mbrST1100 wrote:... check for possible parasitic drains; [there] may ... be (aftermarket) accessories draining (i.e. active GPS-cradle hooked to battery terminals/permanent hot lead...), or wiring issues/corrosion that "shunt" current from a live wire onto ground/chassis ....
I agree that every rider should know how to check what Honda (at least) calls "leakage current". To check it:
1. Get a digital multi-meter; even a cheap one should work for this. Slide an "alligator" spring clip over the metal tip of each of the two test leads.
2. With the ignition turned off, disconnect one of the battery cables; usually the negative one is the easier. Switch your fused meter to DC amperes.
3. Connect the meter to the end of the loose battery cable and the exposed battery terminal. The reading on the meter is the leakage current. (Do NOT turn on the ignition while doing this.)
If the bike has a clock (which is constantly powered by the battery directly through a fuse), Honda allows up to 3
milli-amperes, or 3 mA.
I personally like to pull the clock's fuse (to eliminate its drain) and verify that the leakage current goes down to more like 3
micro-amperes, or 3 uA or less.
(But if the meter reads dead zero, that zero reading is always suspect: check the connections, and check the meter's fuse. I put the clock fuse back in and remeasure to be sure.)I think BMW was the first to put clocks on their bikes, so Pieter probably has one on his. The more accessories the bike has, the more important the above test is.
His battery is probably BMW brand and therefore expensive. So it is probably ok although it would be nice to know if it is the AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat), sealed, lead-acid type; is it BMW-recommended? And how old is it?
(Alternators do not fail on Beemers, do they?)
'Tis not its looks, but how it cooks.
And I've found that most liter size Pans, when warmed up, cook well.