F800GS-is my battery dead?

[tim dew]

Hi,

Switching on my bike this morning, no power, no swish of the clock needles. Presses the starter and just a click click noise.

Decided to plug the bike into the optimate during the day and pinched my wifes car for work.

Came home from work and the optimate had not charged the battery just slected the warning triangle, so took the tank panel off and had a poke around nothing loose, so put my multi-meter on the battery around 12-13v switched the bike on click -click again and around 7-8V. The headlight came on then turned off.

The bike is nearly three years old, I am guessing the battery has given up, any thoughts most welcome

Thanks Tim

 

[Tim Cullis]

Should be almost 14v when fully charged. If the battery is down to 7-8v after an all day charge I guess it's shagged.

 

[v8legend]

Modern batteries die very quickly. They can be fine one day, then just die.

 

[6821snape]

Exact same happened to me yesterday all kitted up for day in Wales just click click click, had go on other bike. Put back on Optimate last night just tried it and its started.The bike normally stays on the optimate but used it last weekend so did not bother with the optimate as it was only going to be a few days.Had no probs with optimates on other bikes,have not checked voltage,but guessing new battery is on the cards, 2 year old bike and always been on optimate if its not going to be used for more than a week. Anybody got any ideas.

 

[tim dew]

Battery RIP

New battery fitted, bike fired up like a good one.

Bank balance now £105 worse off but I need the bike every day so my local BMW had one in stock.

Perhaps 3 years of nearly daily use is not too bad.

Thanks for the comments

Tim

 

[Greggers]

£105

I'd have spent a third of that on a 'ordinary' non-BMW battery and put up with the service light nag...

G

 

[lllBlll]

My battery have died during this winter too. Have used the my CTEK charger the whole winter. As the bike is less than two years old the BMW dealer replaced it for free. They said that modern batteries is fragile when they're not used often. According to them it's better for the battery that the voltage goes up and down from the bike being used, than a charger that holds the voltage relatively stable over time. Don't now if it's true, just what they said might be the reason...

 

[TheJoker]

CrazyCaz's battery has drained without any reason a few times. Don't know why. Took it into NOG for investigation when I noticed that the accessory socket gives out 0.3V when bike is turned off...
... They said they do that, and couldn't explain the drain.

 

[Greg Masters]

Decided to plug the bike into the optimate during the day ....

Why wasn't it already plugged into your Optimate?



When you get your new battery, use your Optimate every minute that your bike isn't running. You'll find that your battery will then last twice as long as it otherwise would have done.

Greg