i recently purchased my first Ducati, a 2013 Multistrada S. I had noticed that if I don’t start it for a few days it struggles to catch after turning over for a bit. With the awful weather recently I hadn’t been near the bike for just over a week. I had read that the battery can drain as it is always hunting for a signal for the key so thought I had better start the bike and let the engine run for a while. It kept turning over as I expected given my previous experience after leaving it for a few days but it won’t start. I fear I have now drained the battery as, although the bike lights up, it is struggling to turn over to the point where it won’t at all. When I leave it for a few minutes it turns over once or twice but the dash is flashing on and off when it tries. I am fearful I may have flooded the engine. Any tips/advice on what my next step should be? I am not particularly mechanically savvy. I have pretty good RAC cover. Are they likely to try and start the bike or will it just be a case of getting it to a mechanic?
They will try. How skilled they are is a bit of a lottery. I had to call the RAC out once when my bike wouldn’t start... I’d run out of petrol
Yep, sounds like your battery is buggered. The bike doesn't hunt for your keys all the time, it goes to sleep after a while. On the early ones if you left the kill switch down it could drain the battery, so always make sure you flip the red kill switch back up after stopping the bike. Take the seat off and you can see the battery. I would suggest just going and buying a new one. You need a 10mm spanner (I think) to undo the battery terminals. Undo the negative one first, and refit it last. Don't take the battery off until you have the new one. After changing you will need to reset the clock, the mph/kph, litres/gallons, etc and it is worth selecting solo and solo+pillion+luggage so the suspension will cycle and figure out its limits again. This is all in the manual, doesn't take long to do. Hope that helps.
Thanks for that. My neighbour has given me an Oxford trickle charger. I will let that do some work for a day or so and if I get no joy I’ll get a new battery. Then I will remember not to leave the bike so long between start ups! I ride all year round but the -7 cold snap we’ve been having in Scotland has meant I haven’t been near the shed where I keep the bike.
Change the battery out, I do mine every 3-4years. Also in cold weather, open the throttle a smidgen whilst pressing start. Then release it as soon as it fire's & you'll notice it over rev' very slightly.
When your neighbour wants his trickle charger back, get one of your own! Then leave it connected all the time the bike is parked at home. That will keep your battery in as good a condition as possible and extend its life.
A good point about opening the throttle slightly. With the throttle open the starter doesn't have to work quite so hard as there is a much reduced vacuum on the inlet stroke. On my 907ie and on the 900SS I used to have the starter would struggle when cold. The trick was to open the throttle bit, press the starter and when the engine was spinning close the throttle and it would fire up.
Yes that is the charging point. If you trace the lead back it goes straight to the battery terminals. It normally has an attached rubber cover to keep the connector clean when you are riding. Yours is missing and it's worth getting one. I'd imagine almost any charger manufacturer (Oxford, Optimate) or even your Ducati or battery dealer would give you one.
Personally, not a fan of tricks chargers. Would rather leave untouched, then the night before plug in and know it’s ok for the morning. The tip on the kill switch is right, it can drain in early models. Replacement battery does seem to be every couple of years ime, but that’s not unique to Ducati
Personally, not a fan of tricks chargers. Would rather leave untouched, then the night before plug in and know it’s ok for the morning. The tip on the kill switch is right, it can drain in early models. Replacement battery does seem to be every couple of years ime, but that’s not unique to Ducati
Yes, I don't care for battery "tenders" either. I prefer to give the battery a charge about once a month over the winter. Batteries usually last me about 6/7 years so I must be doing something right.
I’ve never had to use one before. I ride all year round so battery charge hasn’t been an issue for me before. My bike lives in a shed with no power so running a cable from the house isn’t ideal either. Hoping borrowing the neighbour’s will give me enough juice to start the bike then I can make sure I don’t leave the bike as long without starting it. I feel a new battery may be on the cards though...
I was surprised at your view of trickle chargers. Then I Googled the term and found that trickle charging is a term for a dumb charger that doesn't regulate or shut off when the battery is full. Whilst the Optimate, for example, is a smart trickle charger that first of all checks the battery's condition, de-sulphates the battery as required, brings it up to full charge and then only applies more charge if the battery's voltage drops. That sort of trickle charger will not damage your battery and will maintain it in good condition up to the point where it is worn out. I'd posit that your batteries would last a lot longer than two years if they were maintained that way.
If you get an intelligent tender (e.g. Optimate Mk4 onwards etc.) then you are in the best possible place to start each day. The problem is not everyone has a mains supply next to their beloved machine.
I include optimate in that opinion, or any make that charges and then shuts off when full and constantly does the same. Just seems that use of those mean a new battery more often (anecdotal) and I never found the need. Only time it doesn’t work is if I’ve not used the bike for months and I forget, or didn’t plan to use bike, and it’s flat.
I used to design battery charge and discharge (measuring) circuits and get paid to do so in a large German electronics company. On that basis I'm offering this advice. Both the Optimate and Oxford (top three or four models) make excellent devices to look after your battery while the bike is parked up. Other "down the pub a guy once told me" advice may be offered.
