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Re: Battery



It looks like the ST has started to have the same probs that the T5  series
bikes had.   Many of us have had new batteries fitted under warranty.

It seem that they discharge when the bike is not in use. Alot of us may use
our bikes only for pleasure and not a daily commute.. it is these bikes that
seem to suffer the most.  Triumph changed the battery to the sealed type a
while ago and these seem marginally better... only just.  An American T5
list member fitted a Yasau ( sp ) that was made in the USA and he reckons it
is a better battery than the Yasau ( sp ) that is fitted as standard but
made in Taiwan or some such place. 

Oddly enough my Thunderbird will start ok after a 3 month lay up.. my T5
will not start after  1 week standind, even without the alarm being activated. 

Someone on the T5 list has measured his battery loss  and below is a cpl of
posts  grabbed from the T5 list so the battery problem is still with us.

Snip....

You can only measure current across an open circuit with most multimeters.

Disconnect the negative side of the battery, and put an Ampmeter inline
(negative lead on the cable, positive lead on the battery terminal).
****Make sure that your positive meter lead is plugged into the 10 Amp fused
side!! or you will blow the fuse out of the meter, also do not turn on the
ignition***  With the key in the off position, switch the meter to the 300mA
DC Ampere setting.  You have to be at this sensitive setting or else you
will not see the small current draw, so use something like a Fluke 87 meter.
On my bike I had about 3.4mA, this is enough to drain your battery over a
period of time, depending on your battery.  With the small Power-mite race
battery, that is only about a day and a half. 

I now am running a regulator that has no current drain with the key off, it
is made by Electrex-USA.  The drain comes from the voltage regulator,
because one of the field brushes is hot all the time.

My dealer sold me my bike with a Battery Tender lead already attached.
Wonder why??

Ed

Try and get your hands on a small clamp-on meter
http://www.appatech.com/a-30.htm#400
then you don't have to worry about disconnecting any cables. Just clamp
it around the cable you
wish to measure the current in.....

Snip....

Hope this will help.


Patrick


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