R1200RS + R1250RS Forum
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Zitat von Yoda im Beitrag #15 Not that I know of, except for the few poor unfortunates who hooked up an after-market GPS device that decided to turn itself at night on after the bike was shut down. That issue happened a couple of times a few years ago and apparently drove some dealers crazy trying to diagnose the battery drain problem. But I think they have it figured out now and know what to say when a similar problem arises. I could also be that BMW has reprogrammed their computer system to prevent this from happening again.
Current motorcycle collection: 2002 Yamaha FZ1; 2005 Triumph Bonneville T-100; 2011 Royal Enfield Bullet 500; 2009 BMW F650GS; 2016 BMW R1200RS; 2018 Zero S 16.6 kWh
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#17 | RE: Urgent battery help needed!
Sun Sep 22, 2019 3:27 am (Last edited: Sun Sep 22, 2019 3:28 am)
Sun Sep 22, 2019 3:27 am (Last edited: Sun Sep 22, 2019 3:28 am)
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After I fitted a USB port that was on a fused direct draw from the battery,, the battery flattened itself after 14 days or so when I was on vacation overseas. It was not totally flat, but it did not turn the motor.
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Hmm that's only 5mA - bit surprising if that was the only cause. Still, is there nobody here willing to do a quick measurement on their bike? (Mine is an RT and has a tracker fitted so not really comparable -also it's much more of a faff to get the plastic off
Bridgestone 175 Hurricane Scrambler - Royal Enfield 250 Crusader - Norton Atlas 750 (two, first one stolen) - 25 years - F800ST - F800GT - R1200RS - R1250RT
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Zitat von wessie im Beitrag #6 As an actual lawyer (but not an attorney-at-law  ) suing the dealer outside of small claims court (USA) would cost more than just replacing the battery.My knowledge of batteries is somewhat dated. I know the lead/acid battery is “self-regenerating” in that is if it’s in good condition and gets drained and left alone with no draw, it will rebuild its charge to the point that it can work again. Now, that usually means being able to crank and start a motor...at which point the alternator takes over and starts charging the battery faster than it’s being drained. Still, if it’s not a “deep cycle” battery (usually marine applications), total discharging will damage ordinary batteries...shortening their lives. Motorcycles used to only use electrolyte/lead batteries (some still do). I know the electrolyte is also an acid, but I think it is a lower potency. These batteries did not self regenerate and needed a battery tender if not used regularly. I don’t know the science behind the “why” in this case unless the electrolyte/acid formula needs to have certain properties for the battery to generate its own power rather than be “charged” before using. Yes, I know car batteries get charged before use, but that’s at the factory, and they can sit for years and work fine when first installed. Still, larger bikes went to AGM technology, so I presume they are lead/acid like any car battery...unless I’m wrong there. That said, I think car batteries are warrantied for 3 to 5 years more as a selling tool. Batteries requiring maintenance (remember when we had to open the cells and inspect fluid levels every year) would last about 5 years if neglected (sans defects). Do the maintenance and you’d get a couple more years out of most batteries easy. The evaporation of the acid solution is what killed it prematurely. Less water = higher acid concentration = faster deterioration of the lead plates resulting in a cell or two shorting out when the lead sediment linked neighboring plates. Likewise, lower fluid levels = lower cell output as surface area of submerged plates determines a cell’s output. When sealed batteries came about, customer maintenance was removed from the equation. So, now they warranty batteries (the good ones) to be good for X years. It should be from date of sale, but I think in most cases the retailer covers for a period and then it’s the manufacturer who warranties the product. Hence why they say to not to buy (or at least pay full price for) a battery past 12 months from date of manufacturing. Even not being used, the acid is eating away at the plates. AGM might be better since the glass matting may prevent sediment from being able to short out cells. Presuming motorcycle batteries are not self-regenerating like car batteries, I suppose owner maintenance (either ride or use trickle charger) is needed, and if the battery passes 6 months, a shop can’t tell whether to attribute the failure to manufacturer defect or poor owner maintenance. I would think that a “good” battery that gets too weak to crank will be corrected by a trickle charge unless it is somehow defective.
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By the way, what warning signs do people look for when suspecting a dying battery? I know with typical cars, dimming headlights when stopped is a good sign (lower alternator output can’t supplement weak battery output). My Prius (2013) still has the OEM 12v battery but will get a warning code if it detects a weak 12v battery. My last bike was analog enough that it would take longer than usual to crank and start.
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#21 | RE: Urgent battery help needed!
Sun Jul 12, 2020 11:45 am (Last edited: Sun Jul 12, 2020 11:46 am)
Sun Jul 12, 2020 11:45 am (Last edited: Sun Jul 12, 2020 11:46 am)
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Zitat von zer0netgain im Beitrag #20 I have just been through this with my S1000XR, which from an electronics point of view, is much the same as the RS. The first sign of a problem was only apparent when cranking the engine. With weak batteries they are often at the right voltage and have enough current available to energise the ECU, fuel pump & ABS. You then try to crank the engine and you get a weak effort or no effort to spin the motor. If you are lucky, this happens at home but most likely will happen during a ride as the battery has stopped charging properly and you drain the battery whilst riding. Stop for fuel or a drink and the bike refuses to start. With modern bikes reliant on the ECU etc being powered up you are not going to bump start them if none of it is powered up, hence why I carry a battery booster. As you know, as you replied to my post, I wrote about this here |
Zitat von wessie im Beitrag #21Zitat von zer0netgain im Beitrag #20 Woot has the Noco GB40 for sale at 69.99 https://www.woot.com/offers/noco-gb40-bo...85080_513417400
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Zitat von Mr. 36654 im Beitrag #22 In a way, that’s tempting, but look at the size of it. 
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Just did some comparison shopping. It costs more on Amazon (who owns Woot), but after shipping it’s no savings. That, and Amazon has a unit for $20 less than that one with similar features.
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Zitat von Uithoorn im Beitrag #26 Moi Aussi. Early 2015 bike. Nearing 40K miles. Lives on a direct wired charger most of the year. Maybe early batteries are better than newer batteries.
Carpe Diem!
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4 Ah LiFePO4. About 50 k mls. My bike hasn't seen a charger since 2018 when I got it and swapped batteries.
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(Terry Pratchett in Maskerade) |
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Referring to this post. Zitat von wessie im Beitrag #2 |
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