Stupid Battery Question (Whoops)

[luckyslevin]

hey guys this is going to sound really stupid and i'm already sort of embarrassed typing this right now but i just have to ask.  i put my bike up in storage for the winter in one of those climate controlled public storage facilities.  i put the bike up on the stand, ran sta-bil through the system, etc... however, like an idiot i topped off the tank without thinking about removing the damn battery.  so now the bike is sitting there 99% winterized pretty much.  anyway, the stupidity of this situation is that i can't really take the bike out because well, i'm not technically allowed to store my bike in there because of the fuel.  luckily though i negotiated with the manager under the table and she pretty much told me it would be fine as long as she never saw it or smelt any gas otherwise i'd get penalized fully.  any ideas on getting my battery out?  i wasn't sure on the fuel overflow system and i didn't want to just lift up the tank.

ps yea yea you can make fun of me... i kinda dropped the ball on this one   

[Popeye the Sailor]

Easy. Wait until spring, then jump the bike.



Now go have some eggnog.

[stopintime]

Jump starting a "slipper" 800 clutch isn't possible, I heard someone mention? Or is that only a problem with a true slipper?

[Popeye the Sailor]

Jump starting a "slipper" 800 clutch isn't possible, I heard someone mention? Or is that only a problem with a true slipper?

Why would the clutch matter?

[Buckethead]

A slipper would make it harder/almost impossible to "bump" or "push" start a bike, but it shouldn't make any difference if you're "jump" starting.

[stopintime]

Ooops, sorry,  language  Is "jump start" done by wires from one battery to another? I guess I was thinking of pushing the bike.
If so, lifting the tank would still be a problem? (I'm confused )

[Popeye the Sailor]

Ooops, sorry,  language  Is "jump start" done by wires from one battery to another? I guess I was thinking of pushing the bike.
If so, lifting the tank would still be a problem? (I'm confused )

I wasn't suggesting pushing, but not that you mention it, the full tank might still be an issue. Although at least at that point, he's leaving storage, so who cares if he pisses anyone off?


(well, until next year that is)

[scott_araujo]

If you tip the tank up to get the battery out it might leak a bit.  As already said, leave it until spring and then jump start it.

Scott

[bazz20]

to disconnect the battery just take  the plastic cover off the starter solidniod and take the battery wire off then wrap with electrical tape , and to jump start hook the positive  jumper lead on the same place 

[Desmo Demon]

If there is a light socket (not flourescent lighting) in the unit, get one of those adapters that is an outlet and screws into the light socket, then hook up a battery tender. If you do not have a pigtail, you can hook the tender up by connecting the ground to a ground on the bike and then attach the positive to a wire that is a direct feed to the battery, like on the "hot" side of the starter solenoid, or.....

Risk the battery going dead for the next few months with the expectation that you will need to charge the battery when you go to get it out of there. Another issue with a dead battery and trying to bump-start a bike with FI is that if the voltage is low enough, your fuel pump  and other electricals will not work well enough to allow it to start., or.....

Remove the seat, undo the front tank strap, remove the rear tank pivot pin, and get a strong friend to hold the tank up as much out of your way as possible while you disonnect the battery. BTW, the battery requires a 10mm wrench/socket.


I'm sure I can think of some other options, but those are the more feasible.

My wife's GSXR doesn't drain the battery when sitting, and we've had it sit for four months and still start fine.....The battery was disconnected on my 748, but it sat from May 2004 to October 2004 and fired right up. I didn't even use any stabilizer in the gas.

to disconnect the battery just take  the plastic cover off the starter solidniod and take the battery wire off then wrap with electrical tape , and to jump start hook the positive  jumper lead on the same place 

I don't know about his bike, but I have seen some factory battery cables and/or accessories that are spliced off of the positive battery cable before it reaches the solenoid (althought not very common)......We'll probably hear about the potential damages that can be caused to a motorcycle's battery, regulator, and other electronics from jump starting a bike, but......I've done it a few times in the past.

[Howie]

If fuel does leak it will come out the small hole in the filler cap and the leak will be very slow.  Have an assistant hold a rag over the cap while the tank is raised and have a bag handy to contain the smelly towel.

[Capo]

I don't know about his bike, but I have seen some factory battery cables and/or accessories that are spliced off of the positive battery cable before it reaches the solenoid (althought not very common)......We'll probably hear about the potential damages that can be caused to a motorcycle's battery, regulator, and other electronics from jump starting a bike, but......I've done it a few times in the past.

There are other connections to the battery positive terminal. Disconnecting it at the solenoid will achieve nothing.

I have a wired in Anderson plug connector that allows a jump battery to be connected easily.

[luckyslevin]

Thanks for all the ideas guys!  I really appreciate all this help!     I wonder though, how long would it take to drain the battery while it's just sitting?  With winter staying as warm as it is I may be taking it out sooner than previously anticipated.  With my last bike (Daytona 650) I let it sit for a month and next thing I know I'm in line picking up a fresh Yuasa ($$$ ouch) but it seems that this may not be the case with the Monster.  THANKS AGAIN GUYS

[greenohawk69]

You shouldn't have to lift the tank that hight to 1) disconnect/loosen the battery, and 2) lift the battery out doesn't take long.  I've worked on my M900 with a full tank; some gas did spill out as it was at a 90 degree angle.  Removing really should not take that long. 

[Carstarphen]

I wonder it this would work:
If you can take a few minutes to do this, take an empty gas can and a siphon. Siphons are pretty handy, and there are some aquarium siphons that are really cheap with flexible and small plastic tubing that you should be able to fit down into the tank. Drain the tank into the can. Then do what you want to do.  Battery tenders supposedly extend the life of batteries FWIW.