The New And Improved Unofficial R65 Forum V2
Technical Discussion => BMW Technical Q&A, Primarily R65 => Topic started by: Lucky_Lou on April 16, 2009, 01:41:57 PM
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This may have been asked before ........what can i expect from my battery?? i fitted a new exide acid battery in november ive had trouble starting so checked the voltage..9v so me thinks its a cell down and a definate warranty call. So dropped the battery in to the supplier said they would check it and get back to me they didnt so i rang them on the phone the guy said it was a sulphate problem caused by missuse ??
WTF how couild i have missused it he said you can expect to replace a battery after winter storeage ,(bull*hit)when theres 12month warranty
I whent ballistic the bike as been in my workshop running (with various problems now cured)im going into the shop on monday if anyone has any sensible arguments that i can put before i hit him let me know
Lou [smiley=angry.gif] [smiley=angry.gif] [smiley=angry.gif]
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I've (fortunately) never had a battery fail within 12 months.
The 'wet' lead/acid batteries generally have a shorter life-span in motorcycles than in cars, as the bikes often sit idle for months inthe winter, while the battery continually, slowly discharges and sulphates form at the bottom of the cells. I generally brought my batteries into the house and would put them on a charger for 1 day per month during the winter, and I would generally get 3-4 years out of a wet battery.
I have since invested in some "Battery Tenders" - small maintenance chargers with internal logic to prevent overcharging. They won't do well for charging up a totally flat battery, but will automatically keep it topped up while the bike sits in storage for weeks/months. One can fit a quick-connect onto the bike so it is a very quick and easy affair to connect it to the battery tender, and knowing the bike will crank well and light off quickly is a good feeling.
I've switched to AGM type (glass-mat) sealed batteries for some of my bikes and tractor and they do appear to have longer practical life, but again, they do need some electrical loving (charging) periodically during the off-season for best results. They do tend to handle temperature extremes better and one doesn't have to worry about boiling out the water/acid and refilling as in a wet battery.
I think that the store should still honor the 12-month warranty in your case. But in the long run, you will get much improved service life from your batteries if you either invest ~ $40 in one of these battery tenders for your bike, or else get in the habit to hook your battery up to a regular charger at least 1 day each month during the winter "off-season".
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I use a battery tender over the winter. The old lead-acid battery (Yuasa) on my Goldwing was good for 4 years before I replaced it..not because it was shot but because I was going on a long trip alone and didn't want a failure on the road.
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On 3years now with a "wet" cell battery bought in haste on an extended trip. Keep it on a "battery tender" all the time, ALL the time. Still passes a load test with flying colors. As far as a defense at the parts counter goes. A 12 month warranty is a 12 month warranty and if they meant it for electrical engineers only they need to state that!
rich
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There could be a variety of factors that have caused your problem:
How old was the battery when you purchased it from the shop ?
Did they correctly fill the battery with electrolyte ?
Was the battery brought up to a full state of charge after having the electrolyte added ?
Did you bring the battery down to a partially discharged state,and then leave it for the last 6 months ?
Unfortunately a lead acid battery needs to be kept in a close to full state of charge all the time, or sulfation will occur in as little as 6 months.
The use of a 'battery tender' of some sort is advised during the off season, or you will probably experience this again.
Remember that the charging system on the R65 really doesn't start producing enough power to start charging the battery, until the 3-4000 rpm area, so if it's used in a lot of slow speed, stop and go type riding, the battery is being run down, not charged.
Unless you can get the 'wet' lead acid batteries at a cheap price, I would recommend looking for an AGM (absorbed glass mat ) battery.
They take a lot more abuse than a 'wet' cell battery.
Cost is in about the same area as an OEM BMW battery.
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There could be a variety of factors that have caused your problem:
How old was the battery when you purchased it from the shop ?
this i dont know
did they correctly fill the battery with electrolyte ?
i watched them fill it but didnt check when i put it on the bike
Was the battery brought up to a full state of charge after having the electrolyte added ?
the advised me to charge it which i did
Did you bring the battery down to a partially discharged state,and then leave it for the last 6 months ?
Unfortunately a lead acid battery needs to be kept in a close to full state of charge all the time, or sulfation will occur in as little as 6 months.
The use of a 'battery tender' of some sort is advised during the off season, or you will probably experience this again.
Remember that the charging system on the R65 really doesn't start producing enough power to start charging the battery, until the 3-4000 rpm area, so if it's used in a lot of slow speed, stop and go type riding, the battery is being run down, not charged.
Unless you can get the 'wet' lead acid batteries at a cheap price, I would recommend looking for an AGM (absorbed glass mat ) battery.
They take a lot more abuse than a 'wet' cell battery.
Cost is in about the same area as an OEM BMW battery.
well im down at the shop on monday ill let you nkow the result meantime im looking for a battery tender
Lou