Problem Battery Draining

[ricol]

My bike would not start but if i hook it to a tender for a few minutes it will start. Can someone identify the problem? I have three things hooked up to the battery. 1) battery tender 2) gorilla alarm 3) direct wire for a tomtom rider. Do you think one of these are causing the battery to drain? Please help.

[EvilSteve]

Could be excessive drain due to your toys but try checking out the regulator/rectifier. When they go, they can go really bad (exploding battery) or not so bad (no charge to battery). Net result is a dead battery, one worse than the other. If your alarm uses the bike battery when the bike is off and your bike is off for long periods at a time then maybe that's the issue. Leave it on the battery tender at all times when not riding. Try disconnecting the toys to see if it makes any difference.

Ask me how I know about this...

[Howie]

First, fully charge and load test battery, then, if the battery passes, check charging system output.  The alarm is a small draw, but if there is enough time it will drain the battery.  The wire for the Tom Tom will only cause a problem only if it is connected to the bike to key off live circuit and left on.

A poor man's load test is to start the bike with a voltmeter across the fully charged battery.  If voltage falls below 9.6 V the battery is toast.  Not as good as a real load test, but in your case, probably good enough.

A quick test for proper charging is with the voltmeter across the battery and the engine above idle look for 13.5 - 14.5 volts.  If you have less, go here:
http://www.electrosport.com/technical-resources/library/diagnosis/fault-finding-guide.php

695?  Still under warranty? 

[ricol]

thanks howie. bike is still under warranty. i'm just concern because the bike is pretty much new and i'm afraid it will cost me a lot to bring it to the dealer to ahve then checked.

[Howie]

thanks howie. bike is still under warranty. i'm just concern because the bike is pretty much new and i'm afraid it will cost me a lot to bring it to the dealer to ahve then checked.

Excluding the battery, unless the problem is your fault, the bill should be $0.  If the battery is the problem they may pro rate it, in other words, you pay for the use you got out of it.

[Rameses]

Another thing you can check...

With the battery charged and the ignition switch in the off position, unhook your positive battery cable.  With an ammeter, touch one probe to the end of the disconnected cable and the other probe to the battery's positive terminal.  Repeat for any additional cables which might have been hooked directly to the battery terminal.

If the ammeter has a reading close to zero, your battery's just shot and not holding a charge.

If the ammeter shows a decent draw, something's draining your battery.