Well, sort of, it's grey and the rain is drizzling, but the Tiger is back on the road. Four months double-bagged with silica gel sacks for company meant for the first time the bike was just as shiny coming out of storage as when it went in. Starting took a couple of hours as battery kept running low, kept putting the Optimate back on, but it only started when threatened with a car charger/starter (I seem to remember using these on a bike is a big no-no - anyone got any experience with this?) - luckily it fired up before I got a far as hooking this up.
Rode it back to Glasgow in the rain, big grins all around, I love this bike....
Yes. Car charger big no-no. Caused mishaping of my main fuse enough that it did not work though tested okay. Luckily I sorted it out before calling the tow.
A recommendation for you TourqueyT.
During my first winter with the Tiger I had the same starting trouble you've just had after a 6 week lay up.
Get yourself one of those 40W green house bar heaters and sit it under the sump all winter (I also put a cover over the bike). Apart from keeping the moisture off the bike during winter it will ensure that the oil is not freezing cold when you need to start her up.
It could be coincidence but my bike started first twiddle this time after a 4 month lay up.
Anyone know if there exists a bike specific start booster? Read in one of this months magazines one of the journalists had just picked one up from Argos of all places, but I think again this was a car charger/booster - he did admit to ruining his battery as well....
I have a spare YTX14-BS sitting in my garage (the type of battery the Tiger and a heck of a lot of other bikes take).
It used to be my Tiger's fulltime battery, but it let me down mysteriously last year whilst I was in the middle of Scotland. So I replaced the battery just to be on the safe side, but kept the old one which subsequently accepted and maintained a full charge.
I now use it as a convenient jump-start battery when the need arises, or as a temporary exchange if the one in the Tiger were ever to fail totally again.
Sorry this is probably the wrong place to ask this, but since we're on the subject-
What about a car charger is a problem? Are we talking charging the battery or jumping starting the bike from a car? I have done the latter many times, although not to a bike with electrics as sophisticated as the Tiger.
As far as charging batteries I hook motorcycle batteries up to a trickle charger (It also charges car batteries) is this a mistake?
I've briefly been looking at the little boosterpacks Halfords (UK car bits shop chain) sell - i.e. the packs you plug in overnight, looks like one of those little carrycases you buy your 100-piece toolkit in. Anyone know if these are OK?
Why not use an Optimate or similar?[http://www.accumate.co.uk/it010003.html] Keeps your battery in tiptop condition, and lets you know when it's on the way out.
Yes, Optimate is on over the winter, but now chained to my pet lamp post I've got no poweroutlets available, and with two bikes not getting quite enough weekly exercise I was thinking of covering my back with a start help/booster thing, cause bump starting is a little bit too much work... :razz:
Most cheapo car chargers aren't regulated and so the battery must be removed from the vehicle before charging.
Any charger that is not regulated will allow the battery terminal voltage rise to 20+ volts if you leave it connected long enough. At this point the acid will be bubbling and gassing and the plastic sides of the battery will be distorting.
Any voltage sensitive equipment i.e computers, radios, engine management systems etc will blow as soon as the ignition is swirched on.
People think that because a vehicle/bike system is 12volt then 12 volts is the maximum it can ever be, wrong.
Always use a regulated charger, car or bike they are all the same. Optimate is a good make. For emrgencies keep a spare 12 volt battery (car or bike) charged up that you can use for jump starting.
If you are ever unsure about the suitability of a battery charger, disconnect the NEGATIVE lead of your battery before connecting the charger.
How can you tell it's Spring, in the Sunny Britton Isles?
I've got another question that's been bothering me... Why would anybody decided to manufacture motorcycles, in a place like that? Was some Islander just thinking 'exports', or what? I mean, it works for me, but...
Hey TT !! how about something like this Clicky !! you could even make up a lead that plugs into your access. socket !! you can get these things off eebay, bid.tv, pricedrop ( so i`ve been told ) very cheep !! :-D
KK
ps they have a sealed battery inside, so quite safe to keep in the house.
[ This message was edited by: KuzzinKenny on 2007-03-16 16:01 ]
Hey KK - that's exactly what I was thinking of - anyone aware of any problems using one of these on your bike?
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