Motorcycle engine/battery help?
Hi All
I just bought a 1982 BMW motorcycle used and when I started it at purchase, it fired right up and sounded great. Took it for a test drive and it ran great. I got it home that night and it continued to run great. It fired right up with ease. The next day, I went to start it up and it had a little harder time but still started 3-4 times with no problems back to back to back. About 2 hours after that, I went to go start it again and it wouldn't turn over, it would just sound like it was about to turn over then start clicking fast and loud. After trying for a period of time, I tried it again and it started up. I ran it for a bit, stoppped it, waited for 20 minutes, went back to try and the clicking continued. I haven't been able to get it started since.... I have put the choke in and out and it does nothing.
Is it the battery? All the gauges and lights work when I turn the key on so the batter looks pretty strong but that could be it? If not, any ideas?
If it is the battery, can I throw a battery tender on it and try to give it a charge? Is a car battery tender the same as a motorcycle tender?
Thanks for the help everyone!!
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Tags: battery tender, bmw, bmw motorcycle, car battery, harder time, period of time, test drive
February 4th, 2010 at 4:44 pm
check the connections on your battery…make sure they are clean and on tight. sure you can jump start a motorcycle the same as you would a car…pos to pos, neg to neg….they can be charged up on a charger the same as a car as well.
February 4th, 2010 at 4:44 pm
If the battery is the original and not looked after, topped up, kept charged, it’s most likely that. But before you go buying a battery spend a tenner on a small test meter making sure it is suitable for both AC & Dc voltage checks. These are not expensive and could save you time and money in the long run. Maplin do one. Then it’s case of elimination. 1st clean all of the connections on the battery and on the cable ends. Use emery paper to make ‘em shine. Check the water / electrolyte level in the battery it should be covering the plates inside. Also put a Straight edge on all 6 sides of the battery to see if there any bulges in the casing, if there are then you do need a new battery. You should be able to find one that fits without buying a ”BM” battery, but make sure the one you may have to buy is the correct size and more importantly that the terminals are the correct way round to the shape of the battery and where it has to fit on th bike. Not all after market batteries are the same size pillar/connect positions and polarities related to positions. If in doubt take your battery to an electrical specialist or a BM bike dealer , not a car dealer and not only can they test it for you they will if necessary be able to supply you with a new one. Don’t ’skimp’ on the battery or you could finish up back is Square one. You can ‘bump’ a BM off but it ‘ain’t’ easy, and if you are on your own trying to do this is damned near impossible.
When you do get it ip and running, come and join us in The BMW Club, where you can access all of the tek info on any BM bike and enjoy the social side too. We are all over the UK with local meets and Club activities going on all over. http://www.bmwclub.org.uk is where you will find us. I am not plugging the club, but there is an incredible amount of tech knowledge within all of which is given freely, so take a look or e-mail me. let us know how you get on. Andy Pandy.
February 4th, 2010 at 4:44 pm
there’s a prob in the carb or efi unit. you should find a service manual and try to detect it. follow this link. http://www.carlsalter.com/motorcycle-manuals.html
February 4th, 2010 at 4:44 pm
When you start a bike you have to ride it to charge the battery back up. Starting it 4 times will drain the battery without riding it. If it started after a bit chances are the battery is good because it charged itself up.
February 4th, 2010 at 4:44 pm
Most likely a failing battery. It should be replaced soon. The previous owner may have charged the battery just before he sold the bike to you.
Motorcycle batteries are only good for about 3 years. Under normal conditions a good motorcycle battery will lose about 1% of its charge every day it is not used.
You can charge the battery on a regular automotive battery charger. However charge at a rate of no more than 2 amps. One of the new fully automatic battery chargers works best. It will stop charging the battery once it is fully charged. If you use the older style manual battery charger only charge for about 2 hours. Over charging a battery will reduce its service life.
A battery tender will work to keep the battery charged when the bike is not in use. These typically charge at a rate of 1 amp or less.
But sooner or later your failing battery will leave you stranded.
There is also a simple test you can do to see if your charging system is working. For this test you will need a digital multimeter set to 20 Volts DC range.
With the ignition off, place the leads of the multimeter on each battery post. It should read about 12 volts. Now start the engine. Set the engine idle to about 1000 RPM. Place the leads of the multimeter in the battery posts again. The meter should be reading between 14 volts to 16 volts, give or take a little. If the meter reads 12 volts or less, you have a problem with your charging system.