Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 998 / 996 / 916 / 748 > Bike won't go..... battery issue.....

[weeksy2]

Originally posted by andyb
It will help warming the bike....if your up for it take the plugs out and warm/dry them in the gas flame on your hob................

the hob is 4 miles from the bike


(seriously)

[deej]

wheres the bike in relation to your house and electrics weeksy

[TopiToo]

Hello weeksy2

I picked up one of these little batterys for about £20/£30 if I remember rightly. . . as recommended by Keefer.

regards

TopiToo

[TopiToo]

Hello

here's another one

regards

TopiToo

[Shazaam!]

First of all, here’s the spec for the 916 battery:

Standard battery 1994 - 2000 model years:

Yuasa YB16AL-A2 (16 AH, 200 CCA, 11.5 lbs.)

The principal advantage of using a larger battery is to be able to restart repeatedly and to deliver sufficient current to turn the starter motor. If you regularly don't ride long enough to recharge fully between restarts, stay with a larger capacity battery. A lower amp-hour battery will need to be trickle-charged more often. The chance of a deep discharge (that reduces battery life) is greater with smaller batteries. Further, the lower the temperature, the lower the current that can be supplied by any battery. Battery voltage is only an indicator of charge level, and has no relationship to a battery's ability to deliver an adequate starting current.

So early-916 batteries are rated at around 200 CCA, the current it can supply for 30 seconds at freezing temperatures. More at comfortable riding temps.

Consider also, that the early pre-1998 bikes have an alternator with a lower charging current output, so they'll take longer to fully recharge the battery. A prolonged 30 amp charging current is one contributing factor to why Ducati voltage regulator/rectifiers and stator wires fail prematurely.

I don’t know the exact specs on the Ducati starter motor, but in general, motorcycle-size starter motors draw around 30 amps under no load (max rpm) and around 85 amps under typical starting torque loads for unmodified motors. However, this figure can briefly rise to 300 amps under a stall condition typical of the initial start requirements of a high compression motor.

In 2001, all the superbikes were fited with a revised starter motor gear ratio that drew less current and made it possible to start the bike using a smaller battery. The starter gearing on the early bikes are not well suited to the smaller batteries.

Standard battery 2001 - 200X model years:

Yuasa YT12B-BS (10 AH, 125 CCA, 7.6 lbs.)

For the later bikes, and for track use of early bikes, the weight-saving battery-of-choice is the sealed and non-spillable AGM maintenance-free Yuasa YTZ7S. It's the same size as the later stock battery.

Yuasa YTZ7S (6 AH, 130 CCA, 4.6 lbs.)

So if you decide to replace a 916 battery that Ducati engineers say should deliver 200 amps with a battery that delivers 125 CCA, expect to stress your charging system and keep it on a trickle charger.

[BDG]

Originally posted by weeksy2

the hob is 4 miles from the bike


(seriously)

You shouldn't live in such a big house. Do what Rattler does and get the butler to do the running around

[weeksy2]

Originally posted by deej
wheres the bike in relation to your house and electrics weeksy

Bike is in work. It's 4 miles from my house. Underground carpark, aprox 60-70m from the doors and electricity supply.

[deej]

okay for some,mind you mines all wrapped up nice and warm in the garage next door. ideal

[weeksy2]

well it appears the battery is good, the rectifier is also good, the fault is with a pice of loom from somewhere down there didn't ask all the specifc questions as i wouldn't know whatt Nelly was on about.

Anyway, section of loom has now been swapped out.