Dead bike

[grez]

I left my 1150 for 2 months and the battery ran down. As advised here I got am optimate which charged the battery but when I try to start it I get about 2 seconds of starter motor sounds then a horrible "clanking" something like a machine gun after running out of bullets, or an old style football rattle. I tried to bump start down a steep hill and got the same sound. Any ideas ?

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Nah...........well dead, that sounds.........pity - 1150's are ok bikes most of the time - sounds like you've got a right one

 

[beermonster]

If it was starting ok prior to the lay off I reckon your battery is the culprit, time for a new one, assuming yours is a few years old.

 

[ktmmark]

when mine did that i jumped if off the car battery to start & then got a new battery (sorted)

 

[Gas'd Off]

Jump leads

 

[Alex B]

Battery Program !

Ditto !

The GS makes that lovely clack/clack/clack noise when the battery is flatter than a well run-over frog on the M25 during the rush hour. Get my drift.

As I found out, the Optimate will struggle to recover a battery that is already waving adios by the time you start giving it the serious Optimate treatment.

You might be able to recover it by recharging, but if one of the older lead-acid batteries, the cell chemistry is already down the road somewhat. Technical stuff.

Best solution if you're sure battery is compromised is (a) buy a new battery (do a search on this site - loads of good advice) ... gel though, not lead-acid. (b) get the Optimate on it and leave it on, especially during this cold weather ....... low temperatures knock batteries. (c) ride the bike as often as you can.

Speaking from one who has been down this particular road recently.

 

[rocks]

Same problem..

Umm.. i just had the same kind aproblem..
bike wouldnt start depsite 2 months on an optimate..
Seek the optimate wasnt fully connected..

Anyhow.. trickle charged battery and now starts fine ( see my thread)..
Still got to get a propper ride onit.. but hope to sort it tomorrow..

I thought exactly the same thing.. the starter motor had died at first..

Get the battery charged up fully and then try it.. and remeber to disable the alarm.. ( If you havieone.. resettign the battery tends to activate most alarms disabling circuits.. )..