Battery

[Becky B]

When it is warm my battery is fine and the bike starts fine, but when it is cold with in 2 sec of trying to start the bike (lights off choke on) the battery goes flat and i have to jump start it off the car. Why is this and how can i sort it with out buying another one?

[Gixxer-TeZ]

I would think one of the cells has either had it or is weak Becks.
Cold is the worse thing for batteries, thats why you shouldn't leave spare batteries on the garage floor, it kills them stone dead.

Only way really to test it is stick a multi-meter across the battery while it's on the bike and read the voltage. It should be (taking it's a 12v system ?) between 11.5v and 12.5v (ish)

Then turn the bike over while a friend continues to meter the voltage and if it drops much below about 9volts I would replace it. (the battery ....... not the multi-meter)

Mind you, all that said, If it's been doing it recently I wouldn't say it's been cold enough to affect it that much. (or have I not been out enough at night to see how cold it has been ?)

The problem is that say for example you have a 6 cell battery, if one of them cells is weak or knackered, it will drain the life out of the other 5 very quickly because you don't have as many cranking amps to hand.

A drop tester (if available) could be another test to do but do it properly and hook a multi meter on to the DISCONNECTED battery first and while drop testing observe the multi meter to see how fast the voltage drops. If it drops more than 2 volts on a 12v system this is normally a sign to change batteries.

Of course this is all subject to your bike turning over freely with no excessive resistance from the engine etc.

[Tark]

Optimate! Try one and see. Might be able to desulphanate (spelling) it and make it all better. Or at least it will keep it charged up for you overnight.

[Becky B]

When i say cold thats when i finish wk at 4-5am some times it starts and some times it dont. I did put it on one of them things to c what it is it was at 13 when off and at 14 something when engine running. And its a sealed battery too :jumping2

[Tark]

Are you sure it is a battery problem or could it be something else that is failing when its cold??00

[the captain]

i had a similar problem this winter.....i made a start on a service the other day ready for the proper summer and found my spark plugs are actually non existent and the bikes starting through the magic of small furry trolls that live in the space just under my seat!!!

I wil add at this point i have a new set on their way so said trolls can have a little rest!!!...(before any of you nechanics hold your heads in disbelief and tell me off!!!)

[Becky B]

Are you sure it is a battery problem or could it be something else that is failing when its cold??00

Yeah it is a battery prob cause from cold normal battery it goes over 2-3 times then starts my battery now it trys to start then it goes flat but during day starts no problem

[Lateshift]

Cold is the worse thing for batteries, thats why you shouldn't leave spare batteries on the garage floor, it kills them stone dead.




Its close but it doesnt win the ceeeegar, its a common misconception that all batteries are affected by cold conditions, in fact for most batteries their performance is degraded under hot ones ;)

There are batteries out there (especially lithium) that work far better in the cold than others but at this time of the year it shouldnt have much affect on the performance of a standard bike battery.

The fact that the bike is a V Twin, and that its being started from cold, with thick oil on the clutch plates (therefore putting more strain on the battery due to the extra its cranking) is likely to be more of the problem here, the early Mille used to suffer from it too.

The fact that the battery probably is weak isnt helping though because a V Twin requires a battery to be in pretty good nick given the size of the pots its trying to turn on start up :)

[Becky B]

I rode my bike through winter and the battery was fine,
Think i might just buy a new one

[Webby]

Get a bike dealer or someone like MickTLS to check the coils as well bef0ore you go shelling out big bucks. Early hours of the morning it could be condensation getting in to any number of the contacts on the primary circuits.

Sounds like a duff battery, smells like a duff battery but...it could be any number of things.

[Becky B]

Think ill just buy a new one. Halfords sell the one i need at £50 so i should be able to get one for £30 if i look around

[Tark]

YTX12-ABS £32.99 + del

www.motorbikebatteries.co.uk

[Becky B]

YTX12-ABS £32.99 + del

www.motorbikebatteries.co.uk

Cheerz tark ill look at that see how much delievery is. :-)

[Tark]

It was just the first place I looked to be honest. It was too early in the morning!

[falcophil]

don`t know about the VTR but on my Falco i have a 14amp instead of the standard 12, this is a common mod, done by the previuos owner. i still also keep it on an optimate, as after a few days it struggles.
did have a bike which i used to have to run in my lunch break as the battery wouldn`t hold a charge all day, put it down to the engine being cold as it turned over fine, but not enough grunt left to start it, changed the battery and it was fine.

[Becky B]

I brought a new battery and its fine now, plus it was the origanal battery it had which was 9 years old