NC750X DCT 2017 - Battery

[Gringo 5,134]

I've not used my NC750X DCT for a week or so. The battery has been hooked up to the Optimate since last Friday. I checked the bike yesterday and the battery was all good and showing green on the charger. Upon checking today I noticed the Optimate is now showing red suggesting that the battery is goosed. I turned the ignition on and fired up the bike and all seemed ok. I'm a bit reluctant to take her out for a spin knowing what problems a defective battery can do to the DCT. I thought, perhaps, that it might be the charger that's developed a defect so I attached it to my CB250G5 and all seemed well. The battery on the NC has been on the bike ever since I bought it back in 2019. With that in mind it is, perhaps, past its best. I'd appreciate your thoughts and also suggestions for a decent replacement. Cheers.

[MPG100 402]

When my OEM battery gives out I was going to replace it like-for-like from a reputable supplier so i'll watch responses here with interest.

Doubtless others will have better suggestions inc fitting the latest exotic batts (however whilst saving weight are probably more £ and need different charger, they may also present other probs such as cold weather starting).

 

The step change in the Optimate indicator is weird. Trickle charging can mask underlying batt prob ie bike starts on the button when leaving yr garage but 2h and 100mi away bike fails to start at a petrol station. I'd be inclined to:

-check voltage on the battery say 24h after disconnecting from charger and if less than say 12.4v consider changing it

-change batt if I was travelling alone and without a power bank.

With mates and a set of jump leads I'd leave it for a run or two and if it proves reliable assume its ok.

[Tegraman 799]

You could always restore it. This fellow shows us how, and he does it without fancy tools.

 

The video is worth a watch, even if it isn’t exactly what you had in mind Mr G.

 

https://youtu.be/kNGg0P7B5fI

 

[Slowboy 20,541]

11 hours ago, Gringo said:

I've not used my NC750X DCT for a week or so. The battery has been hooked up to the Optimate since last Friday. I checked the bike yesterday and the battery was all good and showing green on the charger. Upon checking today I noticed the Optimate is now showing red suggesting that the battery is goosed. I turned the ignition on and fired up the bike and all seemed ok. I'm a bit reluctant to take her out for a spin knowing what problems a defective battery can do to the DCT. I thought, perhaps, that it might be the charger that's developed a defect so I attached it to my CB250G5 and all seemed well. The battery on the NC has been on the bike ever since I bought it back in 2019. With that in mind it is, perhaps, past its best. I'd appreciate your thoughts and also suggestions for a decent replacement. Cheers.

Had exactly the same scenario on my Enfield. My old optimate was charging and went green overnight and the bike started in the morning (it had struggled the day before) so I left it on charge and went out. The same afternoon the charger showed red. The bike started, I switched it off and pressed the button again, this time the starter solenoid just rattled and wouldn’t latch. The battery was trouted. One new battery later and it was fine. 5 years is a decent life for a battery, especially if it spends long periods not being used, charger or not.

[DaveM59 1,605]

10 hours ago, Tegraman said:

You could always restore it. This fellow shows us how, and he does it without fancy tools.

 

The video is worth a watch, even if it isn’t exactly what you had in mind Mr G.

 

https://youtu.be/kNGg0P7B5fI

 

I love to see him tackle a Tesla battery!

[Empty_Ten 452]

When I first bought an Optimate, it was sold to me as a "plug in and forget" item which would magically charge, recover and maintain a battery.  I'm not overly confident in the maintain part personally.

 

I cant remember which year it was but one year I plugged in a bike for the winter and didnt touch it at all over hibernation.  When it came back out several months later, the battery sounded laboured and sounded like it was struggling to start (it did in the end) even though the Optimate showed a green bar on the maintain setting.  Being concerned about the state of the battery, I decided not to go out (much like yourself) and put the bike away and back onto the Optimate whereby it showed red on the charge level.  The bike in question had a tracker on it which I find would drain the battery within a month (I can't see the battery drain of the charger being greater than the charging rate of the Optimate though).  

 

Part of me thinks that when I initially connected the Optimate, it charged up the battery and then once full - it sat dormant and didnt maintain.  Almost as if the Optimate went to sleep.  I have read more than one account of people saying that you shouldnt just connect to a charger and forget.  That it should be connected, battery charged and then disconnected.  So now I physically unplug and plug the Optimates about once a month, just to "wake" it up and reset/restart the cycle.  I can't say whether this works or is the key, but I've not had an issue since then*.

 

* - The first ride out with the NC this year (after a 4-5 month lay up), I got a engine management light activation within 10 miles where the bike went into limp mode with a flashing gear indicator.   I limped it back home and did a few of the things suggested by my mechanic to get the bike back into neutral.  I managed to get it back into Neutral (EML light still on).  Once I got the bike back into neutral, it seemed to ride normally, I could go up and down the gearbox, neutral etc with no apparent issues (apart from the EML).  I took it out for a decent run that day and the EML turned itself off eventually.  I personally think the whole issue was down to the battery as it's well known the DCT needs a good condition battery. 

 

The battery was circa 4 years old at that point (which I think is still short) but I ultimately replaced it at the last service in March.  I ended up going with BS Batteries (same as my MT10) and I bought the BTZ10S model (which is the equivalent of a Yuasa TYZ10S) having purchased from Sports Bike Shop.  My NC didnt come with a user manual and the NC manual that I did look up on google stated that the stock battery was a YTZ10S (perhaps that is the model for a Manual NC?).  I've just checked on the Yuasa battery finder and apparently the battery I need is a YTZ14S (or BS BTZ14S) which has a larger capacity and a higher CCA.  I'm now wondering/considering replacing the battery with the appropriate YTZ14S (or equivalent) due to the DCT being more picky/finicky about battery condition.  I have been out twice with the BTZ10S installed with no issues (probably because its a new battery) but am a bit concerned that it's not going to be upto the job.  Perhaps something for next year given the low mileage the NC now does.

[Rocker66 34,466]

Sue and I have been using optimates for years especially when working where our leisure bikes would be left on it for months over the winter. .We have never had a problem when we went to put them back on the road.

[Slowboy 20,541]

1 hour ago, Empty_Ten said:

The bike in question had a tracker on it which I find would drain the battery within a month (I can't see the battery drain of the charger being greater than the charging rate of the Optimate though).  

might have done, the optimate is a trickle charger. The tracker would certainly have impacted the chargers effectiveness. You need a certain voltage and current “pressure” from the charger to effectively maintain the charge.

Quote

Part of me thinks that when I initially connected the Optimate, it charged up the battery and then once full - it sat dormant and didnt maintain.  Almost as if the Optimate went to sleep. 

Ma not have been charging effectively, see above.

Quote

I have read more than one account of people saying that you shouldnt just connect to a charger and forget.  That it should be connected, battery charged and then disconnected.  So now I physically unplug and plug the Optimates about once a month, just to "wake" it up and reset/restart the cycle.  I can't say whether this works or is the key, but I've not had an issue since then*.

I do the same, and it seems to work well for me,

 

Just my experience and thoughts.

Edited April 24 by Slowboy

[ChrisCB 6,675]

Same as Rocker I've used a couple of Optimate's for years.

It's worth noting that they are not plug in and forget.

Depending on result of the charge indicated by the LED's the instructions state to disconnect for 12 hours and start the process over again.

 

Case in point, my 2016 CB500F on original battery got a bit low over winter, after charging on the optimate LED 6 was flashing, normally would be static when fully charged, disconnected for at least 12 hours and started again, this time LED 6 was static and battery all good.

[Xactly 5,442]

All this talk of Optimate overlooks that they are not necessarily the same thing; there are several models and iterations. Mine is an Optimate 4 (but not the current (ahem) one) and is quite old (bought in 2013 when I bought a BMW F800 with Canbus electrics) but it can charge Canbus and non-Canbus systems but has to be changed between the two by some arcane process that I can't remember now. IIRC not all Optimates maintain the battery as well as charge them and attempt recovery.

 

I have always charged mine over the winter layup about once per month. At least that way I can establish that it is not the charger that is propping up a dud battery, plus I do one bike then the other - I always wire in an Optimate charging socket.

 

I thought that the battery on my year old ex demo CL500 might have been on its way out on account of it having been flattened at the dealer showroom because it had been fitted with a tracker. (They had to give it a quick charge when I test rode the bike). Although they removed the tracker by agreement before I took delivery, the Optimate did show an unusual pattern of lights during initial connection and the early stages of recovery and charging. I have found that without the tracker the battery maintains a healthy voltage in between my rides - about once a week with the rubbish weather we've had for ages, plus I need to give the CBR a gallop too. So, it looks like my Optimate has indeed recovered the battery but these days, given the propensity of AGM batteries to suddenly die, I always carry a small lithium jump start pack, just in case. Like all my recent Hondas, starting is near instantaneous.

[Gringo 5,134]

I checked the battery out today and it's ready 12.98v on the meter. With the Optimate showing red it suggests to me that the battery is charging and/or life expired. The bikes ok but I feel a load of issues once underway as the power drains. Anyway, I've got a replacement on order which should land tomorrow at some point.

 

So, my question now is, are there any issues I should be aware of concerning the HISS and other electronic gizmos regarding the disconnection of the battery? Any horror stories?

[Slowboy 20,541]

28 minutes ago, Gringo said:

…So, my question now is, are there any issues I should be aware of concerning the HISS and other electronic gizmos regarding the disconnection of the battery? Any horror stories?

never had any issues with mine when I changed the battery. Apart from the getting the old one out from what I remember. Not hard just a bit fiddly. Not helped by my “extra connections “ 😁

[Gringo 5,134]

Battery changed without any drama's. Happy Gringo

[MatBin 5,100]

My NC has been a bit reluctant to start last couple of times, it was fine after a winter lay up, hooked up to a solar charger. But since I got it motd it's not been hooked up and it's just been sat on the drive so I ordered a new battery from SBS today, best price I could find. I think mine is the original battery, I have had the bike 4 years so I assume it's 7 years old and probably past it's best. 

[Gringo 5,134]

Got my new battery from Tayna. Have used that company before and they're brilliant. New battery cost £36.35 which included DHL next day delivery. Perfect.

[Trev 18,744]

I have a few bikes on optimates, and the cheapo old Oxford equivalents, and have had one of two batteries go dud over the years. The last couple of years I've had the optimates on old fashioned plug in timer sockets (mainly as I had some lying about and the bikes are  at my lockup where I'm paying 45p per kW) and have had no issues.

Probably coincidental but I now use most of mine with timers.

Another +1 for Tanya batteries, I've also used Motobat and found those ok but quite expensive.

My older Enfield 500 ran a lithium battery just fine and I'll swap any 'keeper' tomorrow when the lead acid fails but recently it's so far so good for them all

[Egg on Leggs 113]

On 24/04/2024 at 20:21, Gringo said:

I checked the battery out today and it's ready 12.98v on the meter. With the Optimate showing red it suggests to me that the battery is charging and/or life expired. The bikes ok but I feel a load of issues once underway as the power drains. Anyway, I've got a replacement on order which should land tomorrow at some point.

 

So, my question now is, are there any issues I should be aware of concerning the HISS and other electronic gizmos regarding the disconnection of the battery? Any horror stories?

My Optimate 2 started red lighting on me. started doing all the checks and was confused, all OK.

 

Then the connecting plug fell off.

 

May not be your battery.

[Gringo 5,134]

1 hour ago, Egg on Leggs said:

My Optimate 2 started red lighting on me. started doing all the checks and was confused, all OK.

 

Then the connecting plug fell off.

 

May not be your battery.

I've since put the old battery on the Optimate and there have been no further issues. Old battery holding its charge too. Happy I've replaced it though even if it's just for peace of mind.