Bollocks! Flat Battery

As it's such a nice day, I thought I'd get the Bandit out for a blast.
For reasons far too long and boring to go into here, the bike stays at
Mum and Dad's place when I'm not using it. Only thing is, when I get
there Dad's had the Optimate unplugged from the wall for a couple of
days, as he thought the charger was getting hot, but he hasn't
unplugged the charging lead from the bike so the battery is now STONE
FUCKING DEAD. I've put the Optimate back on, and the "charge" LED is
on, not the "desulphate" one, so I think there's hope, but does anyone
have any idea how long it might take so I can start it on the button?
Where the bike is happens to be on the side of a steep hill, but it's
too steep for more than one try at bump starting, and I have no access
to jump leads right now.

 

Raises the question of what kind of crap design is an Optimate when it
discharges a battery under those circumstances.

 

I did have to wonder about that, wouldn't a couple of diodes sort that
out? IANAEE though.

 

It's got to read the voltage hasn't it? Simply by reasing the voltage, it
TAKES voltage, but if there's nothing on the "other" side of the Optimate,
it can't do a fucking thing about it, so it just keeps on reading and
flattening the battery.

Someone can design the most effective, clever, even BRILLIANT charger, but
if it's not being powered from the mains, it's not going to help much. Maybe
Optimate should add something to their instruction manual along the lines
of:- "Don't let old men near this fucking thing, they'll only unplugg it
from the wall"


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

Well, it seems to have done it in about 2 hours. Somehow that doesn't
seem right, but it's fine now. It was completely donalded, a few
clicks from the solenoid and nothing, but now the Optimate reports a
good battery, and the starter turns nicely. WTF?

 

I went to start mine, yesterday evening... "clickclickrrrrrrrrrrrr"

Bugger!

Spare is on optimate since last night.

The light turned green around lunchtime - I'll pop out and swap it
shortly....

 

or.......

by a cheap timer. Plug optimate into timer. Set up timer so that
power is only supplied to optimate when old man is tucked up in bed
asleep. That way he will never see it switched on and it will never be
hot to his touch.

On the other hand why did your bike battery fail in only a few days?
Mine lasts a couple of weeks with alarm activated. I would guess the
something on your bike is not as it should be, thus draining the
battery and causing the optimate to continuously supply current and run
hot. Leaving the optimate connected to the battery with no mains
connected should not flatten the battery in a few days. Did the old
man mean a few weeks not days?!

 

Ooops! forgot to sign my post.

Steve R.
Swansea

 

My bike hadn't been used since yesterday. I got on it this morning
and it started. What's wrong with it?

 

[snip]

Usually you have to turn the key in the ignition for this to happen. I'd
get it checked.

 

Well, there ye go.

Some of us haven't had much time to go for a ride, recently and also have
alarms.

I keep a spare batt in the kitchen, cos there's no leccy in the garage to
run an optimate from.

As far as your bike goes..... Your history suggests you will find a way to
kill it soon... ;-)

 

You need an Optimate; that should **** it up nicely.

 

That would be a simple mod to do and should solve it.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Grimly Curmudgeon

As has already been pointed out, the Optimate needs to 'see' the battery
voltage, so that'd **** it up completely.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - Podium Placed Ducati Race Engineer As featured in
Performance Bikes

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
SBS#39 OMF#6 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"
Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha Vmax Honda ST1100 wiv trailer

 

True. Bollocks. As has also been mentioned, another method would be
latching on only when mains power is present - easy to add.

 

Are you as stupid as you sound?

It appears that you are.

 

The clue is in the second line of the 'sig'.


--
Dnc

B12, ZZR11
A6 2.5TDi V6 Quattro Sport
MIB#26 two#54(soiled) UKRMMA#26 BOTAFOT#153 X-FOT#003

 

Thank you, Lady Voldemurray.

 

It'd be akin to poking the Optimate's fucking eyes out, wouldn't it. It
needs to know what state the battery is in and a diode would be VERY
effective ion stopping that happening.


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

I'll tell Cath that.


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19