Battery Going?

[tinytrains]

I stopped for gas this morning, and when I went to start it, it made have a turn and stopped. The dash when blank as well. I released the button and tried it again and it fired right up. When I got going, I noticed my MPG and average speed had reset all by them selves. This is the first time it has done this, so I assume my October 2009 original battery is going. I ordered a new Yuasa YTX14-BS via Amazon just now. Hope it starts to get home.

Has anyone one else seen this symptom?

Thanks,
Scott

[dbrick]

Haven't seen dead instruments and reset odos on my bike except when I flattened the battery by leaving the ignition (and both headlights) while I ate lunch. Your bike's symptoms are consistent with a battery failure or a fractured or seriously loose battery cable.

[TAG-Caver]

When my battery died it gave no warnings. Started fine one time, the next time just the typical clicking noise of a battery that's nearly dead. Put it on a load tester and see how it holds up.

[hjsbmw]

I stopped for gas this morning, and when I went to start it, it made have a turn and stopped. The dash when blank as well. I released the button and tried it again and it fired right up. When I got going, I noticed my MPG and average speed had reset all by them selves. This is the first time it has done this, so I assume my October 2009 original battery is going. I ordered a new Yuasa YTX14-BS via Amazon just now. Hope it starts to get home.

Has anyone one else seen this symptom?

Thanks,
Scott

Exactly that (weak cranking, self-resetting dash) is what I observed also before replacing the original battery. Never had a problem again.

[tinytrains]

It started and I made it home. When I got home did several restarts, and it barley turned over while hot. It dropped to 7 volts or less while cranking. I ride 50 to 200 miles per week, so it is not a lack of use. I guess I can go for a warranty replacement, and keep the Yuasa as a spare.

I have the tender on it for fun, but it is not going anywhere until the new battery is in.

Thanks,
Scott

[tinytrains]

Now after a few hours on the Battery Tender, it spins right over. Very strange. It is getting 13 to 14 volts with the engine running, so it should be charging. The bike sat for a week. Maybe it is losing charge.
Scott

[redwing]

I ride on my off days...2 days a week. We had bad weather over my off days about a month ago and so 2 weeks went by before I got on my bike and the battery was so low it didn't crank. Jumped it with my car and all seemed ok. The bike started fine for the 2 days but now when it sits for the week it doesn't start and has to be jumped.

I'm guessing the battery is just not holding a charge for the week. I got a new one maybe 10 months ago...might be under warranty.

I'll check the terminals to see if they are tight.

Robert

[PhilSB]

My battery let me down a few weeks ago whilst out on a run. The AA man test machine said to renew the battery.
It had been a bit lethargic when starting up and the dealer tested it in March and said it was OK. Since fitting the new battery all is well. I have noticed on here that some people had trouble with their bikes stopping tatally and not running at all with a duff battery so I was pleased that it could be jump started and would run. £110 seems a lot for a not very big battery

Phil

[deilenberger]

Battery warranty (factory) is 2 years in the US. The most common failure appears to be one of the internal connectors. It may show adequate voltage - but when you try to start it the voltage REALLY drops, indicating a high-resistance fault internal to the battery. FWIW - the Exide(BMW) battery and the Yuasa appear to be made by the same company. The batteries are identical (right down to plastic molding marks) except for the painted on logos/lettering on the cases. I had both side by side - and couldn't find any real differences. Yuasa was known to have this internal connector failure problem on batteries about 10 years ago, Motorcycle Consumer News did an article on the problem. Claim was made they fixed the problem. Sounds to me like they haven't..

[Patch]

i'm certainly aware of the several on-going battery threads... just figured i'd get more than 3 months off mine on a brand-new bike

<4 mos old and pushed the starter a few minutes ago and a half-hearted turn was all there was. No issues leading up to this and i ride regularly. Bikes been sitting for only 2 days since my last outing.

On the tender now, but WTF... off to get a new one i guess.

and a waste of a perfectly good sunny morning...

[pistonbroke]

hi all
biggest downfall of all the bmw 1200 range is the stupid battery , twice mine has let me down on a gs , first time was a hour before catching a ferry . one trip almost messed up , that battery was 8 months old , the second battery lasted 14 months and a cell went down ,one minute it started and then it let me down , they always have a trickle charger on them to. odyssey battery was the choise of replacement with a little bit more power , my 1200r battery seems ok at the moment however i now just put the kiss of death on it now i have mentioned about them .i cannot see why that bmw use a crap battery with inadequate power .
piston

[tinytrains]

I charged it Monday night, and by this morning (Sat) it was slow cranking again so I took it out to the dealer today and they replaced the battery under warranty. Since the bike was made in Sept. 08, the battery is about 3 years old, even though I have owned it just under 2 years.

The new Yuasa I bought came dry, so it can sit in the box for years until I need it.

I personally think the battery is way undersized for a 1200 cc high compression twin.

Scott

[red baron]

I have an 08 1200R with 30,000 miles and today my battery stopped working. I believe it is the original BMW (Exide) battery BMW part # 61 21-7 705.652 Exide # ETX14-BS. The bike was delivered 5/21/08 so I believe I got good service out of this battery. Which replacement models are a direct fit (drop in) into an R 1200 R? I am also considering the Yassa Battery. Any advise and suggestions would be much appreciated.
Peter

[red baron]

Re my previous message sorry I meant also considering a Shorai battery
Peter

[nylife]

+1 for Shorai, i have one, no complains at all

[gibbo111]

I've also put a Shorai into my HP2 and so far no problems

[cwhy]

I have a 2002 r1150rt that started reseting the clock to 12:00 when I started the bike up about 4 months before battery finally
went bad. On that last ride it took 4 attempts to start whereas it never took more than 2 prior to that. If the 1200 battery is as
inaccesable as the 1150 I would change it now and never look back.

[tinytrains]

The R1200R battery is much easier to get to, and my dealer replaced it under warranty.

As for the Shorai, they seem like a good idea if.... you do not ride your bike all day every day. Lithium batteries do not like to be over charged or they melt down. Motorcycle charging systems have no way to monitor or limit charging. Lead acid batteries are not really bothered by that as long as you do not over do it. There was a thread on AdvRider from a guy traveling through Mexico on his GS when his Shorai completely melted into a blob. Nothing else was wrong. I suspect the continuous riding over cooked the battery. For most riders, this would not be a problem. The other scary thing about lithium batteries is if hard shorted, they can explode, violently. I do not know what Shorai has done to prevent this.

Scott

[8b]

My 2007 R1200R (in service date october 2006) still has the original battery, which I belive has to be on it's way out. I know there have been many battery threads, but I guess availability changes, so I thought I'd ask now.
Specifically, what ar ethe exact make and model of the batteries I should get to replace mine.
Im open to ebay, or ordering online to get a good deal..Any specific suggestions on make/model/website/price?
Thanks!

[Bob Ain't Stoppin']

Motorcycle charging systems have no way to monitor or limit charging. Scott

I don't understand your statement. The bikes have voltage regulators. And very good one's at that. If the battery is agreeable to the voltage setting on the regulator, it won't overcharge. The exception to this is the F650 series singles from Rotax. They cooked the batteries with too high a charge voltage. I have been thinking about putting one of these Shorai things into the wife's F65CS because they say they are good for a high charge voltage. But I'm waiting for confirmation that this is really true.