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I've flattened the battery on my Yamaha YZF750 and I'd like to know if I can charge the battery in situ. If I try to remove the battery my Datatool alarm goes off, but I'm a bit wary of charging it on the bike and maybe zapping the electrics. Any ideas?
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I charge mine on the bike. But use a charger that knows about bike batteries - not sure about yours, but my R1 has a gell battery and needs a different charging regime to a wet cell battery.
Theory says a charger shouldn't do any worse than the normal alternator/regulator.
You should be able to put the datatool into 'valet/service' mode and disconnect the bettery without it going off - check your manual, but I think it is - blipper to turn alarm off, ignition on, hold blipper until bleep, ignition off. You get an annoying bleep every minute or so, but you can remove the battery while the internal alarm battery discharges slowly.
Martin
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Thanks for that, I'll see if I can pick up an Optimate on the way home. I tried the valet mode but I don't think I had the ignition on.
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The risk of charging the battery whilst its still connected is that ordinary transformer/diode chargers can deliver voltages as high as 16-18 volts when the current falls away as the battery approaches 80 percent charge which is the cause of the gassing which can be seen happening in each cell. Such over-voltages can damage anything connected to the battery. Of course if you keep a careful check on the progress of charging (and measure voltage at the battery with a digital multimeter) you can stop the charging before this happens. But the safe thing is to either disconnect it or to use a microprocessor controlled charger such as the Optimate which you mention above. They have a web site www.accumate.co.uk
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If you find that it keeps going flat I would make sure you have a reasonable explanation as to why before trying a new one. I had a failed voltage regulator on a bike once that then ruined the first (expensive) new battery I bought.
PB.
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I flattened it trying to get it going after Xmas. The bike was put away wet, poor drying weather, so I've had to wd40 everything and put new plugs in. Carnell (Riossi) reckon you can't get Optimates at the moment as they were closed for 3 weeks over the hols. I put the alram in service mode yesterday and charged the battery off the bike, with 1.5 amps per hour for 3 hours, just so it didn't sit in cold in a discharged state.
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