sleepy battery today

[peels]

Havent touched my bike in two weeks-not by design.... Went to start today. clickety click click click... It got close to firing but....just not quite grrrr. It wanted to go to work just about as much as I did after a holiday break...

I have a "battery box" for emergencies...however....I was disappointed in the complexity of getting to the battery LOL. Need pygmy hands. I do not have a charger that fits in the DIN plug...Well, I was already dressed and ready.... and running late to work. so stuck a vice grip on the positive terminal. Negative easier to get at. real redneck like...but it worked!

few thoughts/questions.

***Anyway, I am curious. Is 2 weeks not running, not charging enough to kill a battery? If so, whats the cheapest "leave in" style din charger? I don't PLAN on storing the bike, but it IS winter, so there WILL be down time. And Id like to not have the drama of this morning.... Also, maybe a noob question, but... is there a kit or something available to add terminals to the side for easy access? say i'm on a trip and it goes out completely, need a quick jump... not an easy bike to "pop the clutch" LOL. (i tried ONCE) had a suzuki gs1000 i rode for a month like that WAY back when....

**Oh, when I bought it, the fuse for the clock (and that din plug) was out presumably to save battery, or they popped it at the dealer. That fuse has to be in there if you are going to use the charger, correct?

thanks!

[AZBMWRIDER]

First I have to ask, how old is the battery ??
I think the battery is undersized for the job it has to do in cold weather .
It's the same size as the batteries in my airhead 650's .
I don't have ABS on my '02 1150R, I installed a second battery in the spot that would have the ABS unit and wired it in series with the regular battery .
Since batteries live a short life in the desert heat of Phoenix, 26-30 months on average, I get generic AGM type batteries locally, they last as long as an Odyssey battery at one fourth the cost .
The fuse for the clock needs to be installed for you to be able to use the OEM outlet to charge the battery .
I would use a battery tender when the bike isn't being used .

[peels]

First I have to ask, how old is the battery ??
I think the battery is undersized for the job it has to do in cold weather .
It's the same size as the batteries in my airhead 650's .
I don't have ABS on my '02 1150R, I installed a second battery in the spot that would have the ABS unit and wired it in series with the regular battery .
Since batteries live a short life in the desert heat of Phoenix, 26-30 months on average, I get generic AGM type batteries locally, they last as long as an Odyssey battery at one fourth the cost .
The fuse for the clock needs to be installed for you to be able to use the OEM outlet to charge the battery .
I would use a battery tender when the bike isn't being used .

good idea, sticking a second battery in there.... do you have it switched, so you could run one independent of the other? Like my boat? Unfortunately, I have the ABS model. space is at a premium.

Ive come across some small float chargers. should work nicely for me. easy off/on. Not a big deal. I'm going to look into that i think. I already have a good battery charger..BUT i want it free for other things.

Ill throw the meter on it tonight...see whats happening.

[AZBMWRIDER]

No I don't have a switch to isolate the batteries, I wanted to see how this set up works .
It's been installed a year so far .
If the batteries don't last as long as they should, I'll try an isolating switch with the next two batteries .
I treat batteries like you would an airfilter .
I can get generic AGM batteries same size as the Odyssey PC680 for $23 each at wholesale cost, if I have them delivered to my work place, they just figure it's for business use .

[peels]

No I don't have a switch to isolate the batteries, I wanted to see how this set up works .
It's been installed a year so far .
If the batteries don't last as long as they should, I'll try an isolating switch with the next two batteries .
I treat batteries like you would an airfilter .
I can get generic AGM batteries same size as the Odyssey PC680 for $23 each at wholesale cost, if I have them delivered to my work place, they just figure it's for business use .

NICE!

[sjbmw]

If it's cold out, 2 weeks is plenty enough time to reduce the battery's cranking power.
Get a tender, and plug it into the accessory socket the night before you plan on riding, if it's been over a week or 2 since it last started.

[CycleRob]

Havent touched my bike in two weeks-not by design.... Went to start today. clickety click click click...

Just 2 weeks of inactivity and it's near dead??? That is a battery on it's way to its' final resting place at the battery recycling center. Charging it won't do much, as it'll go dead again. Riding the bike, even for 2 hours straight, will only give it a surface charge that will NOT have the ability to start the bike if you leave the key and headlight on for 10 minutes before starting the bike. A good battery would be able to start it with no problem. It's time for a new battery like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-PC680-PC6 ... sey+pc-680

You'll also need the L bracket terminal kit:
http://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-L-Termina ... sey+pc-680


Most M/C batteries don't just die, they are murdered. Owner neglect (No charging during 2 week plus or off season inactivity), short trip rides and unnecessary dischearges shorten their lifespans - - - sometimes dramatically. An unnecessary dischearge is:
1--Starting the bike just to move it 20 feet into the garage . . . every time after it is ridden.
2--Turning the bike off with the kill switch* and forgetting the key was left on. (* A very bad habit !!)
3--Leaving a turned off GPS connected to the bike's battery - - it still charges the GPS battery.
4--Wiring LED voltage indicators so they are always on.
5--Starting the bike and immediately shutting it off to test it's starting ability AFTER doing offense #2 or leaving the key on.
6--Not AC charging the bike's battery overnight, immediately after knowing or discovering it has been run down by an air compressor, a cell phone charging or key left on episode.

My advice is to invest in the best battery chargers, made by Deltran. The most popular ones are the .75 and 1.25 Amp models. Use the direct to battery pigtail connecter for all BMW bikes. Now there are waterproof models too. Choose your model and price range here and consider adding an extra battery pigtail for a seldom used vehicle or riding mower:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_ ... y%20tender

At that website page there is even a 5 Watt solar powered model and a solar panel charge controller module to connect to your existing 5W to 45W solar panels for storage sheds without AC power.

[peels]

not really guilty of any of those offenses Although SORTA close to #5. I started it, then got interrupted getting ready. So shut it off after running 30 seconds or so. It was then the clicking began, 5 minutes later AFTER I was dressed and ready......

THANKS ALOT for that clear and concise write up Cycle Rob.... I'll be buying a decent charger soon enough.

[CycleRob]

peels,
After getting your additional info, there are other possibilities when an engine starts then will not crank over on a restart attempt minutes later. A loose battery terminal connection, solenoid terminal connection or worn out burned away internal solenoid contacts. A loose battery terminal will also weaken the 50 Amp heavy wire connection to the alternator, and THAT alone will damage and even kill a good battery.

To ensure the battery really is the villain, your very next step should be to wire brush clean and lightly grease the battery cable terminals, battery posts, washers and bolt heads on ALL their (electrical) contact connection surfaces. Then tighten them both after ensuring there is a lock washer under each bolt head. If your bike then starts every time (or NOT) AFTER it is fully AC charger overnight charged, you have found the problem(s).

[snave]

my battery is also slowly fading away, but I want to wait until next season to buy a new one. I've found the easiest way to charge is to remove the starter cover - 1 screw, left side. I hook my positive charger clamp there and the negative to an engine bolt and charge for a couple of hours before I plan to ride.

[peels]

can anyone recommend a good charger I see theres tons of them

Value as the leading requirement. quality VS cost... the one i put in my amazon xmas wish list wasnt purchased lol. but I did get the DIN to standard 12v adapter for the bike I asked for, to plug in electronics. Maybe there's a charger that will plug into that?

maybe one of those multi-station ones...I could do the boat too...currently just take boat battery out, and store inside. I actually hadnt thought about that till just now...


woohoo more shopping.....

[MarkShelley]

The good chargers will all have attachments that will work through DIN sockets, cigar lighters, crocodile clips direct to the battery etc etc .
Just google it you lazy git

[peels]

The good chargers will all have attachments that will work through DIN sockets, cigar lighters, crocodile clips direct to the battery etc etc .
Just google it you lazy git

LOL I have been doing just that all day.

[timl]

I finally replaced my battery with a PC680. I removed a BMW/Exide with a date stamp of July, 2005. It might have gone a few more months but I got a bit nervous this weekend when it turned over very slowly when I was 50 miles from home. I chose the Odyssey because of the many recommendations on this list.

[AZBMWRIDER]

Thought I'd post a few sources for batteries that will fit the oilhead bikes, 22 ah capacity .

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index ... d=11909407

http://www.staabbattery.com/product/UB12220-V.html

They seem to last about the same as the Odyssey battery at less than half the cost in most cases .

[eduardobelmonte]

Havent touched my bike in two weeks-not by design.... Went to start today. clickety click click click... It got close to firing but....just not quite grrrr. It wanted to go to work just about as much as I did after a holiday break...

I have a "battery box" for emergencies...however....I was disappointed in the complexity of getting to the battery LOL. Need pygmy hands. I do not have a charger that fits in the DIN plug...Well, I was already dressed and ready.... and running late to work. so stuck a vice grip on the positive terminal. Negative easier to get at. real redneck like...but it worked!

few thoughts/questions.

***Anyway, I am curious. Is 2 weeks not running, not charging enough to kill a battery? If so, whats the cheapest "leave in" style din charger? I don't PLAN on storing the bike, but it IS winter, so there WILL be down time. And Id like to not have the drama of this morning.... Also, maybe a noob question, but... is there a kit or something available to add terminals to the side for easy access? say i'm on a trip and it goes out completely, need a quick jump... not an easy bike to "pop the clutch" LOL. (i tried ONCE) had a suzuki gs1000 i rode for a month like that WAY back when....

**Oh, when I bought it, the fuse for the clock (and that din plug) was out presumably to save battery, or they popped it at the dealer. That fuse has to be in there if you are going to use the charger, correct?

thanks!

My friend,

I've got two odyssey batteries, one year and other 4 years old on r1220r and r1150r bikes.
I live in Fl, let them sit for one month.
The charge goes down consistently 30%.
That lets them crank correctly to restart the bikes.

Although I do recharge them fully before putting the bike in use again.

The point though is that 2 weeks is too short of a time for the battery to let you down.

One last point is I used the OEM BMW battery (brand new), discovering it lasted less than 3 years.
the last of those 3, starting very slowly.... weak.
Replaced it with Odyssey..., MUCH stronger. Solid as said atop.