Battery drain…

MAK

MAK

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Battery fully charged and using a meter battery voltage is 13.40
16 days later it is 12.21.
19 daters it’s 12.10.-at this voltage engine turns over quite well but will not start.
Battery then charged fully and bike starts no problems.
Drain is through the clock proved by pulling the fuse.
Question..what is the internal fault in the clock and can it be repaired.
 
I don't know , I have heard from others a bad stepper motor in the unit is the cause. Can you find a VDO service shop ?
 
TonyA said:
I don't know , I have heard from others a bad stepper motor in the unit is the cause. Can you find a VDO service shop ?
Click to expand...
Yes mine drains away after bout 4 days and won’t start although turns over ok.
Pull the fuse bottom right in the fuse box which controls the clocks. I am thinking of putting an on/off switch in between the live wire to the fuse box can be done quite easy the only thing that’s stopping me is will it upset the ecu.
 
No should not effect the ECU . This only feeds the clocks and optimate plug. Just switch the optimate/clocks line only.
 
Last edited:
MAK - with it turning over quite quickly, can you check something?

After it turns over quickly but doesn’t start - when you stop cranking - a moment later do you hear a relay click in the tail?
 
Gojuu said:
MAK - with it turning over quite quickly, can you check something?

After it turns over quickly but doesn’t start - when you stop cranking - a moment later do you hear a relay click in the tail?
Click to expand...
Can’t say that I did but will try it again and listen more closely..
Will also turn down the wireless!
 
I've actually been deliberately letting mine run flat to do some testing.

I'd be interested to see if it's like this:

 
Voodooo said:
Easy fix is to install a battery cut off switch. Problem solved.
Click to expand...
The thing to remember is that this is not just a 961 fault.
When I bought a Moto Guzzi Sport Corsa the mechanic told me to keep a check on the battery or it will discharge in about three weeks.
 
MAK said:
The thing to remember is that this is not just a 961 fault.
When I bought a Moto Guzzi Sport Corsa the mechanic told me to keep a check on the battery or it will discharge in about three weeks.
Click to expand...
Why don’t you keep it on a battery maintainer? And have a battery cut off switch? Doesn’t matter what brand the vehicle is, plus it acts as a theft device.
All you need to do is put the cut off switch in either the negative or positive battery cable to break the circuit. I prefer the negative side, but some racing divisions have rules on what side they prefer. Either way, it cuts the power from the battery and will prevent it from draining the battery over time.

If you have a battery cut off switch in the off position and if you have a battery maintainer, it will still charge the battery because the charger is direct to the battery.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Voodooo said:
Why don’t you keep it on a battery maintainer? And have a battery cut off switch? Doesn’t matter what brand the vehicle is, plus it acts as a theft device.
All you need to do is put the cut off switch in either the negative or positive battery cable to break the circuit. I prefer the negative side, but some racing divisions have rules on what side they prefer. Either way, it cuts the power from the battery and will prevent it from draining the battery over time.

If you have a battery cut off switch in the off position and if you have a battery maintainer, it will still charge the battery because the charger is direct to the battery.
Click to expand...
This all makes sense..
Will put it on the to do list.
Don’t like having the battery on trickle charge for extended periods so charge it every two weeks or so. Works for me.
 
MAK said:
This all makes sense..
Will put it on the to do list.
Don’t like having the battery on trickle charge for extended periods so charge it every two weeks or so. Works for me.
Click to expand...
What’s the fear of having it on a trickle charge? It’s only a couple of amps.
 
MAK said:
This all makes sense..
Will put it on the to do list.
Don’t like having the battery on trickle charge for extended periods so charge it every two weeks or so. Works for me.
Click to expand...
@MAK I have 6 Deltran Battery Tender Plus units (soon to be 7) connected to each of my bikes and cars in my garage using a 7-day timer. The battery tenders are plugged into a power strip, and the power strip plugged into the timer which is programmed to run for 18 hours one day per week. Has worked for more than a decade. Currently my oldest battery is a Shorai lithium battery that is 7.5+ years old. Here's the 7 day timer I use:
Amazon product ASIN B00P7RUGVO
 
italia said:
@MAK I have 6 Deltran Battery Tender Plus units (soon to be 7) connected to each of my bikes and cars in my garage using a 7-day timer. The battery tenders are plugged into a power strip, and the power strip plugged into the timer which is programmed to run for 18 hours one day per week. Has worked for more than a decade. Currently my oldest battery is a Shorai lithium battery that is 7.5+ years old. Here's the 7 day timer I use:
Amazon product ASIN B00P7RUGVO
Click to expand...
I have c-teck charger which does the business.
Guess it was drummed into me when I was an apprentice not to leave batteries on charge..
I think it was called- the olden days-
 
MAK said:
I have c-teck charger which does the business.
Guess it was drummed into me when I was an apprentice not to leave batteries on charge..
I think it was called- the olden days-
Click to expand...
Agree, but in the olden days battery tenders were true 'trickle chargers' which had a constant 24x7 charge being applied. Today's smart chargers (battery tenders) only apply a charge when certain low voltage levels are detected, and then shut off when charged. I believe that lithium batteries prefer not to be at or close to 100% charge all the time, so in running my battery tenders 18 hours on one day per week, I feel like they get some 'exercise', as evidently our Norton clocks have measurable drain.
 
MAK said:
I have c-teck charger which does the business.
Guess it was drummed into me when I was an apprentice not to leave batteries on charge..
I think it was called- the olden days-
Click to expand...
In the golden days vehicles didn’t have computers and electrical drains. Unless of course you left the light switch on or the brake switch stuck lol
 
Hey - just to completely open a can of worms....

After a week or so my bike turns over really strong still, but doesn't start. I'm thinking that's due to the volt drop while cranking - but I'm not sure what it's affecting.

Does anyone know what it's actually caused by? is it a particular relay that doesn't hold up?
 
Gojuu said:
Hey - just to completely open a can of worms....

After a week or so my bike turns over really strong still, but doesn't start. I'm thinking that's due to the volt drop while cranking - but I'm not sure what it's affecting.

Does anyone know what it's actually caused by? is it a particular relay that doesn't hold up?
Click to expand...
I remember that City Garage said that if the voltage drops below 10.5 V the ignition wont spark . The coil pack is pulsed directly from the ECU and the crank and cam sensors feed directly to the ECU . It may not be 10.5 V that he said , but at some level below the ECU won't spark.
 
MAK said:
The thing to remember is that this is not just a 961 fault.
When I bought a Moto Guzzi Sport Corsa the mechanic told me to keep a check on the battery or it will discharge in about three weeks.
Click to expand...
Exactly. I have an Indian FTR also that stays on the charger between rides
 

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