Battery Discharge

[captain jack]

I know there is a similar thread but has anyone checked the discharge current when the bike is stopped, in the garage & no charger connected. The only things I know of that would draw current are the alarm & clock, unless of course there is a leak to earth. I checked mine the other week & measured 7ma, it would be interesting to compare with others.

 

[barbagris]

I know there is a similar thread but has anyone checked the discharge current when the bike is stopped, in the garage & no charger connected. The only things I know of that would draw current are the alarm & clock, unless of course there is a leak to earth. I checked mine the other week & measured 7ma, it would be interesting to compare with others.

GiPro? - Either keep on a tender or disconnect battery. I choose the former. Riding it helps most though.

 

[CanberraR3]

Early GiPros maybe but the later versions are (meant to be) connected to a switched power source. I had that "discussion" with Hellfire.....

 

[TRIIICK]

Just my 2 cents..I posted awhile back about a phantom drain on the battery and mine is without a clock and stock. I keep it on the Battery Tender 24/7 and have had no problems since . Even it it goes a little below 12 volts your asking for trouble..I think it's a massive drain on the lighting circuit or the stator doesn't produce enough amperage to keep up. Someone at the dealer told me most charging systems must rev to at least 2500 rpm's to charge and that bad/dirty/corroded connection can cause high resistance. i have a friend who is famous for lugging his bike i don't know if it's laziness or old age but is always having battery issues and who cleans the electrical connections..

 

[warp9.9]

Does the ECU need a little power so it does not lose bubble memory? Just curious as I would not know. Never hada draining problem on mine. Never use a battery tender but every couple months or so I do put a charger on it for the heck of it.

 

[captain jack]

Thanks for the replies, My GIpro is on a switched supply, I ride the bike more than most, It lives on the tender when not in use & at normal use it's at 300-4500 rpm. I just wondered what would be considered normal battery drain, I currently have no problems having recently fitted a new battery, just curious really.

 

[barbagris]

or the stator doesn't produce enough amperage to keep up. Someone at the dealer told me most charging systems must rev to at least 2500 rpm's to charge and that bad/dirty/corroded connection can cause high resistance.

Fit a voltmeter and ammeter. A voltmeter is generally enough for normal use - Ammeters help if you show high volts but don't charge (sometimes the charging cable and charge warning cable have different feeds). Mine charges at tickover. My 33 year old Guzzi charges at 1100 rpm.

We have regulated Alternators not Dynamo's. A good alternator with a magnetic stator charges from almost nothing. A wound stator requires power - it's why car alternators are "geared" to spin faster.

In fact most charging systems become challenged OVER a certain rpm band. - Why? because they've reached their maximum amperage - but the engine load (sparking) increases. Under full electrical load - I've seen the R3 charging drop away at about 80mph. It's why I started converting to LED lighting.

 

[barbagris]

I just wondered what would be considered normal battery drain, I currently have no problems having recently fitted a new battery, just curious really.

If there is no live circuit - it should be ZERO. What can however happen is that a live wire will try to earth via another circuit - especially one with a resistive load - and thin wires cause higher resistance than fat ones - It's almost a parasitic loss. It can be a sign of a failing rectifier diode.

 

[captain jack]

If there is no live circuit - it should be ZERO. What can however happen is that a live wire will try to earth via another circuit - especially one with a resistive load - and thin wires cause higher resistance than fat ones - It's almost a parasitic loss. It can be a sign of a failing rectifier diode.

Yes but when an alarm & clock is fitted then there will be a current drain & I was just wondering what current draw could be expected. If no one has measured it then ok, I measured mine at 7ma & thought I'd post incase anybody else had.

 

[barbagris]

I have a small device that flashes the on-board alarm LED - draws approx 1ma. It's the only un-switched feed I have on. After a week of disuse the led flashes slower - indicating lower battery. 7ma would (extrapolated) suggest voltage drop after a day.