On the Road Again!

The side effect of having a minor heart attack is that I've not been able to ride Döra. I've been out and started her and let her run for a while. So when I got home from holiday I went to start her. Dead. The alarm wouldn't even light up. So looks like dragging her out and attaching some electrodes to her tender under seat parts and put a charge through her!!!! - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Not having any power in my garage means that I am unable to attach a trickle charger to my battery to keep it in tip top condition.  I then suffer the problems of a dead one and end up jumping the bike a few times from my Punto.  This has worked successfully for a few winters, but sadly, although it starts, the standard BMW battery is now officially NFG! So after asking the question "Odyssey or OEM?" on a few forums I have bought an Odyssey PC680 from a UK retailer and hopefully it will arrive between Christmas and New Year.  It's not the kind of expenditure a person needs in the run up to Christmas, but the deal I got saved about £25. Fingers crossed that god's gift to batteries fits (!) and does what it is supposed to do. Buy a big dog and hope it can bark loud. That's the Odyssey.  We'll see.

Need to get the GS started this weekend. Will miss the Robinson's event for the release of the new 2011 GSXR750 on Saturday and hoping to get to the open day on Sunday though. Once again after a lay-off the battery is too weak to start the engine. At least the clock still works!

Took the charged spare battery out and cobbled it up and the bike clicked and clicked on the starter and that was it. Need to get the battery out I think or try to jump the bugger from the car. Hope it doesn't have to be taken elsewhere!!

Just like Frankenstein's monster an injection of electricity has made the Punto live again. It was as I had thought, but the RAC man confirmed it with his battery testing gadget. A new battery and Voila! Today despite the doors being iced up (!) she started first touch.

Back in March after a series of flat or flatish battery moments I bought a solar panel from Maplin and have ever since when the bike is in the garage it is connected through the accessory socket. I blogged it back then, click on the "solar panel" link below, and never reported how good or crap it has been. Good. It has been excellent as it happens. Despite the lack of sun generally in the UK this year, it has been a total success. No flat battery problems and only one ABS malfunction that is usually associated with a low battery. Well worth the money. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone!