Electrical \"SHOCK\"
 

Just got my 916sps out for its first proper ride in quite some time!
Everything is going great until i thumb the stater button,then "BANG"! At first i thought it had backfired,but after further investigation it appeared that the battery had exploded! The whole of the top of the battery was missing,shattered into pieces & spread across the drive/bike! Now panic steps in as i realise that my pride & joy is covered in battery acid,so it's out with the hose pipe to dilute/wash away any remaining acid(this is the first water the bike has seen in its life)!
Has anybody had this happen to them?
Luckily no damage done due to quick action with hose,i would dread to think what would have happened if it had exploded while i was out for a ride!:(

Have you previously had the battery on charge?

Charging a battery generates explosive gasses, so it may have been a localised build-up of gas that was ignited when the bike started.

When was the last time you checked the levels of the battery? Was the vent/overflow pipe for the battery blocked?

All of these things could have caused the build up of gas...

Hi Antonye,thanks for the reply.
To answer your questions,yes the battery had been on charge,it lives on an optimate! But i don't think it could be down to that,as it has been on the optimate for the 6 years that i've owned the bike(from new)! I had taken the optimate off,unlocked the chains/locks,put the bike on the drive(good airflow),gone to put my leathers etc on before going to start the bike! All of this means there was about 15-20 minutes between removing the charger & starting the bike,enough time for any gases to disperse? Also i've done exactly the same loads of times before!
The battery level was on the maximum line & the vent pipe is clear!
I've spoken to Jeff at JHP(they maintain my bikes),he says that he's seen batteries distort but he's never seen or heard of one exploding in such a way!
I'm going to fit the later gel type battery(along with regulator etc)to try to prevent a repeat performance!

Oh dear - we are talking major trauma here.

For those who have not seen this bike, it is unbelievably well looked after. When BB says it has never seen water, we are not just talking about rain, it has never even been washed, it's polished every time it is used.

Also BB definately knows his stuff about mechanics, so will have looked at all normal things, (wont blow his own trumpet) this dude is a top mechanic. (that's enough praise now)

Can imagine the look of terror when it happened!!!!!

:puzzled:

Has your heartbeat returned to normal yet BB.

Glad it's ok, this bike is too damn good to damage.

Seve M,
thanks for the praise(didn't know you cared)!
I'm sure you could imagine the look on my face,you know how much i love my bikes & how fussy i am!
Going to the hospital to try to control my erratic heartbeat!!! Can joke about it now,but not at the time! Just glad that theres no lasting damage done!

Weeksy,
thanks mate!

Can't take the P all the time !!!!:sing:

man - what bad luck! Know if it had happened to mine I would have been sobbing for weeks.:(

PBSPS,
thanks mate,i can tell you it ranks highly on my "lifes worst moments" list!!!
Nearly as bad as pulling the tank pad off my Bayliss rep along with the "shell logo" & some lacuer ,then finding out that new tanks come without the signiture!!!But that's another story!! Perhaps the saying "if it wasn't for bad luck,then i wouldn't have any luck" was made with me in mind!!!:lol:

Or the mirror flying off the 916 at JHP when we unloaded it

[Edited on 18-5-2004 by STEVE M]

STEVE M,
yes,i'd forgotten about that one!!:D


But that was quite "minor" in comparison!!:roll: