I have a perfect, regularly dealer serviced, T100 bought new from Laguna in 2014. Before that I had a new Sprint ST, new, from same dealer for 6 years. Both these bikes suffered/suffer from pathetic battery and starter motor design and performance. I charge the battery fully (takes half a day!) but if I don't ride it after 5-6 days, the battery fails. AND - if it does start, and then I switch the engine off once or twice, it won't start again!! I have owned 16 others bikes over the last 50 years and no other bike has suffered this problem. Ideas?? Thanks Jon
You need a smart charger to tend the battery which has suffered from long periods of discharge. Modern vehicles, both 2 and 4 wheeled have a minor current draw when nominally ‘switched off’. The battery is slowly discharging. If your pattern of use never fully recharges it you are in a downward spiral. Motorcycle batteries are particularly prone because of their small size and limited capacity. It is not peculiar to Triumph.......I had similar issues with a BMW in 1982 with an ‘always on’ headlight and short weekday journeys. The charger will pay for itself in sure starts and increased battery longevity.
Do you have alarms fitted to the bikes, as these will drain the batteries if the bikes are not in regular use. As @Callumity says a smart charger will also help....
Hi Jon, so over the last 12 yrs you've had two new bikes with new batteries and both them at some stage or another caused you gyp. My experience with bike batteries is that if you don't have them permanently connected to a battery tender the battery will be pretty-much done after 3 yrs or so.
Welcome to the forum Agree with the above regarding the Optimate style of charger - essential if the bike isn't getting regular use. I don't leave my Bonneville SE permanently connected but give it a boost once a week if its not getting used. It comes up to full charge in under a minute. The bike has been left for over two weeks without going on the charger and still fires up first time and this is on the original battery (2012).
First, welcome in to the madhouse. Second, is it just clicking on the starter? If so then the can bus can be bypassed to start it
Thanks Jez. I have both my bikes on optimisers permanently and always have. I might rethink that based on your experience....
Thanks - I don't have alarms or anything extra using the battery. I think it's annoying too that the headlight HAS to come on when you turn on the ignition... No japanese motorcycle I've had has EVER failed to start, not even a 1961 Honda CB72 250!! I think Triumph, whilst I love the bike, have designed this bit badly. Thanks again, Jon
Many thanks Steve; over the years I've got quite skilled at bump starting!! In answer to another helper here, it does just "click" when the starter motors fails; lights etc all OK. In 2012, in Naples, the main fuse blew after repeated starting! A Yamaha dealer fixed it!!!
Thanks Tigcraft - Yes, it clicks. Headlights and horn etc work OK. I'm not a techie these days and never heard of "can bus bypass"...
Just bear in mind the size and capacity limitations of a physically small battery. The biggest battery draw is starting - power expressed in Cold Cranking Amps. Typically: To start a 1 litre bike you have 210 CCA and 4.5 amp hr. To start a 1 litre car you have a 390 CCA and 45 amp hr battery. The second figure is an indicator of how long the battery will crank (its reserve) AND how long it will take to charge (10hrs @ 4 amps)..... although 20 hrs at 2 amps is kinder to the battery. Technically, a smart charger detects minor drops in the battery and provides light nudges!
Hi Jon, and welcome to the forum. I agree it's a pain when the battery is low that the headlights are on and can't be switched off to aid starting. That Optimate 4 sounds good. I might look into that myself.
In terrible weather, like we're having now, I've been starting the bike up once a week just to keep the battery charged, and listen to that lovely note. drowning out the rain outside.
Thanks for that DD. I thought that the optimiser only put a charge into the battery if it drops a little from full power, so it can never over charge it. If that is not the case then you approach would make good sense....
Ok so next thing is....... Does it click then pause for a full second then click and pause for another full second as if it might be ‘thinking’ and so on? Most of the time these days with the good for nothing CAN-bus system which came onto the scene about seven years ago, it’s that which tries to think and won’t let it go further. Do that make any sense?