Just when you think your luck has run out....

FretGrinder · World Chat Champion Joined: 29 Jul 2010 Karma :

Had an issue with the bike this week where my bike struggled to start a few times, with plenty of bump starts, purchase of a new battery and a nice little surprise at the end!

Here's what happened over the week -

Tuesday

Started bike up to go to leave work on Tuesday morning after finishing a night shift and bike struggles to start. "no problem" I think, it's a bit cold, maybe the battery is a little weak. Get home and park the bike up for the day. Get up around 3pm and hop on the bike to get some ciggies and the bike struggles to start, takes 3 or 4 goes to start it up "hmmmm, what's going on?" Get out my multimeter to check voltages on the battery.

Engine off - 11.9V
Engine on - 12.1V
Rev to 3000 RPM - 13.2V

Not good.

I decide to replace the battery as it's had a rough time all through the winter and it's probably on it's way out as the bike is almost 4 years old.

Battery charges fine and I'm good to go to work.

Wednesday

Start bike up to leave work, go to asda (about 3 miles away) to get some stuff for breakfast. Bike struggles to start (oh no, not again)
Get home check out the voltages and they are roughly the same.
This is when I realise, after a few more tests, that it's the reg/rec is definatley the cause.

Put the battery on charge again and leave it all day. At round 8.30 I fit the battery and try to start the bike, starts fine. Get ready to leave for work, start bike, into first, cuts out.

Bollocks!

After many attempts to restart the bike, I've had enough and start chucking spanners around the garage in rage. The I realise I'd left the side stand down while trying to put it into gear!

Now the battery has been flattened. I jump start it with my dads car. On the way to work I realise I'm out of fags and pull into the nearest garage. Now, do I leave it running and run in to get some fags or turn it off. I turn it off as I don't want anyone to nick it. Get fags, run across the forecourt, with lots of bemused faces watching me bump start the bike, and head off.

Thursday

Bump start the bike to get home, searched around on the internet for a pattern reg/rec but, after much searching, there is only pattern parts for varadero's up to 06 and mines an 07. I wait till around 9am to phone the dealer. After a quick chat they tell me they can get me in at around 3pm.

Awesome!

I grab a couple of hours kip and set off to the dealer which is about 25 miles away. I leave the bike with them and after an hour I go back in to be told that it's definatley the reg/rec and I'm looking at £177 just for the part. The bloke that was dealing with the bike told me to leave it with him for about half an hour. Off I go again, and when I come back I'm told that a new one has been fitted and that it won't cost me a penny as I only bought it off them in October last year and, even though it's been out of warranty for a few months, he'll sort it out with Honda.

I'm considering going back with a case of beer for the bloke at the dealer that's bent over backwards, twice, to help me out with the reg/rec and the fork seals. You don't get customer service like that very often.

The bike is now performing just as good as when I first got it, just in time for the nice weather.
____________________
Yamaha MT-09

ಠ_ಠ

mr-inteligent · Nitrous Nuisance Joined: 04 Nov 2008 Karma :

You did ok in the end then Thumbs Up

but why would you even think about paying £177 for a reg/rec?

FretGrinder · World Chat Champion Joined: 29 Jul 2010 Karma :

Pete. · Super Spammer Joined: 22 Aug 2006 Karma :

With service like that I think you should at least name the dealer as he seems to be one of the good guys Thumbs Up

____________________
a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good Very Happy

Paxovasa · World Chat Champion Joined: 25 Apr 2010 Karma :

Did you buy the new battery from the same dealer?
____________________
Suzuki GSF600 K3 (in the fastest colour, black).

MinhDinh · World Chat Champion Joined: 01 Jan 2005 Karma :

Honda reg/rec seem to go from a lot of their range. :s

Glad you got it all oK!
____________________
Hit the G spot. Wink

FretGrinder · World Chat Champion Joined: 29 Jul 2010 Karma :

Ichy · World Chat Champion Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Karma :

Sounds like a decent bloke, name the shop.
____________________
https://www.metacafe.com/watch/1972097/how_to_behave_on_a_forum/

FretGrinder · World Chat Champion Joined: 29 Jul 2010 Karma :

Ok, the dealer is Honda Shreswbury.

On a side note is there anyway of fitting a voltage readout display without too much modding of the dash? I've seen people mod LED's into the dash, but I'd rather not drill into it.
____________________
Yamaha MT-09

ಠ_ಠ

Paxovasa · World Chat Champion Joined: 25 Apr 2010 Karma :

keggyhander · World Chat Champion Joined: 30 Nov 2008 Karma :

Bit of advice on batteries.

Check out MOTOBATT.

Here's a test of five top AGM batteries and the performance of the Motobatt is startling. It's the only bike battery that can start a American 6.8 litre V10 pickup truck 50 times on the trot:

Part 1) https://www.intruderalert.com/cafe/index.cfm?page=topic&topicID=157926

Part 2) https://www.intruderalert.com/cafe/index.cfm?page=topic&topicID=176271

My bike's original battery died just before Christmas and I did a bit of research before laying out money. On the strength of the above tests I settled on the MOTOBATT because of how many times it will start an engine before running down, and how long it can be left without discharging.

I got mine off Ebay.