54 R1200GS starting/battery problems

Firstly I should say - go gently with me. I am no mechanic, but can do some basic stuff and am unfortunately the more practically-minded of the two of us.

So - the story.

The taller half has a 54 plate R1200GS. He has had the ABS 'removed, disconnected, otherwise disabled' at Alan Jeffries.

Hasn't ridden it for a while, bike didn't start in garage, put battery on charge (battery is a Yuasa about 18 months old). Next morning all is well, we do a couple of hours to a meet up point (we're doing a scrubs delivery relay). The team further down the relay is delayed by an accident, we hang about for 2.5 hours. During this time, he moves the bike, then fuels up. Starts it x3 no problem. Finally we do the handover, and set off to finish the delivery - our leg is a steady hour on motorway at 70 with a tiny bit into housing at the end. Deliver the scrubs, natter for a few minutes. Come to start the bike again - absolutely nothing.

The absolutely nothing looks like this: Turns ignition key, apparently all normal, presses starter button, click and everything dies - all electrics switch off. Wife (me) suggests he has done something dozy like left the stand down, taller half patiently checks such things, but no, and anyway.

We wait for the recovery wagon. When it arrives, the mechanic/driver wants to jump it with some scary-looking car-starting-thing, which the taller half refuses on the grounds that it may fry his electrics. So the bike is to be taken home for us. But beforehand the mechanic puts something (I assume a voltmeter but don't know) across the battery and says it is reading zero. Taller half tries to start the bike again, this time nothing even comes on.

We ride home on my 800 (with ME as pillion, the indignity ), the dead bike is delivered, we lock the gate and crash into bed.

This morning, we go to put the damn thing into the garage - and just before we do he tries to start it again, and the b*&$%& thing starts!!

Ideas? Some sort of loose connection, jiggled back into place by the 2 hours on the back of a wagon over our excellent country roads? Some sort of weird software thing that had 'timed out'? If loose connection, where to look? (I checked the battery terminals at the time).

thank you very much for any help

Battery first off,

Starts , runs , stop wont start, leave for xx time and restarts, as battery has recovered enough.


for £54 buy a new motobatt or £100 an oddysey

then it's earths, then look at starter,

OK - thank you

That's reassurring, as have ordered the Oddysey and the associated charger, so we'll see if that does the job before I start crawling around looking for the earth.... (it's easy on mine, brown wire on front of starter, had to learn as have bad habit of riding through big puddles).

Likely loose battery connection to account for the "no volts" roadside reading.
Next Morning start suggests at least 11 volts available - I think the electronic limit is something like 10.2 when everything switches off.
Replacement battery could be a good start to tracking things down.

What after market accessories are fitted? - aux lights, SatNav cradle, heated gear ..... etc. Always the first thing to check as something crashed the old battery, which was probably already weak, during that short stop. We have seen aux items wrongly wired direct to the battery on here so many times - a recipe for problems.

Chances are its a battery connection or a ground / earth connection, But on more than one occasion I have come across battery's with with an internal fracture that can show zero volts one minute then when jarred will start the bike. They have every chance of going bang as the internal spark ignites the hydrogen.

squibb34 said:

What after market accessories are fitted? - aux lights, SatNav cradle, heated gear ..... etc. Always the first thing to check as something crashed the old battery, which was probably already weak, during that short stop. We have seen aux items wrongly wired direct to the battery on here so many times - a recipe for problems.

Click to expand...

Ah - it has both aux lights, on a separate switch, and an accessory socket, which is apparently broken - both fitted before he got it. I will have a proper look tomorrow and see if I can't undo both, if I can manage it simply.

Mistacat said:

Chances are its a battery connection or a ground / earth connection, But on more than one occasion I have come across battery's with with an internal fracture that can show zero volts one minute then when jarred will start the bike. They have every chance of going bang as the internal spark ignites the hydrogen.

Click to expand...

good job I've ordered a new battery then