Thoughts please?

[Phill Elston]

Like many, due to "the Rona" my 68 plate GS1200Adv LC hasn't had as much use as I'd have liked over the past 18 months. It Today's pretty much been living plugged into an Optimate in that time when it hasn't had use.
A couple of weeks ago, I started doing some refurbishment in my garage, so the charger got unplugged. I went to us my bike on Christmas eve... it was as flat as the proverbial pancake. I got the car rigged with jump leads connected to the bike, thinking I could bridge the power gap. All I got was "Engine Fault - You can ride... to the nearest specialist garage" but it still wouldn't start.
So I put the bike back into the garage and onto the Optimate.
Today it started first push of the button.
Thoughts from the collective please; a) May my battery be FUBAR? b) Why would it go so flat so fast? c) Why wouldn't it take a jump start? Recommends for the best replacement battery if "yes" to a)?

Thanks all

 

[Phill Elston]

Further - about this website/forum

Why when I was signed in and able to post the above, does the system seem to log me out when I click onto the "For Sale" section and why is it that I seem to have to accept cookies every time I log in?

 

[Alan R]

Like many, due to "the Rona" my 68 plate GS1200Adv LC hasn't had as much use as I'd have liked over the past 18 months. It Today's pretty much been living plugged into an Optimate in that time when it hasn't had use.
A couple of weeks ago, I started doing some refurbishment in my garage, so the charger got unplugged. I went to us my bike on Christmas eve... it was as flat as the proverbial pancake. I got the car rigged with jump leads connected to the bike, thinking I could bridge the power gap. All I got was "Engine Fault - You can ride... to the nearest specialist garage" but it still wouldn't start.
So I put the bike back into the garage and onto the Optimate.
Today it started first push of the button.
Thoughts from the collective please; a) May my battery be FUBAR? b) Why would it go so flat so fast? c) Why wouldn't it take a jump start? Recommends for the best replacement battery if "yes" to a)?

Thanks all

a) yes, it maybe a duff cell rendering it scrap.
b) see a) above, or you have a parasitic drain sapping the battery when the bike is switched off: have you fitted any accessories direct to the battery?
c) no answer to this one, my bike once needed a jumpstart and started easily with jump leads from a car battery.
Yuasa YTX14H-BS if yes to a)
Alan R
PS - are we really calling it the “Rona” now?

 

[squibb34]

a) Probably the battery - get it tested for CCA potential. Any decent battery vendor can give it a check.

b) either the battery is FUBAR or you have a parasitic drain - check the battery first. Parasites could be something hanging live after you turn off the ign or anything direct wired - retro fit lights/nav.

c) You probably didn't give it sufficient time for the battery voltage to lift. Jumping bikes should always be a last resort in my book; best to recharge & work from there to avoid the potential to damage electrical systems.

d) Personally, Yuasa - the biggest CCA / Ah that will fit the hole.

 

[Paul G (BHT)]

Further - about this website/forum

Why when I was signed in and able to post the above, does the system seem to log me out when I click onto the "For Sale" section and why is it that I seem to have to accept cookies every time I log in?

Do you tick the box that says 'Remember me' before you log in?

 

[Phill Elston]

Yep - only happens on my MacBook Pro though?

 

[Paul G (BHT)]

Yep - only happens on my MacBook Pro though?

If the logging on issue is only happening on a specific device then the problem cannot be this end.
I have however changed the For Sale/Wanted link so let me know it that problem is resolved.

 

[Phill Elston]

If the logging on issue is only happening on a specific device then the problem cannot be this end.
I have however changed the For Sale/Wanted link so let me know it that problem is resolved.

Cheers Paul will have a shufti

 

[RJP]

I think the logging on issue is because of the new Mac privacy set up. You probably also will ding you have cookies pop ups more, even though you’ve already accepted them.

Re the battery I’ve had similar issues and had much better performance from a replacement battery I got from nippies.

I sometimes have to leave my bike in a garage for a couple of weeks with no charger as there’s no socket in there. It ends up draining the battery. Does anyone know of a way to trickle charge from a bigger battery? Could I sit a car battery on the floor and trickle charge from that?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DevonAl]

I sometimes have to leave my bike in a garage for a couple of weeks with no charger as there’s no socket in there. It ends up draining the battery. Does anyone know of a way to trickle charge from a bigger battery? Could I sit a car battery on the floor and trickle charge from that?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I use a car battery connected to bike battery for a few days if I haven’t used the bike for a few weeks or disconnect it if I know it will not get used for longer, I also have an XT660X, this will hold charge far longer than the GS, even though the the GS battery is newer.

Al.

 

[wessie]

which version of Optimate?
When you say unplugged, was the Optimate unplugged from the mains and left connected to the bike?
Is the Optimate connected directly to the battery?

If you have an early optimate (mk I or II) from the late 1990s, and say yes to the other questions, then the charger could drain the battery if left connected to the bike without mains power as they did not have a reverse current diode, so quite happily munched the battery's electrons.

Optimate III onwards (not to be confused with the current Optimate 3) should not do this unless they have developed a fault.

 

[steadysteve]

Further - about this website/forum

Why when I was signed in and able to post the above, does the system seem to log me out when I click onto the "For Sale" section and why is it that I seem to have to accept cookies every time I log in?

Started having the same issue here where the site logs me out when clicking onto the FS+W section. Has happened on phone and iPad. Tried the ‘Remember Me’ box …no different, still logs me out.
I initially thought it was linked to an update the iPad had done but the same issue occurs on my mobile phone(android OS) suggesting it’s not this end that’s the issue. My tame teenager(aged25) usually knows how to deal with stuff like this but couldn’t sort it out.

Edit:- tried the FS+W section after typing this message and it logged me out.

 

[bosnjo]

I don't know if this is related to bike jump start but as for cars, since 20 years ago most of the cars, and all of the newer ones usually don't simply start by connecting cables to the other car's battery. You have to connect them and wait for 5 minutes. Don't ask me why but that is from my personal experience. That may be the case for the CanBus bikes as well. I don't know. I only know that when you make jump connection between cars, the energy supplying car has to be running all the time. When you try to jump start CanBus bike, the energy supplying car may not be running. That is not from personal experience but from electrician advice.

 

[wessie]

I don't know if this is related to bike jump start but as for cars, since 20 years ago most of the cars, and all of the newer ones usually don't simply start by connecting cables to the other car's battery. You have to connect them and wait for 5 minutes. Don't ask me why but that is from my personal experience. That may be the case for the CanBus bikes as well. I don't know. I only know that when you make jump connection between cars, the energy supplying car has to be running all the time. When you try to jump start CanBus bike, the energy supplying car may not be running. That is not from personal experience but from electrician advice.

a lot will depend on how flat the battery is when you connect the donor battery. If a battery is completely flat then the vehicles systems may have completely shut down. On connecting the donor battery you may have to wait for the system to boot up before you can start the disabled vehicle. Just like it will take your phone a little while to boot up if you let the battery go flat. This would not apply to an older vehicle without an ECU etc.

In most cases where the vehicle will not start, especially if it is just a winter lay-up, the battery voltage will be adequate to keep the ECU powered up but not enough CCA available to start the vehicle. In this case, once the donor battery (from another vehicle or in my most recent case, one of those jump start packs smaller than a VHS tape) is connected then you should be able to start the disabled vehicle immediately.

The reason you do not have a car running when using it to jump start the bike is that the car's alternator output is too high for the bike's system. A bike uses a 10 to 14Ah battery so you will not drain the car battery greatly when jump starting the bike.

On the other hand, a small car like a VW Polo has a 60Ah battery delivering 600CCA. If your VW Polo battery is flat and you use another VW to jump start the Polo then it is going to suck a lot of juice from the donor battery to start the car. Without the donor car's engine running there might be enough of a voltage drop in the donor battery to upset the donor car's battery or electronics.

 

[Neil W]

We had vehicles at work that when the battery got too low they would not start with jump leads, a tow start ,a commercial jumper pack or by attaching jump leads and leaving the second vehicle running for 10 minutes.

However , swap the battery for one that still had some charge and they would start straight away as it would if you recharged the battery on the vehicle .

Can only assume it needed some charge in the vehicles own battery to initiate the vehicles ignition ,starting and charging circuits

 

[knutk]

Like many, due to "the Rona" my 68 plate GS1200Adv LC hasn't had as much use as I'd have liked over the past 18 months. It Today's pretty much been living plugged into an Optimate in that time when it hasn't had use.
A couple of weeks ago, I started doing some refurbishment in my garage, so the charger got unplugged. I went to us my bike on Christmas eve... it was as flat as the proverbial pancake. I got the car rigged with jump leads connected to the bike, thinking I could bridge the power gap. All I got was "Engine Fault - You can ride... to the nearest specialist garage" but it still wouldn't start.
So I put the bike back into the garage and onto the Optimate.
Today it started first push of the button.
Thoughts from the collective please; a) May my battery be FUBAR? b) Why would it go so flat so fast? c) Why wouldn't it take a jump start? Recommends for the best replacement battery if "yes" to a)?

Thanks all

Personally I have a mixed experience when it comes to keeping the Optimate connected continously to the bike via the AUX connector.
The charger is supposed to monitor the battery and then recharge when the battery voltage drops. However, as the AUX-port is closed after the first top-of, it seems like the Optimate fails to reopen the AUXport for rechecking the battery.
My Optimates are CAN-bus type, but not the newest ones. Perhaps the newer ones works better?

To shorten my story:
I still keep the chargers always connected, but the 230V supply is routed via a week-timer, so the charger is powered only 4 hours a week. And every time the charger is re-powered by AC, it will open the AUX-port and check the battery for a potential top-of.

So if the bike has been stored with the charger always connected to the AUX-port, this may perhaps explain the issue..

 

[botus]

the quality of BMW batteries is awful - replace it with one they didn't make

 

[Engineer]

the quality of BMW batteries is awful - replace it with one they didn't make

On all of my 6 BMW GS's since 2005 I've never had a battery fail - maybe because I use the bike more than it sits in the garage

P.S. never had to resort to a battery charger either.

 

[Boxerlust]

botus I did not know BMW made batteries...Problem is most BMW riders talk too much and don't ride enough...That will kill any battery no matter who makes it...

 

[Mr Bean]

On all of my 6 BMW GS's since 2005 I've never had a battery fail - maybe because I use the bike more than it sits in the garage

P.S. never had to resort to a battery charger either.

How long do you keep your bikes?

I too, ride all year, but mine on the 1250 started turning slowly, throwing lots of error messages. In the end I got fed up (BMW found no issues) and replaced with a Yuasa GYZ16H - no error messages since.

botus I did not know BMW made batteries...Problem is most BMW riders talk too much and don't ride enough...That will kill any battery no matter who makes it...

They don't - each of mine has been an Exide.