F800 Battery Problems

[coyotebmw]

Anyone out there had any problems with the batteries on the F800ST or F800S? I went out to start my bike this morning and went to switch it on and Nothing! No lights, no nothing. I had just riding the bike last Friday and there were no problems! The only thing that had be done to the bike since then was the installation of a Throttlemeiser throttle lock. Can't figure? So any suggestions would be helpful.

[merkinmuffley]

If the battery isn't sealed - check the cells for fluid (fill them up if needed) and put it on a charger. Does it have the "parking light" option? Is it possible you left them on when you parked it?

[bricciphoto]

We haven't had any trouble with our F800 (just jinxed us :uhoh ), but I'm aware of one other F800 rider that had her battery die. It was replaced under warranty. I think she had about 16K on her bike at the time.

[PAULBACH]

Strange you should mention this.

Same thing happened on my F650cs. Battery was replaced under warrenty but the electrical system always seemed ... marginal.

At the start the F800 and the F650 had similar battery capacity and charging specs - one of the reasons I got an R1200 instead of an F800.

I suspect the real fault here bargain basement batteries as OEM issue.

[AZ-J]

I've had my 800S since March, and with experiences galore on how heat kills batteries in ways cold does not, my bike gets hooked up to a Battery Tender each time I park in my garage.

No issues yet, and I hope to get more than a year out of it. My car, a January 2004 acquisition, is on its third battery - the first two, OEM models lasted 13-14 months each; the newest one, an Optima AGM battery, is now about 6 months old. They usually last 2-3 years in the heat.

With the 800's having AGM batteries I am surprised anyone would have a problem, yet. But, I know I use mine key-on now and then, and I believe the bike is known to have 400W alternator-those two factors don't mix well.

[coyotebmw]

I had Ride West BMW pick the bike up on Saturday and my last conversation with them they seemed to be scratching their heads on this one.

On Thursday evening, after the dead battery problem that morning, I put the battery on a charger for about 4 or 5 hours. It took the charge and the bike started. I talked to Ride West the next day and it was decided that the bike needed to be brought in and checked out. It made no sense that the battery would go completely dead in 7 days, when it had been fine up to that time. They asked me several times if I had, maybe, left the parking lights on. Since my shut down procedure is to turn the key to the left, not right, and generally pull the key, I said I doubted it very much.

On Sunday I called them and they said that the mechanic had found some "faults" in the computer, and that they were going to call a ticket in to BMW Motorrad USA on the problem and see if BMW had any ideas on why the battery went dead.

Now I am just waiting until Tuesday, when the mechanic contacts BMW.

[beemerr69]

My first battery lasted a couple months over 2 years. Got a new battery in August and it's dead again 3 months later. I keep it on a charger when not in use. This is getting to be a real pain. I have had 4 BMW's, and so far this one is not working out for me.

[AZ-J]

beemerr69, what kind of battery (brand, model #) was #2? Maybe some us can stay away from it, as it sounds really bad.

My battery still tests good, but I have an Optima replacement picked out for it that I am buying as soon as I get a first hint (if I get one). Here, batteries don't go this time of year. They wait and then go "click" (as in nothing) in the first week of the heat.

[riders]

My first battery lasted 13 months and the second one lasted 11 months. The first time it quit as I was going down the road and couldn't believe it was the battery; I had the bike towed. If this one quits out of warranty I will use an after market batterty.

[Acejones]

Switch to Optima

[AZ-J]

Actually I meant an Odyssey battery. But I think the model is Optima.