Starting Problems

[ANDY LAD]

Help.
Missed out on the peaks meet on Saturday due to my bike being dead.
When I turned the key I didn't get the familiar whirring noise and the bike wouldn't start. The abs lights did the usual flashy thing when the battery is low so I put the bike on charge.
Even after 24 hours it only just started. (took two attempts before the whirring noise- is this the fuel pump?) Know that sounds thick but only just getting into doing the bike myself.
This is the first winter it has been stood for more than a couple of days as I have now got company car and not commuting.
Bike was stood for about 2-3 weeks. Is the battery knacked or do they take a lot of charging?
Should I get an optimate or I have seen somewhere on here a charger from motorworks that plugs into the power socket.
Any suggestions much appreciated.
Cheers.
Andy

 

[ferguscawley]

Andy

Is your bike kept outdoors or indoors ?. If it was left outdoors for a few days in the freezing temps we have been experiencing lately, then this will seriously compromise the battery's ability to start your bike. Give it a good charge and take it for a long spin to breathe some life backinto it.
An optimate charger would be a good investment in the long run to keep your battery at it's peak.

Ferg

 

[Vendome 41]

Starting problem

I have a plug in charger from moto bins very good if you plug it in at the end of every day. As I have been known to forget I have also fitted the bike with 2 pieces of jump leads as to have remote terminals for the battery. and therefore could jump-start if needed be without removing seatas tank etc

 

[Vendome 41]

Remote terminals

Also colour coded the end of jump leads cut off pieces so you know which is which +/-

 

[ANDY LAD]

Andy

Is your bike kept outdoors or indoors ?. If it was left outdoors for a few days in the freezing temps we have been experiencing lately, then this will seriously compromise the battery's ability to start your bike. Give it a good charge and take it for a long spin to breathe some life backinto it.
An optimate charger would be a good investment in the long run to keep your battery at it's peak.

Ferg

The bike is kept in the garage but with no heating and the minus temps that we've had I suppose it has been quite cold.
Just been offered a second hand optimate for £20. Is that any good?
Thanks for all the help. Been told optimate comes with bullet connectors so I don't need to remove seats etc to charge.
Also shows state of battery I'm told.

Andy

 

[richie]

Get the optimate (i want one too) but just for info when I got back from Thailand and after not riding the bike for Three weeks it also did not start. Jumped it of the car no problem and went for a ride and its all sorted I think the optimate is good if you've got abs as it helps it to kick in properly first go.

Cheers

 

[Rabbitson]

Is it safe to jump start a bike of a car?

Can't the extra current bugger the electrics?

 

[richie]

mines OK any how

 

[Vendome 41]

Jump start

I have never ruined abattery with jump stating from a car I was only draining the car battery the engine never running.

 

[Fanum]

If you're jump starting a bike from a car, DO NOT start the car........they charge at over 13 volts and you can get a surge that might well shag the circuits on the bike......a car battery has more than enough power to jump many bikes without flattening itself so unless the car battery is dodgy as well, leave it OFF.

If it's a lead acid battery, be very careful......Jumping a dead one will cause it to start producing hydrogen..if the concentration in the air space above the battery plates reaches 4% (not a lot), it is potentially explosive......a spark from a bad connection on one of the battery terminals could be enough to ignite it, and that's not big or clever !


1 Connect +ve of dead battery to +ve of live battery.
2 Connect -ve of live battery to solid metal part of engine or frame on bike
3 Wait a minute to let voltage stabilise
4 Start the bike
5 Disconnect the jump leads in reverse order to above.

A 30 minute ride should be enough to put a fair amount of juice back in the battery.

Quite a lot of people seem to put lengths of booster cable onto their terminals so that when they need to, they can use these to jump from without taking seats off etc....the live though obviously needs to be properly insulated so it doesnt start flopping around and weld itself to the frame or engine with a big flash-fizzle.

The ADV has jump start terminals on its flank BTW....all properly insulated and tidy...i don't know if these are available as a BWM part for retro fitting to a non-ADV bike but that might be worth a look.

 

[Fanum]

Para....came across this a while ago....fitted to an R80GS.
Quite a nice solution.......

Website HERE

 

[Fanum]

OOps......found another one while i was looking for some bits......

It's a bit dear though....details HERE

 

[Fanum]

And another...cheaper.....neater too.....

LINK