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Battery issues query..

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misscrabstick
Crazy Courier



Joined: 05 Jul 2013
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PostPosted: 23:47 - 01 Feb 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote
"A quick check with a meter showed that the battery appeared to be fully charged at 12.5v, but as soon as the starter button was pushed, the voltage dropped to virtually nothing and was slow to recover. It was a dead battery - something internal had failed and was presenting a high rather than low resistance to the terminals."

This exact thing happened to my Pan European, typically as I was in a big hurry to go somewhere.
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raesewell
Traffic Copper



Joined: 22 Oct 2012
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PostPosted: 13:39 - 02 Feb 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote
If the battery was showing 12.5 volts it wasn't fully charged. It should show 12.8 and if the voltage drops below 9.6 volts during start up it's toast and you need a new one.
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Kawasaki Jimbo
World Chat Champion



Joined: 09 Oct 2015
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PostPosted: 13:57 - 02 Feb 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote
raesewell wrote:
If the battery was showing 12.5 volts it wasn't fully charged. It should show 12.8 and if the voltage drops below 9.6 volts during start up it's toast and you need a new one.


That's why I still say the best diagnostic approach is a jump start from another battery. If it starts then you need a new bike battery; simples! A multimeter still leaves doubt. Handy for investigating possible causes perhaps, but most likely the battery has simply reached the end of its natural life. Jump start with £10 Halfords jump leads and ride into town to get a new battery. Or faff about with a multimeter and wonder what the numbers mean.
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Islander
World Chat Champion



Joined: 05 Aug 2012
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PostPosted: 21:07 - 02 Feb 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote
raesewell wrote:
If the battery was showing 12.5 volts it wasn't fully charged. It should show 12.8 and if the voltage drops below 9.6 volts during start up it's toast and you need a new one.


12.5v is perfectly normal for a fully charged battery that's just been used to start a bike It's a healthy voltage. Optimum is actually 12.6v not 12.8v for a lead acid battery.

The point I was making in my post was that it went from being a healthy fully charged battery to dud after a single start and that batteries can fail suddenly.
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Islander
World Chat Champion



Joined: 05 Aug 2012
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PostPosted: 21:10 - 02 Feb 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote
Kawasaki Jimbo wrote:
That's why I still say the best diagnostic approach is a jump start from another battery. If it starts then you need a new bike battery; simples! A multimeter still leaves doubt. Handy for investigating possible causes perhaps, but most likely the battery has simply reached the end of its natural life. Jump start with £10 Halfords jump leads and ride into town to get a new battery. Or faff about with a multimeter and wonder what the numbers mean.


I'd disagree with that. A multimeter in the hands of someone who knows how to use it (and I do) is the best diagnostic tool for electrical problems. Including battery issues.
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Tigerlea
Nitrous Nuisance



Joined: 07 Jul 2016
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PostPosted: 22:19 - 02 Feb 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote
Islander wrote:

I'd disagree with that. A multimeter in the hands of someone who knows how to use it (and I do) is the best diagnostic tool for electrical problems. Including battery issues.


Yeah buuutttt..... I don't. Never used one in my life!

Kawasaki Jimbo wrote:
That's why I still say the best diagnostic approach is a jump start from another battery. If it starts then you need a new bike battery; simples! A multimeter still leaves doubt. Handy for investigating possible causes perhaps, but most likely the battery has simply reached the end of its natural life. Jump start with £10 Halfords jump leads and ride into town to get a new battery. Or faff about with a multimeter and wonder what the numbers mean.


I don't have access to another motorbike/battery.


Sounds like best bet (for least money, considering £30 has already been spent) is to remove battery, charge it again, reinstall then go for a ride... to go buy another battery. Especially if bike dies/does not succeed in getting to destination/home again.

... Frustrating.
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Nobby the Bastard
Harley Gaydar



Joined: 16 Aug 2013
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PostPosted: 23:01 - 02 Feb 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote
Tigerlea wrote:



Sounds like best bet (for least money, considering £30 has already been spent) is to remove battery, charge it again, reinstall then go for a ride... to go buy another battery. Especially if bike dies/does not succeed in getting to destination/home again.

... Frustrating.


Get a multimeter

Set it to 20v DC

Measure across the battery and note the value.

Start the bike, method is irrelevant, just start the bastard.

Measure across the battery whilst the bastard thing is running.

If the meausrement is higher when the bike is running, the battery is either badly discharged or fucked.
If it doesn't change or is lower, yoiur charging circuit is bolloxed
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Islander
World Chat Champion



Joined: 05 Aug 2012
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PostPosted: 23:05 - 02 Feb 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote
Tigerlea wrote:
Sounds like best bet (for least money, considering £30 has already been spent) is to remove battery, charge it again, reinstall then go for a ride... to go buy another battery. Especially if bike dies/does not succeed in getting to destination/home again.

... Frustrating.


Charging the battery is a good place to start. When it's fully charged, reconnect it to the bike and then select the DC volts range on the meter if there are several to choose from then use the 20v range.

Connect the multimeter across the battery red lead to +, black lead to -

Note the voltage. It should be approximately 12.6v if it's much lower then the battery needs replacing.

Press the starter and note the voltage. It should be 9.5v or higher and turning the bike over - if it's lower or not turning the bike over then the battery needs replacing.

When the bike is running increase the revs to 3-4,000. Note the voltage. It should be around 14v, if it's lower than 13.8v then the charging system isn't working properly.

Those are the basic tests. Thumbs Up

It's really not that hard to do.
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Kawasaki Jimbo
World Chat Champion



Joined: 09 Oct 2015
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PostPosted: 11:40 - 03 Feb 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote
Kawasaki Jimbo wrote:
Jump start with £10 Halfords jump leads and ride into town to get a new battery.

Actually I'm wrong there. I was trying to make the point that a £10 multimeter won't get you mobile (get you home) like jump leads will. If fetching a battery from town you'll need to phone ahead to ask the bike shop to make one ready. (Acid in, and ideally charged up to the max too.)

Tigerlea wrote:
I don't have access to another motorbike/battery.

A friend or neighbour with a car?
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MCN
Super Spammer



Joined: 22 Jul 2015
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PostPosted: 13:01 - 03 Feb 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote
Kawasaki Jimbo wrote:
Kawasaki Jimbo wrote:
Jump start with £10 Halfords jump leads and ride into town to get a new battery.

Actually I'm wrong there. I was trying to make the point that a £10 multimeter won't get you mobile (get you home) like jump leads will. If fetching a battery from town you'll need to phone ahead to ask the bike shop to make one ready. (Acid in, and ideally charged up to the max too.)

Tigerlea wrote:
I don't have access to another motorbike/battery.

A friend or neighbour with a car?


Or don't fukaboot and buy a GEL/AGM/MF unit and sleep longer.. 😎
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Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.
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Dweller
Derestricted Danger



Joined: 05 Oct 2017
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PostPosted: 20:17 - 04 Feb 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote
I just replaced my battery after 3 days charged only ran about 10 seconds, the cold and irregular riding kills them.
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Howling Terror
Super Spammer



Joined: 05 Dec 2008
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PostPosted: 21:17 - 04 Feb 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote
^^Heat kills a battery faster than cold.
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Fizzer Thou
World Chat Champion



Joined: 06 Aug 2011
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PostPosted: 11:26 - 05 Feb 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote
If a new battery is what you need then these people do an excellent job of delivering quickly and efficiently....and you can speak to someone knowledgeable who can help if need be Thumbs Up Wink

https://www.tayna.co.uk/Ducati-Motorcycle-Batteries-FB162.html
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Dweller
Derestricted Danger



Joined: 05 Oct 2017
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PostPosted: 01:50 - 06 Feb 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote
Howling Terror wrote:
^^Heat kills a battery faster than cold.


True Samsung taught us that lesson quickly. But when do we ever have enough heat to kill a battery in the UK Razz
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Old Thread Alert!

The last post was made 6 years, 81 days ago. Instead of replying here, would creating a new thread be more useful?
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