Intermittent Discharging of Battery

[Yamohlin]

My bike (Tracer 24 months old 8k)is hooked up to an Optimate when not in use although I use it every week unless on holiday.

Back in November I went to start the bike but the battery was completely flat, I thought maybe I hadn’t connected the Optimate in the right order and it had drain the battery so I charged it overnight and it was showing fully charged in the morning reading 12.9 on the meter. I reconnected it and then rechecked it the next day and it was reading 12.8 which I expected as it has a tracker fitted to it, the meter read 14.2v when the engine was running at 2k. the bike was OK for the next couple of weeks but I was a bit dubious about leaving the battery as it was as it was 18 months old and having been completely discharged for I don’t know how long and as I do long trips mainly on back roads I thought I would change it for a Motobatt as it had connections both sides so I could easily connect the tracker, jacket & GPS to it.

I fitted the battery and since then all has been OK until yesterday as when I started it seemed a bit weak to start but did so I carried on to the pub (21miles) When I came out the bike wouldn’t start as the battery was flat, we managed to us jump leads from a car to start it but it seemed to build power before starting which I found strange. I rode straight to my dealers (16m) but felt it wanted to stall at low revs so kept it above 3k all the time, it was also running quite rough as if only firing on two cylinders. When I got to the shop I let it idle which it did OK so I stopped it and it re-started OK they checked it over and the battery read 12.7v & 14.3v charging but it wasn’t running all that smoothly so I have left it with them to check out as I have a 2k trip around Scotland in a couple of weeks so I don’t want it letting me down in the middle of nowhere!

What I don’t understand is that it was OK for 5 months after the first occasion back in November and how when I got to the pub it was flat but when I got to the shop it was fully charged, can’t be the battery as it has happed to both of them. I just hope they find something wrong and it not an intermittent problem that it hard to find.

Any thoughts out there?

 

[stevecbr]

Im no expert but would say its not the battery, but a loose wire somewhere, or something you have added is faulty.
All your readings are what they should be, so doesnt seem like charging problems.
For reference my MT is now 3 and a half years old, 21000 miles, used regularly and I dont use a trickle charger. Still on original battery

 

[Yamohlin]

Im no expert but would say its not the battery, but a loose wire somewhere, or something you have added is faulty.
All your readings are what they should be, so doesnt seem like charging problems.
For reference my MT is now 3 and a half years old, 21000 miles, used regularly and I dont use a trickle charger. Still on original battery

I had the follwing reply from a Facebook MT09 forum:
I've had the same happening to mine (2015 Tracer with 18K miles) I commute every day (20miles each way) but occasionally it is sluggish and stalls after starting or the battery is 11V and it won't start and needs jumping. It's frustrating me too.
If you solve this I'd love to know.

I'm going to buy one of those jump packs before my Europe trips this summer just in case.
Moores Motorcycles tested the battery - it's fine and it's just had its 18K service.

I replied:

Mine is also at Moores in Aspley now trying to find out what the problem is. It's only happened on a couple of occasions and they have been when I have moved the seat and height adjustment frame so I think it is moving some wires in the area causing an open circuit draining the battery down I hook up to an Optimate when it's at home and it only just started even though the Optimate was showing the battery being at full charge. I'm off on a long trip soon so want it sorted beforehand as I will be in some remote places so can’t afford for it to let me down. I have just given them a ring and they managed to look at it today after I dropped it off with them on Saturday and they told me that the battery was reading 9v so they are charging it up overnight to do some electrical tests tomorrow. I will let you know what’s up if they find anything. I did let them know that you are having the same problem and suggested they ring Yamaha UK to see if they know what might be the problem.