Harry Muff Posted December 7, 2009 Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 Ok, so here it is. The bike is a 2006 CBR1000RR Fireblade. Saturday night, took the battery off for a top up. Put it back on yesterday afternoon. Went for a ride down the A3. On the way back, I noticed a smell. Like a cross between a stink bomb and a metallic smell. Could smell it most of the way home at every traffic lights. Couldn't find anything wrong when I got home so I left it. This morning, I go to start it and it barely turns over. Everything dims including the digital dash as it tries. Oh fuck. Now it gets weird... The more times I tried, the faster the motor turned over until it eventually fired up. Rode to work, no problems at all. Tried to restart it at work and it went first time although the starter did sound slightly sluggish. Switched it off and and did it again. Faster this time. Shouldn't it get slower as I drain the battery on startup? Weird... Battery is brand new, by the way. Ok, I've deliberately left this until last to let you form some opinions before I tell you... As I was reconnecting the battery and tightening up the bolts that hold the cables on the terminals, The spanner touched the frame and sparked a bit. The spanner was touching the positive terminal at the time and the negative was already connected. Straight away, I thought I may have blown the main fuse. But everything worked fine so I forgot about it. How comes the starter motor turns faster the more times I try it? I'm bricking starting it up to go home tonight... Have I screwed the pooch and fried something? HELP! My baby needs a doctor! Harry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Muff Posted December 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 I missed out some obvious info there. It's a 2006 CBR1000RR Fireblade. Just under 8000 miles. I'll pop the seat off and check that I' haven't fucked up. Cheers Zak Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomfoolery Posted December 7, 2009 Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 You should've bought a Hon... Oh, never mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Muff Posted December 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 Just had the seat off and everything under there seems to be connected properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Muff Posted December 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 You should've bought a Hon... Oh, never mind. Even with problems it still starts... Anyway, I'm pretty sure I did it to her. So, bollocks you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacemonkey Posted December 7, 2009 Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 Ok, I've deliberately left this until last to let you form some opinions before I tell you... As I was reconnecting the battery and tightening up the bolts that hold the cables on the terminals, The spanner touched the frame and sparked a bit. The spanner was touching the positive terminal at the time and the negative was already connected. This is why you always connect the positive first, negative second and when disconnecting, you always disconnect the negative first...... That way it doesn't matter if you touch the frame.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Muff Posted December 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 This is why you always connect the positive first, negative second and when disconnecting, you always disconnect the negative first...... That way it doesn't matter if you touch the frame.... The funny thing is, I already know to connect them that way. It was that I left the tightening up bit until last and did them together.... I'm an idiot... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Muff Posted December 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 Update: I've still got the old battery which is being charged up now. I'll put that on tonight and see if it makes a difference. The thing that still bothers me is the smell. Which, as Zakalwe says is probably the Regulator/rectifier. Can this burn and smell a bit without actually being fucked? As if it's just being stressed a bit? Can you hear my wallet crying? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Muff Posted December 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 The smell is the battery...'cos it's fucked. What has fucked it is what you need to find out. Check the voltage at the battery terminals with the engine running. As long as it is not lower 12.5 v at idle and no higher than 15 volts at max rpm then your charging circuit is fine. Can the battery smell? I thought it was completely sealed up so I discounted that a source of the smell. My neighbour is a dab hand at this stuff so I'll get him to do what you said. If I understand this correctly, I check the voltage while it's running to see what the regulator is sending to the battery and then check while it's off to see what the battery is giving out. As for the cause of the problem, that's easy... It's the twat with the spanner... Me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Muff Posted December 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 Another update: Just had a go at firing it up. As before, the starter motor was as sluggish as fuck. But I kept at it and eventually it fired. I left it warming for a couple of minutes and the starter motor spun up super quick and the engine fired up instantly. So the generator must have been sending some juice back to the battery, which the regulator duly converted for the battery. However, over the next few hours, the battery is going to drain again. Not helped by the alarm... I spoke to Motoden earlier and they say battery also. So that's 3 people for the battery... Good call Millemille! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Muff Posted December 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 Cheers lads. It all makes sense now, especially the overcharging, as the first time I noticed the smell was at the traffic lights at the end of the A3 after riding continuously for 30 mins. Thus giving the battery all sorts of headaches. Anyway, I'm going to do everything that everyone has said and I suppose I'm just going to have to spunk another £90 on a new one. Balls... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomfoolery Posted December 7, 2009 Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 £90?!? Fackin' hell, that's a bit steep isn't it? Shopped around? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Muff Posted December 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 £90?!? Fackin' hell, that's a bit steep isn't it? Shopped around? I've seen them for £165!! Anyway, online they average around the £70 mark these days but it turns out my local shop has one for £65. I'll do the checks to make sure it is the battery tonight. Then, tomorrow, I'll get someone to pick one up for me. All of this from one little cock-up with a spanner... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Muff Posted December 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 Hello again. I've just put a my old battery back on my bike and it fired up no problem at all. Of course the real test is tomorrow morning. I checked the voltage and it was about 13.5v with the bike running and the battery that just went on was 12.7v. The fucked one was showing 13.5v, but it had just come off the bike after 45 mins of riding. It almost refused to start outside my work. Also, it was fucking hot. Very fucking hot. I suppose I won't know 100% until this time tomorrow, but so far so good. Thanks for all your help chaps (except Foolery...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaycee Posted December 7, 2009 Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 Can I asked how much you topped up the battery and why? The plates should only just be covered, if you overfill, the acid leaks out when it expands and can cause all sorts of fun. I remember a moron that I worked with a few years ago when I was driving forklifts while inbetween better paying jobs. I asked him to top up the batteries at the end of his shift( he was nightshift) I came in the next morning at 6 to find a big puddle of battery acid across the floor and the truck was screwed, it had gotten into the inverter and stuff. He filled the batteries up to the brim then placed it on the charger overnight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Muff Posted December 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2009 Are you having a giraffe? Stop riding the bike, disconnect the battery, remove it from the bike and leave it outside....NOW! Have you seen the damge done when a lead/acid battery explodes 'cos it overheats and the acid gets sprayed around? It will fucking ruin your day...BIG TIME! Don't worry, the fucked one that has been smelling, among other things, is sat in the naughty corner of the garage. I suppose I've been lucky in the way that one of those people that have been living on top of a WWII bomb for years has been. Of course, the garage might still have an extra door tomorrow morning... Jaycee: The Yuasa batteries that I've always used come with a bank of plastic bottles with seals on the ends the idea is to push the bank on to the exposed openings on the battery and leave it there until they are all empty. Once done, the battery cap goes on for good and the bank of plastic bottles is disposed of in an environmentally consciensous manner. Sort of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomfoolery Posted December 8, 2009 Report Share Posted December 8, 2009 Neighbours' fence? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Muff Posted December 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2009 Neighbours' fence? Underground garage. Although quite a few are empty though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Muff Posted December 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2009 Another update: Had my old battery on for the last couple of days. All seems well. Had the multimeter out a couple more times and tested it without the bike on which gives just over 13v. Which I'm told is fine. Next I've tested it with a friend holding the revs at 5000rpm. It jumps about a bit while it's getting there but after a second or two the regulator cuts in noticeably and cut's the charge rate to 15.5v which is as the manual says. Happy days. I think. The only issue that remains is that the battery is that, after about 30 seconds of the bike warming up, the battery let's out a squeal. I've heard it do this before when I've forgotten to switch it off when I've been charging it up at home. This particular battery will be celebrating it's 4th birthday in March so I can't rule out that it's on it's last legs. Starts the bike up fine though. So that's the state of play with the blade; the regulator is cutting in and therefore works, and the battery although working admirably. Let's out a sigh when warming up and occasionally when I get where I'm going too. Doesn't get red hot though; just warm as normal. I'll get a new battery on Saturday and see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uggiebear Posted December 10, 2009 Report Share Posted December 10, 2009 The squeal could be a blockage in your vent line and its gassing off hence pressure of the hydrogen gas passing over causeing the squeal. Dont get hung up on voltage a battery can read a good voltage and be totally shagged due to the plates collapsing, quite common this time of year due to the drop in temps. The best way to test one is to do a capicty test for a 55ah battery rig up a load of 5.5amps and see how it does over a 10 hour period. Batterys like to be used and charged. If a battery has being stood a while and not deep cycled it affects them. Lead acid batterys have a memorry and thats why regular charging and cycling is good for them. I would go new as stated before it is not worth messing arround with a hydrogen acid bomb for the sake of the cost. It wont kill you(but could) but would really mess your day up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Muff Posted December 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2009 Cheers mate. The thing that I'm most concerned about is whether the regulator is doing it's job properly. It does regulate the voltage to 15.5v when held at 5000rpm, but on the way there it fluctuates a lot showing as much as 18v! I'm not sure if it should regulate it constantly or just cut in when things are getting out of hand. Another question I've got is whether it only cuts based on revs, As, living in London, I don't get over 4000rpm that much. So if it is making 18000v there and the regulator doesn't cut in until 5000rpm, am I going to be removing a battery from my ring piece? Cheers again. Harry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lorenzo Posted December 11, 2009 Report Share Posted December 11, 2009 Cheers mate. The thing that I'm most concerned about is whether the regulator is doing it's job properly. It does regulate the voltage to 15.5v when held at 5000rpm, but on the way there it fluctuates a lot showing as much as 18v! I'm not sure if it should regulate it constantly or just cut in when things are getting out of hand. Another question I've got is whether it only cuts based on revs, As, living in London, I don't get over 4000rpm that much. So if it is making 18000rpm there and the regulator doesn't cut in until 5000rpm am I going to be removing a battery from my ring piece? Cheers again. Harry. 15.5v sounds pretty high first off. Not massively high, but highish. Secondly, don't hold the voltage or the engine at a specific revs or anything. Start the bike, then at tickover it should be just a bit over the battery's normal level, 13.8 or something perhaps. Rev it up, a bit, and keep reading what it says. Do mice smooth sweeps up and down the rev range. It should hit a fairly hard limit within a few thousand rpm, with maybe a max of 0.3v fluctuation around that limit that it's found. Readings at specific revs aren't especially useful unless you intend on riding around at just one engine speed; make sure it's regulating right accross its useful range. If you got readings at anything even approaching 18v (I'm suprised that you got above 15v) then I'll put money on it that at some point your bike will explode, so remember to take a video camera with you every time you go out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Muff Posted December 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2009 15.5v at 5000rpm is what the Honda workshop manual says. Anyway, she's getting a new battery tomorrow and she's also booked in for the 8000 mile service at Motoden on Monday where they're also going to test the charging system. I think it's ok to be honest. The squeal from the battery has gone too. Still goes like sweet fuck and handles like no other bike I've ridden too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lorenzo Posted December 13, 2009 Report Share Posted December 13, 2009 15.5v might be OK as a max if that's what the manual says, but for the sake of a 30 second test, I'd make sure it isn't frying it at any other revs, otherwise you'll be buying new batteries every 6 weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Muff Posted December 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2009 Righty ho. Got the bike back this afternoon. The regulator/rectifier was dead. Turns out that it had died on it's own. It's crap. And now it's got another one on. Exactly the same. Oh well... Funny thing is, that cock-up of mine that involved shorting the battery with a spanner didn't cause it but highlighted it. If I hadn't done that, then I wouldn't have got the multimeter out and started testing the charging system. Which could have easily resulted in me having Yuasa imprinted on my arse. Funny how things work out. Another thing that came to light while talking to a mechanic about my problem, was that my bike was due it's 8000 mile service. I'd forgotten. So it's had that now and for the last 24 hours I've had this: And I can tell you it was a right hoot! Thanks again for all your help chaps. Harry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.