- Joined
- Oct 15, 2008
- Messages
- 8,924
- Reaction score
- 2,067
- Location
- Out of Africa
- Bike
- KTM 950 Adventure S
Due to my current living conditions, I don't ride my bike often enough, maybe twice a year. So, it lives on an optimate charger permanently. The optimate is now brown from heat, being permanently on.
This weekend I took it out and it battled to start, had to jump start it from a car. The battery was pap, maybe the optimate is buggered, dunno ..........
So, off I went and bought a new battery, fitted it and it started first throw, like it should. Happy man, I was.
Next day, took it out for an extended ride, a few hours, and the new battery gave up. Swelled and blew out all it's gas/liquid ................... fucked. Bike went home in the back of a van.
So, fitted the old, flattish battery and jump started it. The regulator is pushing out 13.8V at idle and 17.8V at about 3k revs. Not good, according to me and the google experts. Regulator fubar.
What can you learned men tell me? I don't live with the bike, so when I return I will need the right parts with me. I don't trust the optimate anymore, the bulk charging lights pulses on it, I've never seen that before, so it's telling me something is amiss. I'm thinking of buying a lithium battery, a lithium battery tender and a regulator.
Andrew, you've been in and out a 950 a lot more than me and Bobnob, you seem to know things about electronics and batteries. Of course, others experiences are also more than welcome.
My immediate questions are - Is the regulator definitely broken? And, will a lithium battery live happily on a permanent tender, or should I go back to lead acid?
@Kamanya @the_BOBNOB
This weekend I took it out and it battled to start, had to jump start it from a car. The battery was pap, maybe the optimate is buggered, dunno ..........
So, off I went and bought a new battery, fitted it and it started first throw, like it should. Happy man, I was.
Next day, took it out for an extended ride, a few hours, and the new battery gave up. Swelled and blew out all it's gas/liquid ................... fucked. Bike went home in the back of a van.
So, fitted the old, flattish battery and jump started it. The regulator is pushing out 13.8V at idle and 17.8V at about 3k revs. Not good, according to me and the google experts. Regulator fubar.
What can you learned men tell me? I don't live with the bike, so when I return I will need the right parts with me. I don't trust the optimate anymore, the bulk charging lights pulses on it, I've never seen that before, so it's telling me something is amiss. I'm thinking of buying a lithium battery, a lithium battery tender and a regulator.
Andrew, you've been in and out a 950 a lot more than me and Bobnob, you seem to know things about electronics and batteries. Of course, others experiences are also more than welcome.
My immediate questions are - Is the regulator definitely broken? And, will a lithium battery live happily on a permanent tender, or should I go back to lead acid?
@Kamanya @the_BOBNOB
