I rode 1222 miles across France last week and it didn't miss a beat, I ride 20 miles to Southport this weekend and she dies!! I was mid overtake and suddenly it felt like I had hit the rev limiter. I looked down and I was nowhere near. Then the rev counter needle went all the way round and pointed towards the bottom of the dial (revs were normal). I pulled over and turned the bike off. When I turned it back on, it went through its normal startup sequence but this didn't sort the needle. after about 10 seconds it did it again and the needle returned to zero. I then tried to start the bike and it was completely dead. Then the dash started to fade in and out. The RAC came and said that the battery was completely flat and asked had I used it lately, obviously I had. He tested it and said that the battery wasnt being sent enough charge and believed it to be the regulator/rectifier unit (that little device with the heat shield in front of the rear shock). It regulates the amount of current that comes from the altenator to the battery. Anyway, it is now back with the dealers who suspect that the alarm may be the main culprit but are looking into it. The real kicker is that the warranty ran out 6 days prior!!!!!!
I have heard there is a known fault/problem with the reg/rec. I had exactly the same problem but found that the dealers who had been looking at the bike for an oil leak problem had not plugged it back in, so the battery just run dry
Spoke to the dealers today and they have found nothing wrong with the bike!!!!! All they can think it is, is water has got into the electrics somewhere but has since dried out. So off to pick it back up tonight and we'll see.
It is with Philip Youles, why do you ask? The battery is the one that came with the bike 2 years ago. That had been tested and seemed fine. When the RAC tested the battery, they said that the bike was only sending 13v to it and it should be over 13.5. The dealers have said that when they tested it, it was returning 14v.
my battery is the original (2007) and have been informed to leave it on my optimate when not being used due to the datatool draining the battery also sent pm
Just picked the bike up. They couldn't find anything up with it and said that they had ridden 40 miles on it to test it. It had actually done 78 miles (easy to tell as all the trips had gone back to zero when the battery failed), it was completely filthy (I had spent hours on Thursday washing, waxing and polishing it) and they charged me £49 for the trouble!!!!
They had took it to 110mph!! They did actually ring me back about half an hour ago to apologise for giving me a dirty bike back and offered to wash it next time I was passing.
my battery only lasted 1 year from new , it started to fail after 11 months but i thought it must be a problem with the bike not charging the battery , but i was wrong after shelling out £42 notes on a new battery ,no problems so far even if its been standing for 10 days without optimate on so could your bike due a new battery ?
I thought that but the RAC guy showed me with his volt meter that the bike wasn't putting out enough charge. I suppose it could be the battery as well. If I get through the mountain of paperwork, I'm going to go up to Hawes this afternoon, so that should test her.
I had to get new battery, it lasted just over three years and I use an optimate and have no alarm fitted. It went with very little warning, it took a charge and I an it to work but was flat after sitting for 7 hours, had to bump start it to get home. shop around, the prices do vary +-£20
