Clickity clickity clickity

[Paranoid Dave]

HELP

Kylie hasn't started for months, i charged her battery and the optimate says good. I dropped some fuel down her throat and hit the button.
Potato potato cut out. I think more choke and first time nerves etc. But now it don't turn over at all. Instead or churning the starter i'm getting clickity clickity clickity.

Can anyone advise please. I spoke to service man on the phone who says it needs a new battery. I think they are probably right but just want a second opinion.

[STIVH]

Would it be possible to get a jump from another fully charged battery like a car - but leave the donor vehicles ignition turned off - once started test your battery charge rate. If it still doesn't wannna go check your earth for corrosion and then generally verify that everything else is clean and tight. I wouldn't dash out for a new battery just yet.

[Yorkie]

How long did you charge the battery for? Over night + i would say! Get it rigged up to the car and jump her!

Yorkie.

[Julie]

sounds like you need a new ignitrion relay to me 0 Only about £4 from ducati

[rxtim]

I would say battery, I had the same problems with one that was only about 6 months old, optimate would be happy, disconnect then nowt. New battery sorted it. If it wasn't on the optimate all the time, it is more than likely the cold will have killed the battery.

Relay next on list. Go with most likely rather than cheapest route through potential problems!

[Gilps]

I don't know the difference between a cars starter and a bikes, but when this happens on a car its coz the starter has jammed in. On a car you would put it in gear and rock back and forwards to get it to unlock. Try bump starting it. This may free things up.

[MotoNik]

It's almost certainly your battery Dave. We had the same trouble with Emily's bike - it was left on an Optimate, which was showing the green light, but as soon as you tried to start it you'd get maybe half a turn of the engine out of it, and then click click click..... Bloody frustrating, but she bought a new battery for it, and it's been good as gold since.

Nik

[rich]

Dave

If not the battery

Try the solenoid.wiggle the small wire in to it

get some one to press the button whilst you get down to find the
click click it may need a new soleniod

hope this helps
rich

[MilesB]

HELP
Kylie hasn't started for months, i charged her battery and the optimate says good. I dropped some fuel down her throat and hit the button.
Potato potato cut out. I think more choke and first time nerves etc. But now it don't turn over at all. Instead or churning the starter i'm getting clickity clickity clickity.
Dave - what can I say...
You should have been out riding her regularly throughout the year.
I kept telling you, but "Oooh no" says you. http://www.ukmonster.co.uk/monster/showthread.php?t=15024&highlight=Winter+riding :banghead:

Hope you get it sorted, but having to buy a new battery is a bit of a bummer. Personally, I have never used either a bettery charger or an Optimate on the Monster.

Miles

PS: Why isn't there a 'Smug Git' smiley?

[Paranoid Dave]

thanks all, i have looked at the solenoid and there dont seem to be any corosion. It must be the battery so i'll get another and lump it.

And miles - no smug git smilie sorry, but i found this one

http://support.jodohost.com/images/smilies/mullet.gif

It worked fine one week and the next it didn't so i figured i'd worry about it in the spring. :D

[MilesB]

And miles - no smug git smilie sorry, but i found this one
http://support.jodohost.com/images/smilies/mullet.gif

Oi, I resemble that smiley :chuckle:
Mr Fatbloke, if you please?

[Duncan]

If its a Rob Hunter battery or similar Taiwanese thing they are not up to much. I bought a new one last November and its not good for much in cold weather if I leave it for over a week. The original Yuasa lasted 6 years which is why they are original equipment on many bikes.

Yuasa still make loads of batteries in the old Lucas factory in Birmingham and you get good Japanese quality but expect to pay more for it. Big twin bikes need every bit of poke the battery can deliver.

Yours sounds as though it has become deep discharged and its unlikely you will fully get it back from that state even with these 'wonder' charger conditioners that are just glorified transformers with a bit of electronic bull**** tacked on.

[fatbloke]

Would it be possible to get a jump from another fully charged battery like a car - but leave the donor vehicles ignition turned off - once started test your battery charge rate. If it still doesn't wannna go check your earth for corrosion and then generally verify that everything else is clean and tight. I wouldn't dash out for a new battery just yet.
DONT jump start you bike from the car it makes a mess of some expensive
electrical parts,
If you have to take the battery out take to a dealer/garage and have it tested
its cheaper than replacing the elelctrical bits

[Pugi]

Yuasa still make loads of batteries in the old Lucas factory in Birmingham and you get good Japanese quality but expect to pay more for it. Big twin bikes need every bit of poke the battery can deliver.

As I understand it, you never know what you get with Yuasa since they don't have any factorys of their own. They make their batterys in other peoplers factorys, meaning the quality varies. So I'm told anyway.

I'm having problems to get my year old battery to retain charge. It's a 'Sprint', which I've never heard of. Any opinions about this brand?

[Julie]

DONT jump start you bike from the car it makes a mess of some expensive
electrical parts,
If you have to take the battery out take to a dealer/garage and have it tested
its cheaper than replacing the elelctrical bits

I'll second that - expensive ICU's if you do that!!!

[Paranoid Dave]

My first battery lasted 4 or 5 years. This one has died after only one year. My service man said its been a long cold winter and he's seen a big increase in dead batteries right now because of it. Funny thing is mine has been in my bedroom and anyone who's been in my flat will know its not far off the same temperature. Lesson learned, optimate from now on.
Will be done for the weekend though and then i'll have another problem to contend with i'm sure.

[manwithredbike]

i know car batteries have probably blown up electronic parts, but i've done it many times over the years with no problems. i thought that generally, the current flowing is normally dependent on the resistance or impedance of the circuit and the applied voltage. providing the battery voltage is the same and the circuit resistance or impedance hasn't changed then there is no reason for damaging excess currents. the larger amp/hourage of a car battery would just have more power stored or a higher short circuit discharge current. thats just what i heard once.

[fatbloke]

Good luck with that but its been the downfall of many Ducati owners

[STIVH]

As I said don't turn the donor vehicles ignition on that way you are only discharging the voltage/ampage you require to start the bike and not transfering any electrical relay/circuit current onto your own vehicle.

If you are worried just take off the live feed on the vehicle.

Every bike that I have ever heared about that had been damaged had normally been started while the car/van was either revved up just to pep the battery or running when the jump start was initiated only to find that they have frazzled the circuit. There is also the fact that the problem often was the ACU or circuit in the first place and by starting it you have just blown the thing apart due to it's fragility.

I'm with manwithredbike on this one.

[fatbloke]

sorry I spoke

[rich]

sorry I spoke

No you are quite right to warn off people jump starting ducati's from a car
i have done it & it cost me dear

£100
rich

[spacemonkey]

I'm in the 'got away with it many times' camp. However, my cars have always had small batteries and i bever do it with the car running.

And that's all I have to say about that.

[STIVH]

Sorry FB didn't mean in that way, no offence meant just offering me tuppence worth...........who knows It could happen to me...........and then I would be singing from a new hymn book...........................ruddy well 'ope it don't though??????

[fatbloke]

no offence taken
but after 5 years of running this club I've seen it happen
many times. And its very costly

[norrie]

I usually jump it off another bike.
However I have jumped it off the car as well.
As long as it's not running you should be fine.


Norrie.

[Scotty]

i like the bump start trick, but never managed it with slipper clutch :freak:

[emily's driver]

When I had my 748 I as always worried I would fry the CAR's electrics, which says a lot about my past four wheeled possessions! Never had a problem the few times I have jumped Dukes from the car's battery mind you. Only problem I once had was using those cheap and nasty boil in a bag jump leads that often crop up as special offers at service stations and that allow a nat's tadger's worth of current to flow through before melting into oblivion. Finally went out and bought some big heavy duty copper cored ones which not look out of place strung between two electricity pylons and they did the trick. Not had cause to use them yet on my last two bikes, but I did see Mary Shelley's Frankenstein a few months back and maybe they were not bought in vain after all.

[bod]

No probs jump starting a bike from a car ,just don't crank the bike straight away.
Wait for the battery to charge off the donnor battery to allow the potential difference to be the same,then go.
You will only (fry ECU's) if the bike battery is very flat and slave battery you are jump starting from kicks out enough amps, due to bikes battery fully discharged/dead.

[gary tompkins]

As I said don't turn the donor vehicles ignition on that way you are only discharging the voltage/ampage you require to start the bike and not transfering any electrical relay/circuit current onto your own vehicle.

If you are worried just take off the live feed on the vehicle.

Every bike that I have ever heared about that had been damaged had normally been started while the car/van was either revved up just to pep the battery or running when the jump start was initiated only to find that they have frazzled the circuit. There is also the fact that the problem often was the ACU or circuit in the first place and by starting it you have just blown the thing apart due to it's fragility.

I'm with manwithredbike on this one.

Or why not just keep the battery on an optimate (or similar) and save a lot of frigging about? :banghead:

I'm in the FB "don't risk it camp" after mate Lenny's 1000SS DS had its ignition unit's fried by a very nice man from the AA. He diagnosed a flat battery - hooked up a h/duty start & charge booster pack and bang! :shocked: Both ignition units burnt out & quiet literally went up in smoke costing £££'s

The problem.... actually turned out to be a loose earth strap connection - ho hum :rolleyes:

[STIVH]

I think you'll find it was on the optimate................mate?

The fault wasn't with the jump start the fault was with the earth strap.

I must be honest that if I had a flat battery or suspected one the first thing to check is the connections and the live and earth supplies etc and certainly before I used another battery to jump start.

I am assuming that we all use a little common sense here and some agreed with me. Also the last thing I would assume is that just because the guy works for the AA or RAC they know what they are doing and either way if they cause the damage then they have to pay for it. If they don't do the checks that's their problem not yours and you should demand the replacement costs/refunds.

I have since this initial post actually fired my monnie with my transit battery after I left the lights on by mistake in the garage. I have also almost weekly fired up my GPZ600 with the same van battery as I haven't yet got a battery for it and it's being rebuilt and I need it running to check various connections and tune it...............and sin of sins I used the monnie to jump a neighbours fiat punto two weeks ago when I saw her stranded with a flat battery while out shopping.

It's still only my two pennies worth and at the end of the day you do what YOU feel confident with and follow your instincts.

[gary tompkins]

snip>...
It's still only my two pennies worth and at the end of the day you do what YOU feel confident with and follow your instincts.

Exactly... that's why mine is sitting out in the garage hooked up to an optimate... mate :rolleyes:

[Zimbo]

As I understand it, you never know what you get with Yuasa since they don't have any factorys of their own. They make their batterys in other peoplers factorys, meaning the quality varies. So I'm told anyway.

I'm having problems to get my year old battery to retain charge. It's a 'Sprint', which I've never heard of. Any opinions about this brand?

I've used Sprint batteries before, cos they're cheap, but I found the same as you, won't hold a charge after a while. I won't be buying another.

[creepy]

if you suspect starter solenoid is faulty or has dirty connections,short the live terminals at the solenoid with a screwdriver(be careful) if battery is good engine will turn over,it will do this without ignition on!
creepy

[NewMon]

My experiences might help here.

I normally run my bikes through the winter and the Ducati has been a superb starter. Last winter I had it on an optimate but it was shared with my other bike and I forgot to swap it over. So, when I came to start the Monster I had no ignition. Battery seemed ok (headlight works etc.) but I decided to use a car battery via jump leads. My monster is pre-ECU etc. so I wasn't worried. Anyway, that didn't work. Meanwhile, I charged the bike battery with a good old fashioned (slow) battery charger and hooked up to the optimate again. The optimate decided to de-sulphate at this stage. After 12 hours I figured the battery was fine and tried to start again - no luck. So I got a can of quick start, squirted it into the air intake and blam! Off it went.

Gotta love those volatile aromatics. Mmmm.

Pete