Dead motorbike

Twas a nice and sunny day in South West London, so I though I'd take the CCM
for a spin.

Would it start? Would it ****. Not a peep out of anything electrical -
usually the speedo powers up and flashes when the ignition's switched on, but
today, nothing. Nada. Zip.

Any ideas? Obviously fingers point towards the battery, especially since the
bike's not been used for 3 weeks AND I jetwashed it before putting it away
last time. However, sticking the optimate on, none of the charge-state LEDs
come on. The optimate is definitely working properly, though[1].

Also, hitching up a battery pack to the CCM's battery terminals similarly
gives no response whatsoever. I've even checked the 20A fuse in the
low-current positive wire that comes from the battery, which presumably leads
to the ancillary electrics and the starter relay - that's fine too.

Any ideas before I call the AA for the second time in 3 days?[2]

[1] because it's currently reviving a dead Aprilia
[2] the exhaust falling off the Citroen at <eek> mph on the M6 Toll

 

But another vehicle for when the other 3 don't work.

 

Surely he'd be better off marrying the AA man?

 

Well I don't see _marriage_ as being the key.

 

You're such a new man.

 

porl wrote

Thankyou, Capt. Commitment ...

Got it sussed, I think. The battery pack small print says "to protect the
battery, this battery pack will only operate when connected to another
battery with at least 1.5V". FFS. So, a battery pack that won't start a
dead car or bike. Graet.

Dug out an old mains charger and that seems to be doing something, so we'll
see. Time to open a bottle of wine and surf for some porn, I think.

 

Dr Ivan D. Reid wrote

I think this might be the problem, actually - I reckon the battery's
completely toast. I've probably shorted something when jetwashing the bike,
and that's been draining the battery for the last 3 weeks.

New Year's Resolution 2005 - only have Japanese bikes

 

The the optimate leads on the Guzzi are corroded (but not obviously) to
the extent that they don't work and the charger only registers when
directly connected with clips.

Not necessarily, I get on fine without the fine products of the east.

 

I'm going to be borrowing some sort of Guzzi 750 soon(ish) so I'll let
you know.

 

Is one of the (older) "big barrel" Guzzi V7s or one of the overbored V50s?

 

sweller wrote

But you also have a shed the size of West Sussex in which to fettle them.
I've got a concrete garage with shit everywhere, and an assortment of
imperial allen keys ...

New Year's Resolution 2005 no.2 - get it sorted

 

Aside from it being fuel injected, I don't know.

 

One of the new ones. I'm a bit shit with the new ones but there are two
definite lineages to Guzzis.

The big barrel ones that grew from the 60's round barrel 750s (V7 and the
delicious V7 sport) via the S3 into 850T, T3 and Le Mans and later 1000cc
G5s etc. They then evolved into the square barrel models of recent times
(mid eighties onwards).

There was a range of smaller square barrel, but totally different, V
twins. These started with the V50 a nice little bike; fragile with a,
deserved, reputation for dropping valves at high revs.

These were made more reliable and over time bored out to 750.
Culminating in the Nevada and the like.

I have no experience of the smaller ones and that potted history of model
development may be totally wrong.

 

It's about right. The smaller ones used spark igniters which always
screwed up and were expensive, whereas the round barrel 850's and 950's
used bosch activated field coil alternators and points and were generally
more robust/fixable in the ignition circuitry.

Moral is: biguns good, little 'uns, ok if you keep on the maintainance [1]

[1] Which of course no-one did.

 

I'll keep my best Bart Simpson 'I didn't do it' just in case then.

 

Spooky
My CCM didn't work on the 28th too.

Mind you, recharging the battery did bring it back to life.
Hope you got it going.

Sheila