Hello guys,

unluckily my Transalp broke down. My first thought is that the battery died. I will check that this evening, I'm at work now. Ah btw, it's an Honda Transalp 600 from 1998.

I am a full beginner to mechanics and electronics so I might have questions that are super clear to you, sorry in advance. I already posted the story in the Facebook Transalp group so it might sound familiar if you guys are in there aswell. I post the full story as detailed as possible and what I will try this evening. Any thoughts and tips are very welcome.
Sorry for english errors, I try to be as detailed as possible.

So 3 weeks ago I installed a cable to the battery. It is for my navigation System, sadly it didn't fit directly ON the battery because those metal connection rings at the end of the cable didn't fit.
So as a conclusion me and my dad decided to plug it directly on a cable that was already plugged on the battery via such a thing. We both had no idea what it was for, it is definitely after market tho. It looks like a power supply but it's neither USB or the usual car plug for a cigarette lighter. It looks more like a cable i know from my computer. It is similar to this... I will add photos later today.
I never left the Navigation System on the bike tho, when I left it.

So far so good, the Transalp still started instantly and I rode around 1000km in the upcoming week. Then i didn't ride for 1 week, until yesterday. I tried to start the bike and it needed a second try (usually it's starting instantly), okay it's an old lady so no worries. I then drove about 10km and decided to get gas. I paid and wanted to drive on...the bike was not starting any more. I tried several times...panicking and full of shame. It didn't start. So I decided to ran it in the first and then in the second gear....I couldn't get it running. All I got was a buzzing Sound from the battery. Not a single sound from the engine. So the battery was out of power...BUT HOW? I just drove 10km...

I then pushed it to a closeby Mercedes seller. Luckily there was still one mechanic, he bridged the battery and the Transalp instantly started. So I got going and after 2km I had to stop at a red traffic light (it was the third already)...after about 1 min the engine just went off. Like Puff, Over and Out. While i was waiting I checked paranoid the RPM and when it turned off it was on about 1400RPM with the Choke pulled in.

I don't have to say that it didnt start again... So I called a friend who got a trailer for motorcycles. We brought it home and now I have to find the error.

What I will do tonight is to unplug that damn navigation cable and get rid of that electrical plug aswell. Then I will put out the battery and reload it. After that I will check if the voltage is at 12,5 Volt, like someone told me to. If that's the case the battery might be okay, if not, the battery is dead.

After that, even if the battery is dead, I will put it back in the motorcycle and start it (should workout if I just loaded it) and check the voltage at around 5000rpm. If the voltage is below 14,5 Volt then the light machina (right translation?) might be the Problem. If it is way over 14,5 Volt then the charge controller might be broken and destroy the battery.

What's left then is WHAT is causing the battery to die and why the **** did the engine just stop running at that traffic light -_-

How old is the battery?

__________________
Bruce Clarke - 2020 Yamaha XV250

I have no clue, just bought the Transalp 3 weeks ago.

From the appearance I would say it's quiet old tho. There's no sticker that says how old it is.

Here is a video of the Sound, I recorded it yesterday. Not sure if you can open it tho.

That sounds like the starter relay vibrating due to insufficient electrical power. I suspect a loose cable or a bad battery, or both.

Check to make sure the cables to and from your battery are tight (at both ends of each cable). Make sure your battery is fully charged.

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Dead batteries on used bikes is a very common problem. No worries. Don't blame your Honda on this. I'm sure it is only a worn out battery. Most likely your charging system is OK.

But do the tests you mention above ... Good!
Some batteries have the INSTALL date written on top of battery.

If your battery was left standing at the shop for a LONG time without being plugged into a trickle charger (maintainer), then not a surprise it has gone dead.

I advise buying a NEW, HIGH QUALITY Yuasa battery. Yes, costs more than Chinese copy, but will last MUCH longer. A new, reliable battery is essential for travel.

Let us know how the testing goes. Also, I would try to find out what the odd cable is. What sort of Plug does it have? Pic is best.

The TransAlp forum riders should be able to offer many helpful hints about your new bike. I would read up on as much as you can.

How do you like your new bike overall so far?

Hey thanks for the answers. Sadly I still need a tester for the voltage. Just managed to organize a charger for now.

This plug under the seat is for exactly what I'm trying to do, but im missing the counter part Im 99% sure it is for charging the battery without getting it out of the bike.


The battery is charging now. Tomorrow I will do the test, if I'm lucky i can burrow a test device otherwhise I will buy one.

edit: Ah and Honda-50, the cables were fine. The mercedes repair place checked that before bridging the battery.

Yes, looks like a plug for an external charger/maintainer. Must be a Euro Only plug, as I don't recognize it. No worries, I'm sure someone there can identify it.

Here we have something called a Battery Tender. It's "smart charger" that you can plug into at home or office and leave it plugged as long as you like. It will keep battery fully charged.

So, that cable plug should be left OUTSIDE on side panel so you can plug in your charger without having to remove anything on bike.

MAKE SURE ALL ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS TO BATTERY ARE TIGHT.


I'm sure you have some sort of automatic charger like this in Germany?

Yeah but to be honest i got rid of it now. Well I still have it ofcourse but i unplugged it. I just don't want any more stuff on the battery. Only thing that is on it now beside the motorcycle stuff is the alarm system.

One more thing: How long does the battery take to be fully charged?
Can I unplug it and put it back after work tomorrow? I somehow don't want it to charge over night in my appartment xD

Also....when you get the bike started again do check the voltage at the battery with the engine running, that way you'll know if the alternator output is correct. You can get a multitester from Louis for eight euros , and it will tell you if the battery is being charged . Set it to the 20v DC scale and it should show a value between about 13 to maybe 14.2 volts according to the engine revolutions. More than this usually means that your voltage regulator has failed, I remember that this is a weak point of your bike and many people prefer to relocate the regulator to a place where it gets better ventilation.
However as you were already told, a good quality new battery should solve the problem. Enjoy your new bike. .M

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bike has almost 20 years and you don't know its history...
man, you need to strip it naked and check everything to
be able to trust it on the road.

Yes, 99% certain to be one or other of the Optimate cables, as illustrated here:-
Optimate TM Connector Accessory Leads
Traded under the brand "Optimate" (from memory, manufactured in the good ol' USA iirc).

There is nothing wrong with leaving it attached to your battery - the open end, as seen in your picture, means that it is not drawing any current. Indeed, they are very convenient for charging the battery while leaving the battery in it's fitted position on the bike.
Over the years, different models of "Optimates" have used different cable end connectors for their various editions including the quite recently marketed water-resistant type shown in your pic.

You might like the fault finding chart to be seen within the web link below,
Fault Finding Guide - Motorcycle Electrical Fault Finding Chart - ElectroSport
From,
ElectroSport - Motorcycle, Dirt Bike and ATV - OEM Quality Stators, Regulator/rectifiers and CDIs
Their advice is universal to lots of bikes.

__________________
Dave

Oh, and this:-
Common Tech - Common Technical Issues for this Model Bike - ElectroSport

__________________
Dave

ALARM!!!!!!!
You did not mention this!
Alarms are famous for killing batteries. I would NOT worry about your Optimate
charger cable ... but I WOULD worry about an Alarm. Some constantly draw current off your battery and can kill battery over time.

For this reason ... you need a trickle charger like Optimate or Battery Tender or other brand trickle Smart Charger.

QUESTION:
What sort of charger is your battery plugged into NOW? Do not use a charger for a Car ... make sure you are not charging OVER 2 amps ... and only use 2 amp charge for about 2 or 3 hours MAX if battery is dead to start with. Many Car chargers put out TOO MUCH current for small Motorcycle battery.

Most Smart Chargers typically use a .5 amps or less.

Good luck!

It is a charger for cars and motorcycles and it is set to 2A Motorcycle mode with 12V.

So should I get rid of the alarm?

Hi skyy223

I've have that cable on a few of my bikes - as others have said its just there to trickle charge your bike.

I am pretty sure all that has happened is that your alarm is drawing power from the battery. Not an issue when the bike is on a trickle charger as this gets topped up.

Now you have the bike its not on trickle charge so the battery is running down, hence your issue.

If the battery is dead (which is probably is) change it and you'll be fine for a bit, but if the alarm stays you need to get a trickle charger (not too expensive) to keep your battery from running flat when the bike is left standing.


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