee!!).

Now also have to check if my garage has a mains! If not... are there any other options?!

Get the optimate 4. It is what all the others are based on. It constantly monitors the condition of the battery and will tell you if you need to throw it in the bin and get another.

Retails for about £40.