Hi All, Newbie to the forum and looking for some advice on a possible battery fault with my 2008 Ducati Monster 696. Basically I live 300miles from home and for the last year have stored my bike in my parent’s garage. I only get to go back and ride it every other month and despite having an Oxford optimiser plugged in constantly I have returned on the last two occasions, attempted to start the bike and although full dash lights/ headlights etc. upon pressing the starter motor I get a ‘click click click’ which is the starter motor not even getting one rotation. During the summer months the bike kept charge and after a ride fired up time and time again no problem. I stripped the tank and accessed the battery to give it a full charge at the weekend. It is a gel battery code: JMT12B-BS. After a full 24hr charge reassembled and turned the ignition... again, full lights but upon pressing the starter motor I get the ‘click click click’. My questions are as follows: - Would it be safe to assume the battery has enough charge to run dash lights but doesn't have the charge to turn over the starter motor even once? - Or, could this be another electrical fault? It has been very cold recently and I’m assuming the combination of cold and lack of running has killed the battery. I would have tried bump starting it to see if the engine would fire but sods law that it was raining every time I’ve been back since and I can’t get enough traction to bump start it. I’m ready to buy a new battery for it but hesitant in case the battery isn’t the culprit here. Appreciate any comments on the above. Regards George
Hi George. Check the earth lead is not corroded. Probably the battery is past its sell by and, as you say, cold and lack of use has killed it. Get yourself a Halfords trade card and buy a decent Yuasa battery.
Agree with the above but also check the battery terminals themselves for tightness and oxidation. Batteries do have a life, so even if you were to buy a new battery unnecessarily, the money would not be all wasted as replacement time would that much further away. Also, an AGM Yuasa has a really good kick (CCA), so will give better starting than an ordinary lead-acid battery. I would also highly recommend getting a high capacity starting circuit cable kit from @Exige on here, which will allow more of the power from your battery to actually reach the starter motor. Doing all this will actually save you money because the clicking you are hearing is the sprag clutch failing to engage properly, which is damaging it. You really don't want to pay a dealer to replace one of those...
I don't believe there is an exactfit kit for M696/1100. I fitted a parallel earth to my M1100 instead.
There was I thinking Stu had them all covered. Google ExactStart or wait for @Exige to respond here to confirm.
