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Photo by Lois Pryce, schoolkids in Algeria

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  #1  
Old 28 Sep 2017
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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.
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  #2  
Old 28 Sep 2017
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Skyy223 View Post
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.

Sent from my SM-T230NU using Tapatalk
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  #3  
Old 28 Sep 2017
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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?
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  #4  
Old 28 Sep 2017
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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.
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Old 28 Sep 2017
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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?
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  #6  
Old 28 Sep 2017
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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
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  #7  
Old 28 Sep 2017
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Skyy223 View Post
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
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!
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  #8  
Old 28 Sep 2017
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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?
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  #9  
Old 28 Sep 2017
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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.
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  #10  
Old 28 Sep 2017
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Skyy223 View Post
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, 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.
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  #11  
Old 28 Sep 2017
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Electro Sport published common faults, by models

Oh, and this:-
Common Tech - Common Technical Issues for this Model Bike - ElectroSport
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  #12  
Old 30 Sep 2017
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mollydog View Post
Some batteries have the INSTALL date written on top of battery.
Yep - it's always a good idea to write the date on a battery when replacing one.
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