battery dieing

[slowvet]

So I take my second ride on my '11 rt this morning, get to the coast and and pull over at a beach parking lot for about 10mns. Proceed to start the bike and leave and nothing. Son of biscuit eater. It would turn over and nothing. I coasted down a hill and tried bumping it in 5th gear. It turned over like it was going to start, I pulled in the clutch and hit the starter and it started. I went straight home about 10 miles away via back streets. Now I'm trying to learn this bike and while in the garage I may have left the radio mode on. Would this have affected the battery? I thought while the machine is off the onboard electronics automatically shuts off everything so it saves the battery. Stumped. I started the bike a few times during the week but did not ride it. After futzing with the radio while the bike was both idleing and with just the key on for maybe 10 mns. at most.

[Danny caddyshack Noonan]

How old is the battery?

did you check the tightness of the cable fasteners?

[slowvet]

Thinking it's the original battery. I did check both terminals and they're snug and clear of debris. The bike is an '11 bought in December of '10. It has 11,700 miles. Any battery recommendations? Thanks btw!

[Danny caddyshack Noonan]

You've had a good run with that battery. Mine lasted a year. PC680 Odyssey battery works very well. You need a shim (maybe 1/2" thick?) on the top under the strap and the extra terminals to attach to the threaded holes in the top of the battery.

A local Batteries Plus had them and the terminals.

[BrianM]

I just replaced the battery on my 2011. Didn't want to turn over at 25F. Got a PC680 from Batteries Plus.

 

Now it is snowing......

[Guest Kakugo]

I think you'll find the overwhelming consensus here is for Odyssey batteries as a replacement. Require minimal effort to be installed and well worth the price.

 

BMW genuine batteries are more or less hit or miss: some go on for five or more years, other die after less than two.

You were lucky to be able to restart the bike as, more often than not, OE batteries die suddenly and completely at start.

 

On Hexhead bikes parasitic drain with key off is 2.5mA. If you have alarm installed and off it goes up to 4.0mA, raising to 5.7mA if you turn it on. I take Camhead's aren't very far off these figures. You may want to check those figures to see if you have excessive drain, but given you are still on the original battery I wouldn't bother.

 

Also remember the alternator on these bikes is effectively charging the battery only at 3500-4000rpm, so turning the bike on and letting it idle will discharge it at a faster rate. If you want to turn on your bikes at regular intervals during the Winter without riding it, invest in a battery charger.

Enersys recommended to me CTEK chargers for their Odyssey batteries (chiefly because they have enough amperage to "pull them up" if they deeply discharge) but you'll be fine with any charger suited for AGM batteries.

[slowvet]

Thank you Kakugo and fella's for the very helpful advice.