Dead battery

[coyotedave]

Got it all arranged, meeting a guy in Sropshire to pick up Sergent seat.
Kit on, bike out of garage, turn on ignition, press starter, NOTHING .
Call to BMW assist, 40mins later guy arrives to tell me battery is dead. quick call round to see if any dealer as one in stock, Jefferis have some, so guy has gone there to get one. So all is looking good to still get my seat, all be it a little later than planed.
First problem i have with the bike in 18 months and 20450 miles.
Will i renew my BMW break down cover, you bet i will.

Excellent service

 

[pogo]

Hello,

Same thing happent to me today , I had the first battery replaced under warranty after two years, dealer told me that was due to the luck of adequate charger,so I bought the pricey BM battery charger , and exactly 24 months later, battery is dead again! I had a sign last week, the starter did not make the same noise as usually,and the ABS warning light came on for a long time, witch is not normal,I think because of the voltage drop of the battery.

Anyway, I am desapointed because I thought gel battery would last more than two years. I am looking for something else now,maybe a normal lead/water battery , what do you think ?


A+ Pogo

 

[F104]

My first battery died too within warranty, but didn't have a trickle charger. Have one now, and no problems in three years. However don't just start it to put it inside. These are tiny batteries compared to cars, and our lights come on automatically. So one start and 30 seconds of idle will probably drain the battery quite a bit.
PS can't find it right now but have seen on motorcycleinfo.co.uk somewhere that after engine start a combination of switch inputs allows one to switch off the low beam, which would help charging a low battery fast

regards,

 

[NorthernBoy]

Hello,

Same thing happent to me today , I had the first battery replaced under warranty after two years, dealer told me that was due to the luck of adequate charger,so I bought the pricey BM battery charger

That would not have been my reaction, I'd have asked him if he was having a ******* laugh. To blame the user for a battery expiring within the warranty period is really not on. I'd then have suggested that if the bike needs an expensive charger to keep it alive, that they should probably consider giving me one for free.

 

[Slowdown]

That would not have been my reaction, I'd have asked him if he was having a ******* laugh. To blame the user for a battery expiring within the warranty period is really not on. I'd then have suggested that if the bike needs an expensive charger to keep it alive, that they should probably consider giving me one for free.

And back in the real world, you really should use a charger if you're not riding every day/only travelling short distances.

 

[The Burpster]

Optimate....

Oh and you only need to buy the BMW silly money charger if have no wiring skills, or for pure convienience of plugging into the aux socket through CAN-BUS (not sure I'd trust it!).

Put a fused fly lead directly onto the bettery and use an Optimate. My battery is 4 years old and still going fine.....!

Worthwhile investment? I should coco.

 

[NorthernBoy]

And back in the real world, you really should use a charger if you're not riding every day/only travelling short distances.

Of course you shouldn't. Bike, and car batteries, should be perfectly capable of maintaining charge, and health for several weeks at a time. Other manufacturers manage it without a problem, and, in fact, BMW normally do, too.

You are doing what far too many do, and making apologies for a failure on a component in a BMW. It is the same with people claiming that you should not be surprised at rust if you don't wash the bike after every trip.

Batteries should last just fine even if you only use the bike at weekends to go for a five mile round trip to the shops. If the OPs bike is not doing this, BMW trying to blame him for not keeping it on charge is ridiculous.

As is the all too frequent ridiculous reaction by other BMW owners to say that whenever something does not work as it should, it is the owner's fault.

 

[swissrob]

And back in the real world, you really should use a charger if you're not riding every day/only travelling short distances.

bollocks.... if u leave the bike for months and months on end without riding then fair enough otherwise the battery drain is minimal with ign switched off, mine was left for about 4 months over the winter season and it started perfectly.

 

[Slowdown]

Guys

Read up how lead acid batteries actually work. Find out how sulphation occurs. Then you'll understand why you really should use a charger.

 

[cookie]

bollocks.... if u leave the bike for months and months on end without riding then fair enough otherwise the battery drain is minimal with ign switched off, mine was left for about 4 months over the winter season and it started perfectly.

quite.

virtually never charge mine. two and a half years old BMW OEM. often goes weeks without use.

one of the main reasons for using gel batteries is their resistance to discharge when not in use, hence their early adoption by boats, snowmobiles etc.

 

[Rong]

It helps if you also have steering lock on as this prevents battery draining.

 

[The Burpster]

Curious.......

It helps if you also have steering lock on as this prevents battery draining.

Go on then, how's that? what wonderfully unneccessary BuMW circuitry does having the lock engaged, disable?

I'm geuinly curious.....

 

[theop]

there is a ton of posts on how insufficient OE batteries are. The GS is fitted originally with a 12Ah battery whilst the RT with 19Ah.

The solution is to get an "Odyssey" battery that will last longer, but no longer than 3 winters.

 

[coyotedave]

Battery is always on trickle charge over winter months when not doing too many long runs. This is the first time in many years and many miles on bikes that this has happend, 2 examples being ZX900C2 92000 miles in 4 and half years, GSXR10000K3 34000 miles in 3 years.

We should exspect to get more use out of any type of battery than a couple of years and a few thousand miles.

When battery went awall it was more of an anoyance, as i had made arrangments to meet someone. Everything worked out ok.

 

[NorthernBoy]

Guys

Read up how lead acid batteries actually work. Find out how sulphation occurs. Then you'll understand why you really should use a charger.

What a condescending twat you are being there, why is that?

I know full well how sulphation works, and also understand full well that going a fortnight or a month without using the bike should not cause it.

What you are implying is that those of us without power in our garage should not buy a BMW. I am pretty damned certain that BMW themselves would not tell me that their bike is unsuitable for anyone in my situation, and I am equally certain that you'd be laughed out of any garage or workshop if you came up with such a statement.

But thanks very much for your valuable input, it is noted, and filed...

And edited to say, I am sorry if you feel that this is an over-the-top response, but anyone in the camp of "Oh, you should have done X, Y and Z, and not just expected the bike to work anyway" deserves a linguistic slap. If everyone had as low expectations as you do from bike manufacturers we'd still be getting 10bhp per litre and running our lamps on kerosene. We are far, far beyond where you seem to feel bike technology has stopped, and expecting a 2008 bike to behave like it had '60s Lucas electrics is just ridiculous (i.e. it deserves to be ridiculed).

 

[Klunk]

Dead Battery/no brakes

Over the past few weeks when I start the bike the Brake Failure warning whatsit has taken an inordinate amount of time to disappear to the point where I had not noticed and discovered said problem when the bike didn't stop... interesting moment.

Anyway then this am I am ironically taking the bike for its 6000 mile service and it won't start is the battery issue the probable cause of the delayed brake warning light/system?

The dealer has the bike now...

Klunk

 

[wilbjr21]

A lttle bit from the Rider's handbook.

Not wishing to be a "tw*t" or a "clever shyte" - it's just that some folks don't read the manual.

 

[gavin@iow]

Go on then, how's that? what wonderfully unneccessary BuMW circuitry does having the lock engaged, disable?

I'm geuinly curious.....

That's nothing new, my supplying dealer told me that when i picked up the bike, and that was nearly 5 years ago!, if i'm going to leave the bike for longer than a couple of hours, including in the garage, the steering lock goes on, as the dealer suggested. Original battery, nearly 5 years old, 13,500 miles, don't get used much.