First time flat battery

Engineer

Engineer

He/Him - Guitar Student and Electronics Engineer
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I hadn't be able to ride my 1250GS for two weeks because of illness. Went to the garage midday yesterday to start the bike, dash lit up, steering lock released no problem - but battery barley turned the engine and it failed to start.

This is the first time this has happened in 15 years of owning GSes. I have left previous bikes for two weeks in the past and they have started no problem. I normally ride at least once a week even in Winter and have never needed a maintenance charger.

The only difference I can think of is this bike came with a tracker - this obviously take a little power to keep it alive and communicate with the tracking centre. I assume that this is what has caused the battery to drain to the point where the bike won't start in a mere two weeks.

Removed the battery, charged it for about 8 hours and now all is fine again, starts with no hesitation.

The battery is the standard factory fitted BMW Exide 14Ah jobby.

Think I'd better buy a maintenance charger to plug into the under-seat socket if I leave the bike for more than a week.
 
For the past 20 years (whatever bike brand) if i am not riding, my bike is on the trickle charger.( an old accumate).
My batteries last 6 yrs + and i have quite a few bikes.
 
Same happened mine, battery replaced under warranty and i got them to remove tracker at the same time.


Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk
 
Rowle said:
For the past 20 years (whatever bike brand) if i am not riding, my bike is on the trickle charger.( an old accumate).
My batteries last 6 yrs + and i have quite a few bikes.
Click to expand...

Mine has the Datatool Stealth tracker - never had a problem with battery drain.
 
I have put the battery back in the bike and left it in the garage - It is unlikely that I will get a chance to ride it until next weekend, it will be interesting to see if it starts next then. It has never failed to start after a week in the past - if it doesn't start then the battery is probably on its way out - it will be disappointing as I bought the bike last March.

P.S the handbook recommends using a maintenance charger if the bike is not ridden for 3 weeks.
 
My 1200gs was without a maintenance trickle for a year, and in the following 30 months kept on charge. Either way, never had an issue. I forgot to put my 1250gs with a Datatool tracker on charge for a week after having it a month, and it struggled to turn over, but remedied with a charge.

The issue of this being down to the tracker - or not - has been hotly debated on these pages, and apparently Datatool have said the draw is minimal.

If that's the case, there's something else causing an issue, from new, or its a set of dud batteries going around?
 
yofi said:
My 1200gs was without a maintenance trickle for a year, and in the following 30 months kept on charge. Either way, never had an issue. I forgot to put my 1250gs with a Datatool tracker on charge for a week after having it a month, and it struggled to turn over, but remedied with a charge.

The issue of this being down to the tracker - or not - has been hotly debated on these pages, and apparently Datatool have said the draw is minimal.

If that's the case, there's something else causing an issue, from new, or its a set of dud batteries going around?
Click to expand...

like any device with a SIM, if there is a weak signal then the tracker will use a lot more power than in the ideal conditions the maker refers to - maybe there has been a mobile signal problem in the OP's area?
 
Is your Nav VI still onboard?
 
wessie said:
like any device with a SIM, if there is a weak signal then the tracker will use a lot more power than in the ideal conditions the maker refers to - maybe there has been a mobile signal problem in the OP's area?
Click to expand...

The phone signal is not great in Tempsford, so yes I think 2 weeks with the tracker periodically transmitting is probably the issue.

Some quick sums :)
14Ah battery

14A x 1hr
0.1 x 140hr
50mA x 280hr
25mA x 560hr

One could imagine the tracker taking 25mA - so the battery would last 560/24 = 23.3 days until totally flat, so one could imagine after 14 days it might struggle to start the bike.
 
Engineer said:
The phone signal is not great in Tempsford, so yes I think 2 weeks with the tracker periodically transmitting is probably the issue.

Some quick sums :)
14Ah battery

14A x 1hr
0.1 x 140hr
50mA x 280hr
25mA x 560hr

One could imagine the tracker taking 25mA - so the battery would last 560/24 = 23.3 days until totally flat, so one could imagine after 14 days it might struggle to start the bike.
Click to expand...

yes you have solve the problem, I like your theory
 
Winjar said:
yes you have solve the problem, I like your theory
Click to expand...

Me too.

You'd think it'd have a voltage sensor and turn itself off, like you get on hardwired dashcams.

You can, however, set up a low battery alert on your datatool dashboard.
 
Engineer said:
The phone signal is not great in Tempsford, so yes I think 2 weeks with the tracker periodically transmitting is probably the issue.

Some quick sums :)
14Ah battery

14A x 1hr
0.1 x 140hr
50mA x 280hr
25mA x 560hr

One could imagine the tracker taking 25mA - so the battery would last 560/24 = 23.3 days until totally flat, so one could imagine after 14 days it might struggle to start the bike.
Click to expand...

Honda UK claim the Datatool Trakking only draws 0.4mA - maybe ask Datatool to confirm?

I know my Bike Trac uses a tiny amount of current as it was still transmitting around a month after being disconnected from the bike and running on its small internal battery - it was showing a weak battery status. Bike Trac claim a current drain of 3 - 6mA
 
Does this quick draining of the battery not make the tracker a bit useless as in after a fortnight the battery is flat so if it's nicked you can't find it anyway?
 
Hoggyf said:
Does this quick draining of the battery not make the tracker a bit useless as in after a fortnight the battery is flat so if it's nicked you can't find it anyway?
Click to expand...

the Datatool ones are supposed to send a text to warn of a low bike battery. They have an internal battery as well for back-up e.g. if a thief disconnects the battery.

Perhaps in this case, the battery voltage and current were fine to run the tracker but the battery did not have enough amps to start the bike? If the OP had left the bike for a bit longer then a text would have been sent when the voltage dropped to critical levels for the Tracker.

I am sure we have all turned a vehicle on and had the LEDs etc light up but had that horrible click and no action as the solenoid kicks in but nothing from the starter motor.
 
wessie said:
the Datatool ones are supposed to send a text to warn of a low bike battery. They have an internal battery as well for back-up e.g. if a thief disconnects the battery.

Perhaps in this case, the battery voltage and current were fine to run the tracker but the battery did not have enough amps to start the bike? If the OP had left the bike for a bit longer then a text would have been sent when the voltage dropped to critical levels for the Tracker.

I am sure we have all turned a vehicle on and had the LEDs etc light up but had that horrible click and no action as the solenoid kicks in but nothing from the starter motor.
Click to expand...

Datatool phoned me when I removed the battery to charge it, they thought the bike was being nicked :)

If it does sent a text then it is far too late as the bike won't start.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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