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

How long did you ride the bike for last night?

Originally Posted by Ceri JC

How long did you ride the bike for last night?

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

(added to OP)

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

Originally Posted by banana

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 )

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

Originally Posted by banana

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

the only other thing i can think of is the hotgrips are drawing power from the battery, when the are turned off?

[Stu]

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.

[Gazza77]

Originally Posted by hovis

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

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.

Originally Posted by Stu

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.

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)

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.

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