Last two times I have tried to use the V9 it has failed to start; the first time the battery was clearly flat so I recharged it and all appeared to be well. That was about two weeks ago. Today it being sunny and me having a day off I thought I would have a pre-Christmas bimble over to Box Hill for a cup of tea. No such luck, as attempting to start it just brought forth a rapid clicking noise from the starter relay. I measured the voltage at 11.48v, clearly just not enough to start it although all the warning lights came on and the speedo needle did its thing. A quick jump start off the Volvo and we seemed to be good to go, but I had run out of time for a ride.
Should I replace the battery, or is there something that’s draining it? There are no accessories fitted and I would have thought the clock wouldn’t use much current. I will be installing a battery tender straight after the Christmas break, but I will have to wire up a three pin socket into the shed as it only has lighting at present. Any recommendations for battery tenders? The battery appears to be a conventional sealed lead/acid one. Hopefully tomorrow it will start OK and I can get out for a ride.
It’s annoying that the Harley, which is 10 years old and only just on its third battery, starts first time every time. The Guzzi is only 6 months old but seems to be displaying ‘character’ already.
Guys Griso would have a minute voltage drop and the ECU wouldnt let the bike start after the initial sweep…ironically if you took the battery off it would start any of the old lungers !
John Hooper has had this with his Breva and he reckons that in Mandello an Italian fixed it for him…pm him praps ? Hooper, not the Italian !
The ECU and a few other bits are connected all the time and draw current
either disconnect the battery, or use it daily, or connect it to an optimizer, the batteries are a trifle on the small side, and adding in the cold weather as well will make them work hard ( cold oil, 2 cylinders etc)
you can also get a solar charger from Maplins and use that, providing you do not have a cambus electrical system
in the handbook for my breva, it says if leaving the bike for more than 2 weeks trickle charge the battery
My V11can be left for seasons and starts without tender. However my Nevada and Breva like to be run fortnightly or they will complain unless the negative connection is disconnected.
I’ve got into the habit of pulling the fuse on the Spada that runs the clock as I know that kills the battery.
Not an option if you have an alarm on the bike, so maybe you need an optimiser to keep it topped up. The battery should be OK, the bike can’t be more than 6 months old.
Is it simply low voltage of the battery or is it possible there is a hidden fault (Friday bike, although wine is on the lunch menu every day in Italy)? I’m drawing comparisons with Helena’s Breva 750, which like many other bikes displays some weak points in the wiring between the battery and the starter solenoid. It all works fine when everything is in tip top condition but a dodgy relay or corroded wire can certainly reduce the voltage at the starter and all you need then is a sticky solenoid in the mix to bring out the expletives .
The V9 probably has a much more intelligent nanny system built in to prevent the engine turning, I guess! Still, it shouldn’t happen on a new 'un.
Both my modern (in Guzzi terms) are used alternate weeks (when on the road) with no battery problems.
You probably have mass produced with minimal checks duff battery.
There are machines the AA carry which can condition check it.
If only 6 months old it should be a warranty replacement.
Could this be the dreaded starter relay wiring problem that has plagued Guzzi’s for 40+ years.
Not sure what you can see of the starter wiring on the new models, but on an old Guzzi I would always test things out by shorting across the 2 large main terminals on the back of the solenoid to see if the starter turns over, then short from the top terminal to the spade connector on top of the solenoid. This should spin the starter over and engage it.
These tests by pass all of the bikes wiring and shows if the battery has enough ooomph to get things moving.
Note if it’s an AGM type battery they don’t like being left discharged for too long, tends to kill 'em. Also they need a high charging Voltage, around 14V.
After recharging it, see if it will start the next day, same conditions. If not, implies it’s no longer holding a charge so is duff.
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