a bit of the tecky stuff now...
... when you hit the starter button the demand for CURRENT, not volts is really high. Lead acid batteries have the capability of drawing loadsa current from the battery for a short time, but gel batteries dont quite have that same "reaction time" for high currents. Its to do with the electrolyte and how the electrons flow across the plates, so sometimes, and I emphasise, sometimes, the reaction for gel types is a little slower than lead acids. If not, why havent all vehicles gone over to gels, and its not just because of cost.
Lead acid type batts even have the power to recover themselves a bit, as deposits on the plates work away and therefore the initial voltage seems a little higher. Remember trying to start the car and running the battery down, and yet 5 mins later theres just enough charge to finally get you started. Gels cant react that fast due to their composition and the jelly electrolyte cant recover as quickly.
However in this case seems like a dud cell, where the cell (1 of 3 in a six volt battery) and 1 of 6 in a 12 volt battery) will discharge across the plates and not out through the terminals, its called, not surprisingly, internal discharging, which is what happens when you leave a battery without a charge over a long period of time (often known as "shelf life"
Well I got so wrapped up in this threafd, Ive forgotten the original........oh yea, why cant I start on gels but ok wiff lead acids.......maybe thats the answer
doh, I'll get me coat
btw a guy called Leclanche, frog 'e woz, invented the original battery called............................................ ......................................you guessed it The Leclanche Cell
Straight jacket fer me, pint of drambuie shandy for KB, smillies all round for Nelly
Time to reach for the wine methinks
a very sad sober Mort
Bestest
mort
oh ferk forgot to mention that optimum charge VOLTAGE for lead acids 12v battery is 14.2 volts, but gel types better at approx13.8, how do I know. Aint got a ferkin clue but just do.
LWH, why not fork out on a lead acid battery so you dont get these probs in the futre, 30 squid will get you a reasonable leadacis one, when compared to the costs of not being able to ride is unmeasurable
bestest
mort
ps srri its a long reply but when it comes to tecky electical things, sometimes there is no short answer, and why use ten words when a hundred will do!!!???