Hi folks,
I'm a Nor'easter and it's just starting to really get cold. My 1983 R80 GS is in the garage and I've been working on it slowly. Last week, after a particularly cold evening with no tender on it, I went to start it in the morning and it wouldn't turn over, the ignition just started to slow down until there was a clicking. I figured that the battery was bad, bought a new PC680, installed it and that solved the problem. Last night, I did the same thing, left the tender off, and went to start it this evening and same thing happened. The lights come on, the engine will start to turn, but it sounds like on the first, second and maybe third try, there's just not enough juice to get it to turn. After the fifth or sixth try, it starts running low and dying out and then, after a a few more tries, it just starts clicking. Obviously I'm draining the battery, but a few questions here:
1) How do I know if have a starter or alternator problem?
2) Is it possible I have a faulty battery? If so, how can I know?
3) Do I need to keep a tender on the bike every evening in the cold weather? I ride deep in to January and have never had this issue before.
Thanks.
I'm a Nor'easter and it's just starting to really get cold. My 1983 R80 GS is in the garage and I've been working on it slowly. Last week, after a particularly cold evening with no tender on it, I went to start it in the morning and it wouldn't turn over, the ignition just started to slow down until there was a clicking. I figured that the battery was bad, bought a new PC680, installed it and that solved the problem. Last night, I did the same thing, left the tender off, and went to start it this evening and same thing happened. The lights come on, the engine will start to turn, but it sounds like on the first, second and maybe third try, there's just not enough juice to get it to turn. After the fifth or sixth try, it starts running low and dying out and then, after a a few more tries, it just starts clicking. Obviously I'm draining the battery, but a few questions here:
1) How do I know if have a starter or alternator problem?
2) Is it possible I have a faulty battery? If so, how can I know?
3) Do I need to keep a tender on the bike every evening in the cold weather? I ride deep in to January and have never had this issue before.
Thanks.