Gah! Dead battery and lesson learned.

[jobooth321]

So just picked up an '05 Rockster last week. It's been a few years since my last BMW, since my last bike. I totally forgot when you turn the key that extra click, it lights up the tail light. I've been doing that every time I locked it for the last week.

Came out Sunday afternoon after leaving it parked at a shopping center for a few hours to find it stone cold DEAD. click click click click is all I got. Bummer. I figure the battery is 5 years old anyway, time for a new one. I did give a good show running up and down the parking lot trying to roll start it before caving and calling for a tow.

Lesson learned. Don't turn the key that extra notch! Gah!

P.S. What a PITA it is to get to the battery!

[marsdog]

I just installed some Aux Lights on my 02 R1150R and after I was done, I spent some time aiming them and then admiring my work by photographing them all lit up (engine off... doh!) ! All was good until I decided to crank the starter.... click click click...
So, I've just ordered a replacement Odyssey PC680 based on other threads, I can't really complain as the old one was the original OEM with about 9 years and 51,000 miles on it!
The worst part is I just spent the better part of the weekend hooking up the lights with the tank removed... next weekend when my new battery arrives I'll have to do it all over again! It does get easier with repetition, I think this will be my 5th or 6th time removing the tank and putting it on.

[boxermania]

jobooth321

Don't ou love how easy is getting to the battery.....save yorself some agravation and the next time run some wires from the +/- battery posts out to where they could be attached to a charger. You can also charge the battery, via the accesory plug, or by removing the cover the starter and getting on the large diameter cable that runs back to the battery, anywhere on the engine can be the - or ground.

[marsdog]

jobooth321

Don't ou love how easy is getting to the battery.....save yorself some agravation and the next time run some wires from the +/- battery posts out to where they could be attached to a charger.

Is this some sort of special attachment you're talking about, or just some plain copper wiring? Sounds like a good idea, but I supposed you'd want to cap off the loose ends somehow so they don't touch each other and spark under the seat.

[jobooth321]

Then you'd have a heated seat!

[boxermania]

marsdog

Normally if you purchase a trickle charger there is a set of wires provided to attach to the battery with a connector that matches the one on the trickle charger. Certainly a conector of some kind would be indicated as a terminaton to the piggy back wires to the battery.

[Grey Thumper]

I totally forgot when you turn the key that extra click, it lights up the tail light.

Oddly enough, when I had my F650CS, if you didn't turn the key all the way, the park/tail lights would stay on, the exact opposite of the Rock. Pretty confusing when you switch between the two bikes.