[Troy Jollimore]

With the wind dying down and mostly rain in the forecast for the next week, I thought I’d sneak a quick ride in for the first time in about 3 weeks. However, the battery was dead. STONE dead. Like… Millivolt readings only. Is this normal? I figured it might be a bit weak for having not been started in that long, and didn’t think washing it the other week would have any effect on it…

So, I did a stupid, and figured the big ‘+’ and ‘-‘ screws by the battery posts were actual extensions of those posts. Sooo, after nearly arc welding my charger clamps to them, I finally realized they were both grounds, and were just marking where that side of the battery should be. My charger would do nothing, so I jumped it off of my car and ran it for a bit. Took it for a quick ride around the ‘hood and it didn’t die, so got out for a slightly longer ride, but got turned around when it started to rain. Battery measured 11.7V after parking, so I put my charger on it set to trickle (2A) for overnight, and it seemed to work this time.

Only now I have to set the darned clock! 😉

 

[Craig380]

You'll probably need to replace the battery very soon, draining right down in 3 weeks or so is not normal. Sounds like it has reached its end of life.

(The big + and - screws near the battery are the starter solenoid).

 

[Troy Jollimore]

Not these ones. They’re on each side of the bike, going down into plastic. But they’re both grounds. I haven’t checked yet, but I think I remember the manual warning about it. Too bad my memory is just slow!

Thing is, the motorcycle was only brought home in April… Bought brand new as a 2021, though it isn’t inconceivable that it could be bad.

 

[TeeRiver]

What happened, Troy? Did the battery die all by itself, or maybe an accessory left on? Three weeks is too short for a battery to get all the way down to millivolts unless under some type of load.

 

[Troy Jollimore]

Just sitting for around three weeks. My father asked if I had put the key to ‘Park’ instead of ‘Lock’, but I don’t think so. No other accessories to speak of. When I took it off charge early this afternoon (old charger, so doesn’t work 100%, ie. ‘Charge Finished’ light) it was measuring 12.7V, so I’m taking that as a good sign. If the weather holds, I’ll be taking it on a 100 mile round-trip tomorrow afternoon, so that should clear it up. Hopefully.

 

[Troy Jollimore]

It seemed to run alright, so here’s hoping it stays good. Guess I’ll just have to ride more! 😉

 

[TeeRiver]

... My father asked if I had put the key to ‘Park’ instead of ‘Lock’

Do you ever use the 'Lock' position? If yes, then accidentally setting to 'Park' seems the likely reason. It is easy to do.

Unless the battery is totally shot it is impossible to self-discharge to 0v all by itself in 3 weeks. There had to be a load.

 

[Troy Jollimore]

Use it all the time. (That being for a total of 6 or so times so far for total times ‘parked’!) I don’t trust myself not to have done that, but it was in the first position (Lock) when I turned the key to ‘Off’, and I’d looked for lights as I covered it, and there were none... That I remember, anyway.

 

[DF98]

Do you have an alarm on it? I know on the UK models the Datatool S4 alarm/immobilisers were popular (think you could get them as a dealer fit option) and they are notorious for battery drain. On a good battery mine will last about 6 weeks between uses (mine has the datatool fitted), but when my old battery started to go that period got a lot shorter all the way down to about a week between uses.

As others have said, I have also accidentally left the park light on before and killed the battery overnight, looked into disconnecting it but it doesnt seem particularly straightforward.

 

[Troy Jollimore]

No accessories but for the dealer added trickle-charger connector.