Help with my BSA please

[Davehutch-hutchs 0]

Started my BSA up after the winter a couple of weeks ago no probs and took her for a ride, Just washed the bikes and noticed that that there was no lights and horn didnt work battery flat, So put her on charge while i cleaned the bandit, lights worked and horn worked couldn't start her battery was flat again with in a few seconds, took my jacket off and was going to push her in the garage thought I would try one last time fired up , So jacket & helmet back on started again so off i went 1/2 mile from home bloody thing just cut out on me battery flat again would not start ,So pushing her home keep trying to start her battery still flat wont start nearly home it started , got home turned her off wont start battery flat.
So I have took the battery off the bike and charging it , Want to see if the battery holds it charge while off the bike what should it read when charged (6volt battery) with a multi meter ? and then should i check it when off charge to see if it is dropping , Thought this would be the first thing to check , Any help would be greatly received thanks in advance

[XS1100 0]

Jet washing bikes for me is a no no,the water gets pushed in to places you don't want it,I would start by drying off all the connections and spray them lightly with WD40 before doing any thing else.

[Davehutch-hutchs 0]

@XS1100 wrote:

Jet washing bikes for me is a no no,the water gets pushed in to places you don't want it,I would start by drying off all the connections and spray them lightly with WD40 before doing any thing else.

never use a jet wash realized the battery was flat before i put any water on the bike Gaz

[Davehutch-hutchs 0]

Put the battery on trickle charge but it has charged up very quckly and reads 6.37 volts going to check it again in a bit and see what it reads

[smilinjack 0]

Ring around & see if anyone local can do a drop test on a 6v battery. Might have a cell down. I don't suppose you know what charging system it uses do you Dave? What exact model & year is it?

[Davehutch-hutchs 0]

@smilinjack wrote:

Ring around & see if anyone local can do a drop test on a 6v battery. Might have a cell down. I don't suppose you know what charging system it uses do you Dave? What exact model & year is it?

Hi Alan its a 1960 b40 6 volt Lucas Rectified DC for lighting and battery charging ,
so it says in the book

[Bezzer 0]

Measure your battery voltage when it's settled down as you were going to. Stick it back on the bike, start it then measure the voltage across the terminals while it's running that'll give you an indication if it's something to do with charging. Should be 7-8 volts running I'd hae thought.

[smilinjack 0]

If I've read it right and all your electrics are off you may have a failed rectifier. I'd check the battery voltage in situ, then fire up the bike & check again. Hopefully you'll see a slight rise in voltage indicating charging is taking place. If not, could be the rectifier as I said.

[Davehutch-hutchs 0]

@Davehutch wrote:

Put the battery on trickle charge but it has charged up very quckly and reads 6.37 volts going to check it again in a bit and see what it reads

A hour later still off the bike it reads 6.21 volts

[Davehutch-hutchs 0]

@Bezzer wrote:

Measure your battery voltage when it's settled down as you were going to. Stick it back on the bike, start it then measure the voltage across the terminals while it's running that'll give you an indication if it's something to do with charging. Should be 7-8 volts running I'd hae thought.

@smilinjack wrote:

If I've read it right and all your electrics are off you may have a failed rectifier. I'd check the battery voltage in situ, then fire up the bike & check again. Hopefully you'll see a slight rise in voltage indicating charging is taking place. If not, could be the rectifier as I said.

Thanks lads will try this later

[smilinjack 0]

http://www.classicmotorcycles.org.uk/c15/c15_alternator_wiring.htm

[Davehutch-hutchs 0]

@smilinjack wrote:

http://www.classicmotorcycles.org.uk/c15/c15_alternator_wiring.htm

Thanks m8 I wish it made sense to me I am only a bricklayer

[smilinjack 0]

@Davehutch wrote:

@smilinjack wrote:

http://www.classicmotorcycles.org.uk/c15/c15_alternator_wiring.htm

Thanks m8 I wish it made sense to me I am only a bricklayer

soz Dave couldn't resist

[Davehutch-hutchs 0]

@smilinjack wrote:

@Davehutch wrote:

@smilinjack wrote:

http://www.classicmotorcycles.org.uk/c15/c15_alternator_wiring.htm

Thanks m8 I wish it made sense to me I am only a bricklayer

soz Dave couldn't resist

[XS1100 0]

Blag over to supreams on the bandit buy a 6v battery for not very much £20.00 wile your there have a word with the lads and blag back

[Davehutch-hutchs 0]

@XS1100 wrote:

Blag over to supreams on the bandit buy a 6v battery for not very much £20.00 wile your there have a word with the lads and blag back

[Davehutch-hutchs 0]

@Davehutch wrote:

@Davehutch wrote:

Put the battery on trickle charge but it has charged up very quckly and reads 6.37 volts going to check it again in a bit and see what it reads

A hour later still off the bike it reads 6.21 volts

another hour its 6.20 volts so going to leave it , out tomorrow so will check it tomorrow nite and if its settled down and sill above 6 volts will connect it up and see if its charging and check if it looses charge while on the bike

[trebor4460 0]

Sounds like your charging system aint working right, prob some kind of genny on an old bike, as already sugested put a meter across the battery whilst running and see what the output is,

[XS1100 0]

6 volt batterys are rubbish when new go get another stop messing about

[Davehutch-hutchs 0]

@Davehutch wrote:

@Davehutch wrote:

@Davehutch wrote:

Put the battery on trickle charge but it has charged up very quckly and reads 6.37 volts going to check it again in a bit and see what it reads

A hour later still off the bike it reads 6.21 volts

another hour its 6.20 volts so going to leave it , out tomorrow so will check it tomorrow nite and if its settled down and sill above 6 volts will connect it up and see if its charging and check if it looses charge while on the bike

It reads 6.16 volts this morning

so would you say that the battery is or is this normal ?

[Stue11 0]

@XS1100 wrote:

6 volt batterys are rubbish when new go get another stop messing about

[Neill 0]

@Davehutch wrote:

@Davehutch wrote:

@Davehutch wrote:

@Davehutch wrote:

Put the battery on trickle charge but it has charged up very quckly and reads 6.37 volts going to check it again in a bit and see what it reads

A hour later still off the bike it reads 6.21 volts

another hour its 6.20 volts so going to leave it , out tomorrow so will check it tomorrow nite and if its settled down and sill above 6 volts will connect it up and see if its charging and check if it looses charge while on the bike

It reads 6.16 volts this morning
so would you say that the battery is or is this normal ?

as alan said in an earlier post dave you need a drop test
battery voltage off load is no indicator off its condition
when under load IE with lights on and hooter pressed measure voltage
then start engine and measure voltage with lights etc still on.

when you put the battery on with the lights switched off take note whether
there is a spark when you connect the leads as this could indicate
an earth fault draining the battery, hope this aint baffled you m8

[Davehutch-hutchs 0]

Thanks will have a look in the week

[pugeyed 0]

hope you get it sorted dave, let us know how you get on.

this is what ive got im my b40 dave

http://www.carrotcycles.co.uk/BATTERIES/TOTALLY-SEALED/NP4-6v-4-5Ah-6N6-3B-/prod_333.html

[Davehutch-hutchs 0]

@pugeyed wrote:

hope you get it sorted dave, let us know how you get on.

this is what ive got im my b40 dave

http://www.carrotcycles.co.uk/BATTERIES/TOTALLY-SEALED/NP4-6v-4-5Ah-6N6-3B-/prod_333.html

Cheers Mark , went and got a new battery today , put it on and the bike started first time been for a little ride and all seems good and battery is charging from the bike, sure it was the battery because of two things, today when i checked the old battery while still of the bike it read 6.13 volts so it had lost 0.24 volts while standing for a good day, When i brought the new one he went and put acid or something in to activate it and said it would be 3/4 charged,and that read 6.30volts plus when ever i put the old one on trickle charge it shown fully charged with in 5-10 mins , I have put the new one on and its been on charge for nearly a hour and still not charged ,

[pugeyed 0]

old one must have had a dead cell then ie not holding its charge, i had a brand new one do that once and you could literally watch the volts drop over the hours lol.
glad you got it sorted !

[lee1 1]

good to hear its sorted dave

[smilinjack 0]

Nice one Dave

BTW, a good trick to revive a lead acid battery in an emergency is to top it up with red wine.

[trebor4460 0]

Glad you got it sorted Dave,

[Stue11 0]

[Davehutch-hutchs 0]

just been out to the bike 1st time since putting the new battery on , it hadn't lost charge while sitting on the bike , started first time done a few miles and it had put charge into the battery , so I think all is well now

Thankyou all for your advice

[Davehutch-hutchs 0]

just been out on her again ,and all is well

[lee1 1]

nice one dave

[Stue11 0]

[suzukijax 0]

Nice one dave vrooomm vrooommm

[dick65 0]

spot on dave,pleased shes fettled

[Davehutch-hutchs 0]

@lee wrote:

nice one dave

@Stue11 wrote:

@suzukijax wrote:

Nice one dave vrooomm vrooommm

@dick65 wrote:

spot on dave,pleased shes fettled

Thanks all just done another 60 miles , well pleased