My bike wouldn't start tonight...

[snappo]

I've been away for a couple of days with work, so left my bike locked up in an unheated iso container at my site. It was ridden in there at about 17:00 on Monday, and when I went back to work tonight to swap my van over for the bike, at about 17:00 again, funnily enough, it didn't want to start. The bike was turning over, but not fast enough to fire - sounded like a battery issue to me.

In the 17 months I've owned it, the bike has never failed to start, not once!

The container was very cold when I went back, and over the last 48 hrs I'd bet it stayed colder in there than the outside air temp. I left the bike, and had to come home in my van. I did leave a little electric heater on in the iso box, that should have been left on before but I didn't notice that it was off.

What do you reckon, I'll go in tomorro and the bike will start for me? I'm taking my optimate in anyway, just in case.

 

[Greggers]

Batteries hate the cold...

The optimate will bring it back up, and warming the storage area will increase the battery's (cold) cranking ability ...

If not, it's time for a new one.

G

 

[Dean]

What do you reckon, I'll go in tomorro and the bike will start for me? I'm taking my optimate in anyway, just in case.

I would agree 99.9% battery is flat, my original did it a few times using the BMW charger did not put charge into the battery when Flat so allways had to get to the battery to many times and charge it up with a big boy charger.

but it's ok now I have another (new battery) and a dongle, so It livess in wait for me in my garage with optimate attached (that does charge from flat if need be) two green lights tell me all is ok and touch wood it all ways is

 

[mark2jag]

Whats the consensus of opinion on........

I would agree 99.9% battery is flat, my original did it a few times using the BMW charger did not put charge into the battery when Flat so allways had to get to the battery to many times and charge it up with a big boy charger.

but it's ok now I have another (new battery) and a dongle, so It livess in wait for me in my garage with optimate attached (that does charge from flat if need be) two green lights tell me all is ok and touch wood it all ways is

Ok so here's a question for the collective then. My 650 GS is parked up in a heated building while i spend my 41 days penitence here in Cyprus. The alarm is ON. Will it start when I get back?????? Sorry to hijack the thread but it's related to the OP and its also not, if you see what I mean.........



No???? OK I'll get my coat (not that I'm gonna need it here in almost sunny and warm Cyprus hehehehe.......)

 

[StumpyFingers]

One way to prevent the cold affecting the bike is to drape a blanket over it to help retain the warmth.

 

[v8legend]

Ok so here's a question for the collective then. My 650 GS is parked up in a heated building while i spend my 41 days penitence here in Cyprus. The alarm is ON. Will it start when I get back??????

Last November, my F800GS (with an alarm) was reluctant to start after a 4 week lay off. I've now got a BMW Canbus charger, and have no problems.

My mate has the same bike (no alarm and no charger). His lives in a detached garage, and he rides it less than me. He never has any problems.

In answer, it might start, but then again it might not!

 

[Greggers]

Probably not - don't forget that the alarm draws a small current from the battery, add that to the normal self-discharge losses that any battery suffers and it won't be long before there's not enough wallop (that's a technical term) left in the battery to turn the bike over. I think mine gave up after 6 or 7 weeks while I was in Europe over the summer, and - as I don;t have an alarm - that was simply from self-discharge.

A battery tender is the only way to guarantee best possible battery performance.

G

 

[Little le800GS]

My battery was replaced under warranty at 15 months old, BMW assist told me to plug it into an optimate all the timers prolongs battery life , my battery would go totally flat after 3weeks. Had a BMW alarm on it which killed it

 

[Dean]

Ok so here's a question for the collective then. My 650 GS is parked up in a heated building while i spend my 41 days penitence here in Cyprus. The alarm is ON. Will it start when I get back?????? Sorry to hijack the thread but it's related to the OP and its also not, if you see what I mean.........



No???? OK I'll get my coat (not that I'm gonna need it here in almost sunny and warm Cyprus hehehehe.......)

I,m with greggers Its a No.

just like a tv on standby sucking out that small amount of power until your battery is beyond the point of no return (Dead Flat)

Optimate is your friend

Also its going to be cold and miserable so keep your coat at hand . Not before to long your going to wish you was back in Cyprus nothing to do with the Battery its just a Given

 

[snappo]

After advice from a mate who owns a 650GS, I went back to it today and gave it lots of throttle twisting before trying the starter again, and it fired up second time of asking. Blew a fair bit of smoke out the back, but it ran sweet as anything after that. The battery seemed ok on reflection, but I have ran an optimate on it all afternoon anyway - I think it was more the extreme cold caused a bit of a fuelling problem - I've never had to touch the throttle before when I've started it, but all seems fine tonight!

 

[Greggers]

Sorry but from what you've described, your bike only started because the battery had been recharged - you'd have probably found that it would have started as normal. The FI system is pretty clever and will enrich the mixture according to ambient/engine temperature so the fuelling will have been absolutely fine, but all the throttle twisting probably over-fuelled it hence the start on the second press of the button ...

If you're keeping it cold, then keep the battery tender connected and just start it as normal, no twottle thwisting ok?

call me a hair splitter if you must!

 

[v8legend]

After advice from a mate who owns a 650GS, I went back to it today and gave it lots of throttle twisting before trying the starter again, and it fired up second time of asking. Blew a fair bit of smoke out the back, but it ran sweet as anything after that.

You shouldn't need to touch the throttle when starting. That goes for all modern fuel injected bikes. The starter has a lot of work to do on a big twin, so keep the battery fully charged with an optimate or BMW charger. The smoke was probably unburnt fuel from all your throttle twisting. That doesn't do the cat much good.

 

[GS Biker]

Sometimes vapours (moisture) can be mistaken for excessive smoke?

 

[Homer1968]

Just read this thread with interest chaps as i've been for a blast today on my GS 800. However i didn't think it was going to start. So my question is(And forgive my ignorance as i'm a novice with mechanical stuff) will an oxford optimiser wired to the battery do the job? Or do i require something different ie more BMW specific. I currently have a optimiser 600 on my DRZ so if it'll work its just a case of changing them over.

 

[v8legend]

So my question is(And forgive my ignorance as i'm a novice with mechanical stuff) will an oxford optimiser wired to the battery do the job?

That will work just fine. The only real advantage of the BMW charger is that it just plugs in to the aux socket.

 

[Homer1968]

Cheers v8legend, that saves me buying another one