Kawasaki 1400 GTR

Off Topic => General Discussion => Topic started by: snowy on March 23, 2017, 08:02:49 PM

Title: Quickest death of a battery!
Post by: snowy on March 23, 2017, 08:02:49 PM
Had to sort sons' car out on the drive earlier, thought get the bike out so I can use it to get bits if needed.
GTR started without an issue, past the car, parked up on the road.
Hour later had to get an ABS sensor, locked up, kit on, got on bike, couldn't even turn the oven knob!   :no:
Never had a daed battery on the GTR, lazy now and again, but this was scary, nothing on the LCD  :eek:
Battery on charge for 6 hours, sweet F.A. - just solenoid clicks on starter.
So, local car spares had a Lucas YTX14 at a fair price, so another hole in the bank account (still recovering after a pair of Angel GT's!) all back and working.   :scooter:
Battery taken off, well furred up connectors, case is swollen from knackered cells, and a manufacturer called "Leoch"!
Must have been a DK special when the bike was made ready for sale!  :censored:
Lets hope that Lucas batteries are as good as they used to be!
MOT tomorrow, fingers crossed for an "event free" test!
Taylor Brothers @ Haughton for 10:30 if anyone's out?
Title: Re: Quickest death of a battery!
Post by: doebag on March 23, 2017, 08:39:30 PM
Had a very similar case with my Vstrom a few years back in Scotland.
Petrol station opposite our B&B, rode over after breakfast to fill up with petrol, paid, walked back to the bike, battery absolutely gone, not a flicker on the instrument panel.
Title: Re: Quickest death of a battery!
Post by: Burchy on March 24, 2017, 12:22:49 PM
I managed to kill the OEM battery.  My fault.  Cam to a halt, in a car park , with other and flicked the prop stand down.  It was still in gear and so the engine cut out.  I made the classic mistake of not turning the ignition off and just left it with ignition and lights on.  A couple of hours later one completely dead battery.  Not a glimmer, so had to jump start it from an FJR

Got home and trickle charged the battery, but it never held a good charge again, so after 4 weeks it was binned in favour of a Motobatt jobbie

Seems that auto batteries dislike being fully discharged...
Title: Re: Quickest death of a battery!
Post by: Icefever on March 25, 2017, 07:26:03 AM
Quote from: Burchy on March 24, 2017, 12:22:49 PM
Got home and trickle charged the battery, but it never held a good charge again, so after 4 weeks it was binned in favour of a Motobatt jobbie
Seems that auto batteries dislike being fully discharged...

Same here...I let a battery that was only about 6 months old run right down. stuck it on charge but it was never any good.
Title: Re: Quickest death of a battery!
Post by: mikeyw64 on March 25, 2017, 07:50:14 AM
Quote from: Burchy on March 24, 2017, 12:22:49 PM
  It was still in gear and so the engine cut out.  I made the classic mistake of not turning the ignition off and just left it with ignition and lights on. 


Which got me wondering.

How difficult would it be to set up a bike so that in this scenario it auto shut off?

I'm thinking either some sort of Time Delay Relay linked to an engine running event or a low voltage cutoff where it killed the power if the voltage got below a set level
Title: Re: Quickest death of a battery!
Post by: PaulB on March 26, 2017, 11:41:17 PM
Lead acid batteries... Technology from the 1850s... To this day, they are still made as a series of 2V cells (so 6 of them in the standard car/bike battery). If just *one* of those cells dies, you may as well just throw it away.

Cheers

Paul B.
Title: Re: Quickest death of a battery!
Post by: shaggs147 on March 27, 2017, 09:23:21 PM
After doing the same thing myself a couple of times I bought something similar to this from ebay to save trying to push the beast to bump start it.  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/361891313548 it's not much bigger than a mobile phone and it really works - even jump starts a diesel transit van! Worth keeping in the panniers.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Quickest death of a battery!
Post by: nightrider on March 27, 2017, 09:49:14 PM
Quote from: Burchy on March 24, 2017, 12:22:49 PM
I managed to kill the OEM battery.  My fault.  Cam to a halt, in a car park , with other and flicked the prop stand down.  It was still in gear and so the engine cut out.  I made the classic mistake of not turning the ignition off and just left it with ignition and lights on.  A couple of hours later one completely dead battery.  Not a glimmer, so had to jump start it from an FJR

Got home and trickle charged the battery, but it never held a good charge again, so after 4 weeks it was binned in favour of a Motobatt jobbie

Seems that auto batteries dislike being fully discharged...
. I did the same thing the way to get round it and be able to bump it off was to take the main headlight fuse out so you can turn the key and the clocks can do there thing and then it will bump off
Title: Re: Quickest death of a battery!
Post by: pross on March 28, 2017, 01:43:38 AM
Quote from: shaggs147 on March 27, 2017, 09:23:21 PM
After doing the same thing myself a couple of times I bought something similar to this from ebay to save trying to push the beast to bump start it.  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/361891313548 it's not much bigger than a mobile phone and it really works - even jump starts a diesel transit van! Worth keeping in the panniers.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk



I bought this one and started the bike 1st time when my battery was flat 👍👍

https://www.amazon.co.uk/DBPOWER-8000mAh-Portable-Starter-Battery/dp/B01N9P36P6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1490661665&sr=8-2&keywords=db+dbpower
Title: Re: Quickest death of a battery!
Post by: Wookie on March 29, 2017, 07:10:59 PM
Mickey Lo tek solution ..
..
Sticker on windscreen with the mortal words
TURN THE IGGY OFF DUMDUM!! :mfr_lol:
But would be interested on the time delay doodad  :smiley:
Title: Re: Quickest death of a battery!
Post by: virginiajim on March 29, 2017, 08:41:04 PM
Thank goodness!
Title: Re: Quickest death of a battery!
Post by: Icefever on April 01, 2017, 02:50:48 PM
Quote from: shaggs147 on March 27, 2017, 09:23:21 PM
After doing the same thing myself a couple of times I bought ...  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/361891313548 it's not much bigger than a mobile phone and it really works - even jump starts a diesel transit van! Worth keeping in the panniers.


We live and learn....I've sending for one ASAP.....it'll be worth it.
Title: Re: Quickest death of a battery!
Post by: Tay on April 09, 2017, 07:06:57 PM
Why didnt I read this a few days ago :)

Guess what I did yesterday..?   Yup, went out for a few hours burning off some miles  while the weather was nice to get the oil change out of the way.

Seems I left ignition on, I cant see why there is no mechanism to shut it off automatically, surely that has to be an oversight?

Sure enough dead as a dodo this morning when I needed to be somewhere.   
The story is long so I'll bullet point it.

Sigh, what a day.

I'll by buying one of these boosters asap AND ensuring I have 5 and 6mm allen keys to remove the battery cover.

I might invest in some mechanism to replace the trickle charge cables with something a bit bigger for this eventuality !!

Lesson learnt, I've now checked the bike twice since I've been home to make sure I've not left it on. 
Title: Re: Quickest death of a battery!
Post by: virginiajim on April 09, 2017, 09:21:29 PM
I turn off the stove knob when I'm done riding it.  Is yours different?  I never use the kill switch.  In fact, turning off the kill switch whilst I'm not looking will cause endless mirth to the perpetrator.
Title: Re: Quickest death of a battery!
Post by: Tay on April 10, 2017, 12:12:19 AM
Only had it a week so not much time to formulate much.. I'll be doing that in future.

Just need to force myself to do it.
Title: Re: Quickest death of a battery!
Post by: Icefever on April 17, 2017, 06:48:39 AM
Quote from: virginiajim on April 09, 2017, 09:21:29 PM
I turn off the stove knob when I'm done riding it.

I do the same then the side stand goes down, no problems so far.  New riders to this Kipass system like me and a few others find not having a key to stop the engine can trip us up.  :wacko:  hopefully we'll live & learn.  :whistling:

Title: Re: Quickest death of a battery!
Post by: doebag on April 19, 2017, 07:44:23 AM
Quote from: Icefever on April 17, 2017, 06:48:39 AM
I do the same then the side stand goes down, no problems so far.  New riders to this Kipass system like me and a few others find not having a key to stop the engine can trip us up.  :wacko:  hopefully we'll live & learn.  :whistling:

But there is a key to stop the engine, it's the 'cooker knob' !
The only difference is the ki-pass locks the key in the ignition barrel so you don't lose it.
The owners handbook states .
Stopping the engine
. Close the throttle completely
. Shift the transmission in to neutral
. Turn the key knob to 'OFF'
So just about the same as any other motorcycle.
Title: Re: Quickest death of a battery!
Post by: PRD on April 19, 2017, 08:42:41 AM
And then you get a low transponder battery warning as I did the other day! All this stuff is unnecessary. Life so much easier with just a key.
Title: Re: Quickest death of a battery!
Post by: O.C. on April 19, 2017, 09:41:53 AM
Pete, I'm slowly coming to the opinion that you aren't keen on KIPASS ...or PR3/4s for that matter    :mfr_lol:   
Title: Re: Quickest death of a battery!
Post by: Longtom on April 19, 2017, 10:57:32 AM
Quote from: PRD on April 19, 2017, 08:42:41 AM
And then you get a low transponder battery warning as I did the other day! All this stuff is unnecessary. Life so much easier with just a key.
:agree: :agree: :agree:
Title: Re: Quickest death of a battery!
Post by: shaggs147 on April 19, 2017, 06:33:13 PM
OC, Might be easier to ask Pete what he  DOES like haha

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Quickest death of a battery!
Post by: O.C. on April 19, 2017, 07:44:22 PM
he's a good egg really   :yes:   
Title: Re: Quickest death of a battery!
Post by: mikeyw64 on April 19, 2017, 09:06:14 PM
Quote from: O.C. on April 19, 2017, 09:41:53 AM
Pete, I'm slowly coming to the opinion that you aren't keen on KIPASS ...or PR3/4s for that matter    :mfr_lol:   
My only experience with Michelins was on a 7 thou KM ride around NSW,Victoria and Queensland  a year or two back.

Knackered the front lol

(http://sharetheexperience.co.uk/Images/GTR/oztyre.jpg)