Battery goes flat when it's left in the rain

[Steam]

Fully charged battery yesterday. Rain last night on uncovered bike. Flat battery today.
This happens all the time. I'm getting tired of having to crash start the bike the morning after it rains, or take the battery up to the house to charge it.
Battery is good and new, good volts, charges well, etc.

So it's obviously shorting or grounding out somewhere when I leave the bike out it the rain for the day, or overnight.
How do I find where the short or ground is?
Will it be easier for me to just take it to a bike shop, and they can find the problem? If so, which Wellington shop is good at electrical stuff? But it's okay when it's dry, so they might not be able to test for it in the workshop!

I have minimal electrickery knowledge and would have to buy a multimeter from Dick Smiths.
I would like to keep my baby indoors but there's no way. I have a cover, but sometimes at work it rains on it.

Any help would be appreciated.
Oh, it's a specially painted GN250, you can see it in my profile pic.

[MattRSK]

Oh so your the one thats powering this rain!

[davereid]

Clean it.

Really - I mean it ! Clean water doesnt conduct F.all lectricity. But dirty water does. So clean your bike and it may cure it. It worked for my ride-on mower - bloody thing didn't even need to be in the rain, damp weather would do it. Cleaned the mower, particularly around the battery and exposed lectrics and it fixed it.

[Disco Dan]

Coat the electrics in CRC or WD-40 after you clean it.

[scumdog]

Try a good dose of CRC/556 (or whatever they call it these days) on the + battery terminal and anywhere the + wiring is hooked up to.

Obviously some form of plastc cover or similar over the pattery terminals would help.

[crashe]

Dont laugh............ but I have heard vasaline also works...... on the battery terminals.

(You know the stuff you rub on babies bottom's to keep the wet off the skin...)

Hey anything is worth a go ..... ain't it!







Other thing is, that, the new ummmm paintjob doesnt like getting wet !

[degrom]

How long is your GN going to last if you keep on parking it in the rain?

I know mine loves it's rust...

[Steam]

Hmm, very simple quick and easy answers there, and all on the same wavelength. I'll try it tomorrow, got a day off and nothing to do so cleaning and spraying I shall do.

Thanks!

[Paul in NZ]

Oh gawd - batteries...

How do you know it's NOT the battery? How do you know it's fully charged?? The only way to tell for sure is with a hydrometer and measure the SG (Specific gravity) of each cell during charging.

The low temperatures will lower the capacity of the battery but frankly it's not that cold at the moment.

If you dont have a hydrometer I'd siggest a simple experiment. Charge the battery properly (double sigh) and then leave it in the bike but disconnect one lead and see what happens in the morning.

Cheers

[Motu]

And batteries need a shit load more charging then you think - just because everything works and it starts doesn't mean it's charged.If I want to make a warranty claim on battery they make me charge it for 48 hours before they will come and test it.Charge it overnight - but of course never leave a battery charging unattended....I suggest a sleeping bag and a good book....

[idb]

Make sure the top of the battery is really clean, the terminals are really clean and coat them in Vaseline.

Also be sure that your bike is charging the battery, it might start again when it's warm but if the battery isn't charging properly it won't start a cold bike.
In fact, that is the first thing I would check...attach a voltmeter to the battery, start the thing and make sure that you are getting around 14V when you rev it.

Listen to me, I own Italian bikes!!!!

Good luck.

[Ixion]

,,

Listen to me, I own Italian bikes!!!!

Good luck.

You poor, poor bastard. I own an Italian car. Have you tried turning on the ignition while standing in your head, waggling your left arm? Works for me

[Motu]

Having once worked for an Italian dealership I found it was all in how you approach the Italian vehicle - you walk up to it shouting and waving your arms,accusing it's mother of immoral sins,of doubt about who it's father was,how you don't care if it doesn't start as you are selling it anyway to pay for your mother's medical bills as she had a heart attack after seeing your hair turn grey and age lines appear on your beautiful face after working on this son of a bitch....

If the car still doesn't start you hit the steering wheel and walk away slamming the door - return 5 minutes later and kiss the door handle,caress the upolstory and lovingly fondle the steering wheel - it'll start first time.

[JMemonic]

Any help would be appreciated.
Oh, it's a specially painted GN250, you can see it in my profile pic.

Ok had a look at you piccy, you have done a great job there but the seat got me thinking, if you did not have this issue before the paint job, and if when the bike is covered you don't have this issue consider that fabric maybe acting as a wick and through a fluke you have managed to create a method of transferring the water to where the bike was never designed to have water.

Those folks at Suzuki (or any vehicle manufacture) are clever when it comes to saving a buck and probably only seal the components in that area to deal with condensation not a torrent of abusive water.

I would try taking the covering of the seat for a while and see if that fixes the problem, that is of course if the other suggested fixes and sealants don't work.

As to the CRC fix I would suggest you try their silicon sealer 808 as opposed to 556 etc which are oils.