Mostly Dead 1100 No start, odd clicks, ECU disconnect, SERVICE! Help!

2007 1100 Backstory: I'd ridden the bike until May then I was away for 8 weeks, had the battery on trickle. Came back bike won't start, no lights, not even the flashing triangle. Dead.

I put the battery (3 years old Yuasa YTX20CH-BS) on a 2 AMP charge for 4 hours. Check with the meter I have 11V. Install the battery and I get nothing except a dim glow from the headlight when I put the lock in "park" mode. Otherwise no sign of life at all.

Then I wiggle the key and the dash does the sweep and I hear some clicks and then nothing except a momentary code APMG 0022 on the dash. So I try my spare 8 year old battery. This time I get a lot of clicks from under the seat and an "ECU Disconnect" on the bottom of the dash. No start, no lights. So then I check all the fuses. All good. I do some Googling and discover Startus Interruptus so I start checking grounds, they appear clean and tight. Try again, same results. I put both batteries on trickle for the night.

Next day the dash alternates between ECU disconnect and SERVICE! I remove the ECU, hit the contacts with some SPRAY KLEEN, remove the ground hit it with some steel wool and replace. Now I get SERVICE! and no start. I do manage to briefly get the dash menu to switch to battery and it shows 7.1V and it keeps dropping. Change batteries, same thing.

So here's my question, before I plunk down $170 for a new battery is it possible that all this is because both batteries are sacked? Or do I have bigger problems? I'd hate to buy a battery and find I didn't need it. I've done that once before (it was a fuse!)

PS When I removed the tank to get a look at the alternator, I noticed that one of the tank hex bolts is stripped (it wasn't me, honest). Does anyone know off hand what the specs are so I can replace them?

Sounds like a flat battery. However the voltage of a battery should be taken at the terminals of the battery and not through the dash. If you don't have a multimeter, it is good to get one - they can be picked up from about $30 (up to several thousands). If your real battery is below 12.x volts, it will fail to start.

what could be wrong? several things
- ECU earth
- main earth (behind the starter cover - known to cause issues - some of us have moved it to the clutch housing bolt, just above - better spot)
- might also be an antenna issue, this is around the key itself
- crook relay

Please do one thing at a time and test. If you do a whole pile of things and it then works, you will be no wiser. If in doubt, report back here often.

What sort of trickle charger do you have?

I compressed events to make a long story shorter. I may have missed a few details.

I do have a multimeter, which I used to:
Test the batteries both on and off the bike both times I get 11V. The dash reports 6.5-7V.
Do a continuity check between the (-) battery cable and different points on the bike. All check out.

I removed the ECU cleaned the contacts and cleaned the ECU earth. No change.
I checked the main earth. Took the antenna off and checked the connection. No change
Sprayed contact cleaner on the ignition switch. No change.

Trickle charger is an old Yuasa.

My prime suspect is the battery, and if I wasn't such a cheap bastard I'd buy a new one. My fear is that I'm wrong and it's something else.

If you've got 11 v on each battery, you have answered your own question. It will never start at that voltage. While it is 11 volts without a load, it will probably drop to an obscene 3 or 4 volts under load. Your battery (well both of them) seem to have terminated.

If in doubt, take them to your local auto electrical shop and get them to load test them. Save your pennies for a new one.

When you d get it all going again, check your charging system. At idle the battery voltage should be between 12.4 and 13 volts. When revved up, it should go up to over 13, ideally 13.8 volts (defined charging voltage for a 12 volt system). Some go higher. If you are thinking of a LiFePO4 battery (many of us have these) you will require 14v or higher to keep a good charge

Parts list for tank bolts here (2007 1100 is same as this - I checked) OR you could measure it (incl screw pitch guage)...

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Get a battery. A 20 AH one not a 16.

hello, of course your battery is dead....

charged it has 12.8 volts and no longer hook it to a maintenance device.

Get a Ctek charger and run a charging light from the battery terminals.
If this indicates yellow at about 4-5 weeks, then only 12 hours on the charger and good.

This is the best way to maintain your new battery.
Also remember, if you now buy a new battery, yes 20AH, then first charge, then install.

Ok, I'm ordering a battery. I've spent enough time troubleshooting and the consensus so far is battery. Thanks all. I'll check back once the new battery is installed. Also I'm ordering a new trickle charger since my current "dumb" one is now suspect.

Take this opportunity to purchase a lithium battery. It's worth to do it

Richard wrote:

Take this opportunity to purchase a lithium battery. It's worth to do it

Living in Canada, I'd be concerned about Lithium and the cold weather. Any thoughts?

paulbrice wrote:

Parts list for tank bolts here (2007 1100 is same as this - I checked) OR you could measure it (incl screw pitch guage)...

I don't have a pitch gauge, nor a shop manual. Thanks for the parts list.

A question regarding starting. In my van I have an emergency jump starter in the glove box.
It's small and hooked up to the van electrics so always charged.
Any reason why a similar arrangement couldn't be carried on the GRiSO ?

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Not at all. I've got an identical booster pack I carry with me on longer trips, car or bike.

Pitch for M6x40 & M6x25 is 'usually' 1mm....(I haven't checked the actual bolts on bike yet)

paulbrice wrote:

Parts list for tank bolts here (2007 1100 is same as this - I checked) OR you could measure it (incl screw pitch guage)...

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

This exact same bolt (# 6 in the above diagram) came also stripped out of my GRiSO a few months ago. I then noticed that the "T bush" (# 9) was missing, which probably caused the bolt not screwing in straight. To be on the safe side I ordered the correct screw & T bush from Stein-Dinse. I also got a 6 mm tap (this one) to clean out the nut (which is not really a nut but is the part that the bolt screws in).

paulbrice wrote:

This exact same bolt (# 6 in the above diagram) came also stripped out of my GRiSO a few months ago. I then noticed that the "T bush" (# 9) was missing, which probably caused the bolt not screwing in straight. To be on the safe side I ordered the correct screw & T bush from Stein-Dinse. I also got a 6 mm tap (this one) to clean out the nut (which is not really a nut but is the part that the bolt screws in).

Thanks for the tap tip. Amazon is out of stock but I'll head over to KMS Tools and pick one up.

OK. The battery arrived, added acid, charged and installed. Poof! problems gone. So it was the both my batteries all along. At the same time I bought an Optimate 4 battery conditioner/tender. 35+ years of using a trickle charger and a timer are now behind me. Now I just have to find somewhere nearby to buy 2 M6-40mm hex cap tank bolts to replace the stripped ones!

Thanks all for the great advice! Cheers and keep the shiny side up!