ticking battery

[nickodemon]

Hi, got a slightly unusual one... Battery has been charged on optimate on/off over the winter. Battery 'yuasa' was bought last year and went on short runa a couple of days ago, got to garage fueled up and wouldn't start, so bumped it and started, so went for long run up motorway at approx 5000 rpm. stopped somewhere nice for a pint. Came out after pint and bike started no problems. couple of days later i thought i would put optimate back on, as i will need the bike for work next week. Left on charge for a few hours and the optimate indicated trickle charge meaning it was at a good voltage, but i noticed a ticking sound coming from the battery plus a slightly wet patch. The wet patch wasn't where you put the rubber cover after buying and filling it, but behind it where there is a cover with two removable covers with metal bits underneath and a cover between them, which appears to be where the leak is... This is a new one for me.. Any ideas? :'(

[ghostbiker]

Pictures might help, but sounds like it's not holding a charge well anyway so add a leak and that would make me just bite the bullet and change it. Or if still under cover then get them to swap it.

[ghostbiker]

Ps I have seen damp patchs under batteries when charging before if its come in from cold outside and charged like I do in a warm kitchen. Not sure what the damp patch is, condensation or sweating etc no idea.

[nickodemon]

Damp patch is on top of battery. Ticking sound is more of a concern...

[ghostbiker]

Could it just be the plates expanding as they warm up through the charging cycle?

many years ago before i knew better i was charging a small GN400 battery on a bloody great booster charge car charger, that made big bubbling sounds as it boiled the fluid lol so i know they do heat up when charging

If the battery is still off the bike try taking it off trickle charge, leave over night to settle then take a voltage reading. then take another every 12 hrs for a day or two and see if its dropping much. once a battery has been fully discharged once i find it never seems to return to fully working again.

i use an optimate as well like you on and off rather than allways on. but there are those that dont like them, for reasons i dont fully understand.

by far from an expert with batterys but i know there are a few on here that know the science behind them much better than I

[nickodemon]

The problem i have is if i leave the battery for 12 hours at a time the voltage will drop as i have a meta alarm fitted. I hate alarms and stupidly wired it direct into the harness when i bought the bike new. The bike has never been used through the winter, so batteries have been fairly short lived. Bought the yuasa 18 months ago thinking it would last longer than a cheap one... :\  Regarding the ticking sound i think it may be expanding plates as it charges.

[ghostbiker]

I use the bike in a similar way, I used to have a new battery every spring almost as it died in winter from sparsely being used.
Touch wood the new motobat seems to be lasting very well. Through winter use and it still starts fast and strong.
By the sounds of it your flogging a dead horse here. That battery has seen its best days long ago.
Not holding a charge so just bite the bullet and replace. Try the motobat one. Good price and so far have heard nothing but good stuff about them.

[nickodemon]

Removed the battery from bike, as i went for a run then 6 days later  i tried to start it to no avail, so i charged it until the trickle charge light came on and took it off the bike ' worried there was a fault with the alarm' it read 12.89 volts and it's two days later and has dropped to 12.08 volts, so i think it's had it. whenever i tried to start the bike it would read nearly 13v, but after the initial press of the starter it would drop to 11v.... B#ggered. Going to buy a motbatt, as the yuasa lasted 18 months. I hate alarms, as two of my other bikes with no alarms charged up no problems and one of the batteries is 4 years old!

[ghostbiker]

Had my alarm removed to stop that problem.
You won't go far wrong with the motobat, not heard anything bad about them yet.

[nickodemon]

Did you use the mbt 12 or the mbt 14 motobat as on ebay they lisy the fzs 1000 can use either as its got 20% more power.

[nickodemon]

Just ordered a motobat mbt 14.. Hopefully it will arrive before next tuesday, as i need the bike for work...