How Long Should I expect a Battery To Last?

[ferrol]

CHeck batteries current charge: Should hold at 12.8V happily on its own. Any lower, will need looking at.

Check charging voltage when bike is on. Should see 13.8 -14.4 V when bike is on idle and at 3000RPM. Any lower could be issue in charging system.


I know this as I've just chased down issues on my F650GS twin 2009 and had to convince the dealer of this my issue too, Stator and Rectifier.

There are checks you can do to see if its your Stator but there are already excellent posts on here to help you with that.

There are post on ADV that suggest that the charging system for these F800/650 bikes is flawed anyway so batteries will die more than any other model/make.

 

[ferrol]

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=562296&page=6

Very interesting read.

 

[SuperTed]

2nd Update...

Well I thought I was doing so well - bike serviced (54K), new set of TrailAttack2's, new battery - all ready for our trip to France on Monday (6th June). I really should have known...
Stopped for petrol on Wednesday evening and after paying it wouldn't start. All the symptoms were as before and I was stranded in the petrol station. The nice RAC man checked it as far as he could and described the bike as having a 'total loss electrical system'. Basically it wasn't charging. (Yes, I know, you all tried to tell me...)
So having had it plugged into the Optimate over night I phoned Cannon's at Braintree and they said "Yes, bring it up", so I did.
To cut a long and frustrating day down to the basics: the generator has packed up, they are on back order to Germany, no UK dealer has one, its going to take a week to get here
The nice folk at Cannon's recommended a firm called Superbike Hire just up the road at Brentwood and I have hired a 2012 F800GS Trophy in blue and White. It comes with all the BMW metal boxes and a new set of Michelin Anakees, so I'll get to see what they're like.
The bike hire is costing more than the rest of the holiday all added up, but at least I'm getting a holiday.
And mine should be fixed before we get back. (It had better be...)

 

[wizwilson]

My battery gave up last week, its a 57 plate and was always connected to Optimate when not in use, its done 50000 miles so not to bad, replaced it with an Odyssey battery bought direct form the company great service, was also modified by them, they take a couple of the side ribs off, still had to cut a couple of notches from corner tags, tricky to fit but doable, spins over great now.

 

[ymfb]

It will fail at the most inconvenient time, if your keeping the bike for the foreseaable get an Odyssey, if not fit almost anything knowing it might only last 2 years.

Before I rode everyday I used to wreck a battery every winter through laziness. I have two Ducatis, which have tiny lightweight batteries, they need an Optimate from new. My F800GS is four years old, runs loads of electrical stuff and is as good as new.

 

[SuperTed]

Post Trip Update

Well having had a great time with the guys'n'girl for 12 days in France I collected the bike from Cannon's on Saturday and all was, mostly, fine & dandy.
Generator working great, they'd replaced a missing bolt just under the screen and had moved the brake pedal up one spline on the shaft as requested. Only problem being that who-ever did that bit didn't check the adjustment on the brake and having ridden the 32 miles home the rear brake was a) 'kin hot, & b) locked on.
Left the bike on the drive for 45 minutes to cool off and when it had cooled down & freed off I could put it in the garage. Looked at it on Sunday and adjusted the activating rod so that the brake isn't on all the time.
While the rest of the work looks good and the guys in the service department are nice people I am singularly unimpressed by this.
But it now works and I did have a good holiday - even if it wasn't on my bike.
SuperTed

 

[dibbs]

Glad you had a nice holiday Ted. Ive been thinking about raising the rear brake pedal on my f800 as there is far to much travel before it works!! so will also alter the rod at the same time. Thanks for the info. Oh and I hope your new battery does the job!!!!!!