Starting/electrical problem. Solved!

[mr self destruct]

I had this issue a little while back. When I got my new battery there was a slip of paper in the box and I was amazed that as little as 0.5 volt down (offload) after a full charge then letting it settle for an hour or so before taking a reading means the battery is only at 50% capacity. I now use an Optimate and when I come home after two weeks I don't have any issues with starting. It does a battery no favours constantly letting it discharge to a low voltage and charging it back up again. One word of warning. Do not go for a constant charger, this will boil your battery dry and buckle the plates ruining your battery.

I went to my local Yamaha dealer (Alf England) this morning and explained the problem, saying the battery looks almost fully charged and the guy told me pretty much what you've shown here. One volt means the difference between fully charged and knackered. Also that you will get 12v constantly running through, and it's the amps you want to watch.


Anyway, one brand new battery and a nice summer jacket got it sorted.


Thanks a lot for your help guys!