Battery and infrequent riding

[MrEddy]

Hi folks,

I've just returned from a year and a half overseas and am in the process of putting my baby back on the road, a 2003 Rockster Ed 80. Got the full treatment about a month ago, including a new battery and whatnot, and then immediately got sent interstate for a few weeks by my boss. Convenient. When I got back, there was the dreaded clicking noise telling me that my battery was flat.

Here's the bit that puzzling me. Service guy tells me that's exactly what I should expect, and that if I don't ride my bike every week I need a battery tender. That sounds fishy to me, I've never been a very regular rider and haven't had a problem with this bike before. Should a new battery be flat within 4 weeks if I don't ride it?

Secondary question. 2003 Rockster Ed. 80 doesn't have an accessory socket does it? Moot point really since the garage I store it in doesn't have a power outlet but I'm just curious.

Thanks!

[MikeCam]

Unfortunately, yes, 4 weeks without riding can send a battery below the minimum starting voltage. There is a significant enough parasitic drain at all times to do this.

But, your battery likely was not fully nor properly charged at the time of installation. Common dealer malpractice. That merely exacerbated your problem.

Solution now is to first determine what kind of battery you have: lead-acid, VRLA, AGM or Gel (BMW Exide version). Then get a tender that can handle the charging requirements of that battery type. Then hook it up, leave it on a full 24 hours after the green light goes solid. Then ride or charge weekly.

Keep in mind, a full charge is a semi-mythical notion. The alternator will get you to 14.1-14.4v after a full days' ride if you are not taxing the system with accessories. Less than that and your battery probably isn't fully charged. 1-2 hours at 3500 rpm and no additional accessory loads will get you above 12.8 (the minimum starter charge requirement to avoid faults).

Unfortunately, battery capacity and modern motorcycles are not on friendly terms.

[jfslater98]

2003 Rockster Ed. 80 doesn't have an accessory socket does it?

Don't have an 80 myself (almost bought), but I remember at the time they came fairly loaded. It should have one. It if doesn't, here's a starter thread on installing it on your own.

http://r1150r.org/board/viewtopic.php?t ... ory+socket

Good luck!

[darth_rockster]

my rock ed 80 came with the socket on the left side starter cover. I bought mine new and I always thought it was stock.

no centerstand though (had to get that myself) and no jump terminals... got heated grips stock though!

[owldaddy]

I also have a 2004 R, If I recall correctly, the salesman said that 2004 was the first year the accessory socket came on the bike as a standard item. So your 2003 may not have it. It is easy to add one though, it does come in handy, I use mine often.
Don

[darth_rockster]

hmmm according to http://www.realoem.com/bmw/select.do my bike was made on 3/2003...
I guess the ED80 iss an 04 in the states and an 03 in other countries...
anyway it's fun to check!

[rockstercliff]

I travel for extended periods, 4-6 weeks at a go, and just by keeping a tender in the accessory socket, my 04 has always started when I come home and try.

[MrEddy]

Hmmm.. Okay. Thanks everyone. No socket on the 03s it seems (that I've been able to find anyway) so I'll have to add one. Not sure if there's any point though since the underground carpark at my apartment doesn't have a power outlet so a battery tender isn't an option anyway.

[RGuy]

MrEddy,

Mine has sat several times for at least a month and still started fine. I question whether they fully charged your battery when they replaced it. The gel battery should hold a charge for a long time without a load. The clock is probably your biggest parasitic load..... Thinking outside the box - if you know you won't be riding it for awhile, remove the seat, pop off the fuse box lid and remove the appropriate fuse.

<Neal>

[CycleRob]

Member RGuy has it right when he said "I question whether they fully charged your battery when they replaced it." Properly charging it takes several hours, a routine all to often not followed because of time. Battery mfgr websites say that if it's not charged before 1st use, it is stuck at 80% capacity for life. Then there's the possibility it was OVERcharged. Going over 15V for a while will subtract from the battery's ability to EVER attain a full charge.

That's a real bummer not having access to AC power where the bike is parked. That alone could solve your problem(s).

A good battery should be able to handle a 1 month recess, even with the bike's clock and Motronic memory sipping the power. If MrEddy always turns the bike off with the Kill Switch, starts the bike repeatedly while making short trips, starts the bike to move it 20 feet into the garage, doesn't do many hour plus rides without any additional engine starts, then the battery is being abused -and- it isn't being properly fed. Let's be polite and blame it all on the stealership !!

[Rockster1150]

for the record, I have gone away for 8weeks to come home and fire the beast up immediately. No Battery tender connected. It was Winter in Oz too, but our winter may be laughed at by some here.
(Unlucky to reach 0 Deg C in Sydney)

[jfbarron]

I just have to chime in with my 2 cents worth. My bike lives in Canada in an unheated underground parking situation with no AC outlet available for trickle charging. It just sat for 34 days without being run.

Most people think that BMWs need baby incubator like care and if you have their battery, then they are right. However, my Odyssey PC 680 fired the bike right up and I went out zooming around in 0 degree Celcius weather today.

Why Odyssey is not an OEM battery on an expensive bike like this is beyond me. You can have a PC680 for the price of all the specialised chargers and angst. You don't need special copper brackets, just bend the connections with a pair of pliers to fit.

For all those putting up with an iffy battery, do yourself a favour and replace it with the one that really works.

[MrEddy]

Well, a week or so later and here's the update:

Took it to Moto One in Melbourne (great guys) and had them give it the once over, including adding a socket and supplying me with a tender/charger. Turns out that the clowns who did the full service screwed up the idle (waaaay to low) as well as a few other (non trivial) bits and pieces so it was definitely worth spending a few extra dollars.

So I'll be picking my baby up tomorrow (joy, 37 degrees C!) and going on a looooong ride on Sunday. Will have to post a few piccies.

Thanks for all the advice folks. Really appreciate it.

[chris]

Another vote for the Odyssey PC680. 2 weeks with no charging and at or below zero most of that time and it fired up first time yesterday.

[MrEddy]

Well... 5 months later and the root cause finally emerges. Hindsight is a wonderful thing... dud battery. The bugger deteriorated gradually over the last few months, becoming more and more difficult to keep at a decent charge level. Eventually it just gave up the ghost at a petrol station and refused to start even after 6 hours on a battery charger.

Note: the battery is 8 months old.