Urgent! Bike won't run after flat battery

[Sgtjackass]

So.... I left the ignition on my bike on for a bit to long. As in i got a flat battery. So i coasted the bike down a hill and clutched it in second gear, bike would run(ish) very poorly, on about one cylander, rough as guts. I realised that if i put all my electrical stuff on (lights- hi beam and brake lights) it would run alot better but still average as. Nursed it home, let it idle for ten minutes and turned it off. Went to turn it on again and nothing... not even a neutral light, let alone a click! :doh:

The bike is a honda cbr600, 1988. was running perfectly before all this. ive checked the fuses, they are all good. Im pretty handy with mechanic stuff and cant see anything wrong. I was gonna ride the bike down south 2moro to visit family for xmas.
Can anyone help me? this type of thing happened to anyone before? im lost :(

Any help would be extremely appreciated and beer awaits those who can help.
Thanks

[Sgtjackass]

o. I am in Kohimaramara if anyone is near me.

[vifferman]

It just sounds like you've run your battery very flat. Sometimes this can kill a marginal battery. Oh - and 10 minutes of idling won't charge it up appreciably, as at idle the alternator's producing little current.

[Gremlin]

Go for a longer ride or put it on charge.

Also, if the battery is poked (one incident shouldn't be enough to kill it) you may find that it goes flat regularly. My zx10 would need bump starting every morning, as it had sat for months at times without use.

[firefighter]

my bikes going through exactly the same shit at the moment, i'm getting a new battery soon, I feel your pain, it's my only transport so I use it rain hail or shine, good luck dude....

[slofox]

So.... I left the ignition on my bike on for a bit to long. As in i got a flat battery. So i coasted the bike down a hill and clutched it in second gear, bike would run(ish) very poorly, on about one cylander, rough as guts. I realised that if i put all my electrical stuff on (lights- hi beam and brake lights) it would run alot better but still average as. Nursed it home, let it idle for ten minutes and turned it off. Went to turn it on again and nothing... not even a neutral light, let alone a click! :doh:

The bike is a honda cbr600, 1988. was running perfectly before all this. ive checked the fuses, they are all good. Im pretty handy with mechanic stuff and cant see anything wrong. I was gonna ride the bike down south 2moro to visit family for xmas.
Can anyone help me? this type of thing happened to anyone before? im lost :(

Any help would be extremely appreciated and beer awaits those who can help.
Thanks

Just charge the battery. If this don't fix it, replace the battery.

[sinned]

Easy - replace the battery.

This is a general observation - may or may not apply here:
Most people don't replace a battery (car or bike) until it fails.

It is false economy to not replace a battery before it fails. Assume you replace it at 3 years (while still going) instead of waiting until failure in the 4 - 5 years. The saving in extended life is only 25% of a new battery ($100 - $150) ie $25 - $50. Versus a call out, paying top dollar for a battery, inconvenience or worse.

When I had a boat I replaced the battery at the recommended life - you don't want a failed battery when out at sea.

[Sgtjackass]

Thanks guys. yea looks like a battery issue, trying to charge it now, battery is only 6 months old. One more q... can you charge a motorbike battery with a car charger?

[vifferman]

Thanks guys. yea looks like a battery issue, trying to charge it now, battery is only 6 months old. One more q... can you charge a motorbike battery with a car charger?
Hmmmmmm... yes... but make sure the car charger is of the "Step down" variety (switches from an initial 5A down to 1A or less), or else don't charge it for more than an hour. My bike manual says (for my battery): Quick charge: 5A for 1 hour; Normal: 1.2A for 5-10hours.

[Sgtjackass]

my charger only kicks in at 9v... my batt is dead flat. il drop it off somwhere tomoro. cheers 4 all ur help

[sharky]

Battery will be poked more than likely. They don't like not being fully charged all the time. As soon as the voltage drops you should charge ASAP or it will begin to sulphate. You learn these things after you've rooted a few batteries:msn-wink:

[Sgtjackass]

The bike is running mint again! a good charge on the battery. hope it stays that way. A bit of use(less) information: red baron quoted me 170 for a battery, battery warehouse (tauranga) quoted me 65 for the EXACT same battery. What a markup! bullshit markup.

[bsasuper]

Just something that may interest some, The VFRs battery was playing up a while back, if i left it for more than a few days between use it would go flat, i put it on charge with a 4amp charger but would still go flat, as a last fix before binning it i put it on charge at 1amp and im still using that battery 6months on and dosnt go flat anymore.

[BigGuy]

I purchased one of those Oxford Maximiser 360T's. Bloody brilliant device! i had a suspect battery and it recovered it quite well. Don't seem to have had a problem since!

[gixxer-king]

batteries are very very very complex. but yes change them every 3 years, come on its like $100 every 3 years. coz if your bike dont start the rest of its a waste of money. oh and now some modern ecus are very voltage anal so keep your batt in good nick.