Been having a real nightmare with my Street...  I haven't ridden it since the beginning of December, although I have started it regularly.  The problems started after xmas when the battery went flat...  I recharged it then and carried on starting it and letting it run at least once a week for half an hour.  

This week, I've tried to take it out twice, the first time, the battery was drained again, so recharged it and ran a test on it, which was fine.

The second time, the engine warning light came on, rode it up the road hoping it'd turn off as it's been idle a while, but it wouldn't, so turned round.  

Checked online and found that it's a common problem when the battery's gone flat and by doing 3 cold/hot cycle it should sort it out. 

Tried that this morning, after the 1st cycle, it wouldn't start again...  Plugged it back on again and it's charging, the battery's been drained once more in less than a week this time.  

Argh!!  Will try doing the cycles later today, while plugged in, I'm hoping it'll sort it out.

Has anyone had any similar problems?  How did you sort it out?                                                                                                                                                                             

Hiya Brig, Do you have an alarm on the bike that has a flashing led? (poss reason for initial battery drain) What was the test you carried out on the battery, and was the battery FULLY charged when you tested it? Triumph systems that have logged faults take between 2 - 12 hot / cold cycles to clear the fault code, although if yours is JUST a low power code, 3 cycles should clear it. The hot / cold cycle is quite a wide temperature range, the ecu has to 'see' initial temp of below 30 then temp of above 80 THREE times. ie it has to be below 30 to start, then raise to 80 then cool to 30 each time. I do have a scan tool that may clear the code that will save you carrying out the 3 duty cycles. (PM sent)   Also, do you know whether the alternator is actually charging the battery?     starting it and letting it run at least once a week for half an hour.   BTW, not a good idea to do the warm up running on muli cylinder bikes. It does and can ruin modern plugs VERY quickly ie over a time as short as a week !!!!!!!!!!!!!                                                                                                                                                                                 

Hiya, thanks Tony, yes, I managed to clear the fault, but the battery seems to drain after running it, I need to go for a ride to confirm that though.

Yeah, I have an alarm with flashing led, last year it wasn't run for a month and had no problems at all though.  The test was run on a fully charged battery with a better optimiser I borrowed.

Oh ok, I didn't know that, someone else recommended I run it, as it's not kept in a garage, I was told it'd help get rid of condensation in the exhausts.                                                                                                                                                                             

Unfortunately, that advice is the exact opposite of reality!! You didn’t have any condensation in your exhausts ‘till you started the engine. When you pull up from a ride, your exhaust is hot, therefore no moisture inside it. Starting from cold is going to create condensation throughout the whole engine, from the cylinder walls to the engine cases to the exhaust exit. It's quite possible the engine will get hot enough to burn this off after 30 minutes idling, but it’s unlikely that the silencer internals will reach a high enough temperature for this to take place as there is no load applied to the engine to make it work and create heat. So now we have moisture in the exhaust - - - any multi cylinder engine will have 1 exhaust valve open in any position of the engine. The moisture then has a path through the open valve to the spark plug - - spark plug gets damp - - modern plugs don’t like this. The centre ‘porcelain’ insulator is now of a composite substance that’s nowhere near as durable. I no longer even like putting a wire brush over them.   Any one starting up your multi cylinder bike after a winter layup, should it play up, if you've done 'warm up' runs - - splutter, misfire etc, mainly in the lower rev range, curiously, higher revs don’t seem effected,  put a new of set of plugs in it. “I put new plugs in it 200 miles ago, cant be them”  - - YEP, heard it before.    Do it !!                                                                                                                                                                                 

Thanks, I'll refrain from doing it in the future and just keep it charged.

Checked the battery again tonight, it was fully charged.  Went for a 5 mile ride, I had to push the bike home...  Thankfully I was only a few yards away.  Time to check my warranty and call Triumph                                                                                                                                                                             

Twas the regulator, apparently a common problem on bikes after the winter                                                                                                                                                                             

Now i'm confused. I appreciate my old boy is a bit different, but i've been told to keep starting mine, to help stop the carbs from blocking up. Is this the wrong thing to do? Its a 97 CBR6                                                                                                                                                                             

Aye DC don't do it

I agree with GT on this. Multy cylinder bikes dont like weekly starts during winter.
 I tend to turn bike over 2 or 3 times during winter but not let it fire up.

To save battery & reg/rec, when you do start for the first time after winter, couple up to a car battery this stops too much being taken out of battery.
 
Also charge battery at least fortnightly when laid up, alarm systems drain the battery.

The fuel problem gunging up carbs etc will not occur in the winter as it does not evaporate in the cold.

Hope this helps

So why have they blocked the last 2 winters? I start it every 2 weeks or so and let it run for about 10 mins....revving it to about 5k 2 or 3 times....once its warm i switch it off. The alarm is never on, but the optimate is on most of the time to keep the battery sweet. I never bloomin know what to do for the best. Just leave it alone, or keep the fuel coming through the carbs. I dont ride it over winter whatsoever (approx 6 months), so surely i cant just dump it for that length of time? Sorry for the dumb questions, i get conflicting advice about the subject...                                                                                                                                                                             

P.s..........sorry to hijack your thread Brig
                                                                                                                                                                             

Im very interested in this too.... how do you turn the engine over wihout it starting up?                                                                                                                                                                             

No problems DC , I'm getting conflicting advise too, so it's interesting to see what the general view is on this                                                                                                                                                                             

Ok DC , Im my experience, fuel does not evaporate leaving deposites in the winter but if you are having that type of problem, then drain carbs & turn off fuel when you park up for the winter, they cant clog when empty. You will always labour the electrical system if you do what you have been doing and get the same outcome as Brigadoon ie burntout reg/rec. and possible damaged  battery.

But i was told not to drain them, cos it still leaves deposits, which then block the carbs up. I've been told keep a full tank, keep an empty tank, empty the system, keep it full and start it to keep it clear...............ARRGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH its a bloody minefield!

I just leave mine in the garage and ignor it! When I'm ready to ride it again I charge the battery and away it goes. I don't bother with battery conditioners, the last battery lasted 13 years!                                                                                                                                                                             

Morning, I’ll try and answer all of your questions here in no particular order :: Whacko, what you are doing is IMO the best bet. You are 1) turning the engine over and 2) coating components with oil - - great !! You haven’t started the engine, so 3) no condensation - - triple great. You may be lucky & have an older model without EFI so you need a choke lever / cable to start but without operating the lever the engine won’t start so that’s one possible answer for Julie.   Later models with EFI tend to start much easier, and without as much operator input, as the ECU determines what parameters are needed by way of sensor readings throughout the engine .. coolant temp, air temp, cylinder head temp, barometric pressure I could go on but you get the idea !!   So now, you need to know your own bike, under what circumstances will it crank but WONT start?? Some engines crank with the kill switch off, others wont. Side stand switch, clutch lever switch?? On later ones, you don’t want to be pulling off the coil electrical plug as you can bring up a fault code & illuminate the engine light .. .. ok, so its possible it will turn out by itself when reconnected & ran up .. Although the fault code will still be in the ECU memory until cleared. Another issue by itself .. so many stop / start cycles, heat cycles, both or a scan tool required.   DC. To stop the fuel gunging up the carbs and jets, the best method is to use a fuel stabiliser. Best value for this, is from a motor factor. Wynns, for instance is about £7 for 325 Ml & treats 50 Litres.  Part Number: PN47355. Put it in & ride the bike round the block to mix it in with your existing fuel before you park up for the winter. This saves you having to drain tanks or carbs .. not a great idea in itself as corrosion and or oxidisation can take place, then that crap blocks your jets and carbs.   Battery wise .. get an Optimate. End of!!   Yam, you must be one lucky bugger for your battery to last 13 years.   Back to condensation .. If you start your bike from stone cold, you WILL create condensation !!!!!!!! This will contaminate the engine oil and metal surfaces unless this is burnt away. The only way it will be burnt away is by the engine generating enough heat. Idling for 10 mins wont do it, 30 mins may burn it from the engine ..... refer to post 4 in this thread.   In addition to that do you really want your air cooled engine running for that long? At least with a water cooled one your cooling fan will / or should cut in & out.   Basically, if you start your bike .. use it for 20 – 30 mins to create the heat required to disperse it   A Diesel engine is worse when just warmed up. Diesel has Sulphur in it, used to lube valves & seats in the same way the lead was used in petrol engines. Sulphur & water make what?? Sulphuric acid .. You are making Sulphuric acid until you get a diesel up to a temperature enough to burn off the water. This will eat away your very expensive pump & injectors & your engine from the inside out.   Hope I covered it.................................                                                                                                                                                                                     

good post Tony.Learned a lot from that,good advice!                                                                                                                                                                             

GT - i understand about the stabiliser, but will it last the winter? The bike is nearly always on on the optimate?                                                                                                                                                                             

Yes DC, it will last for three to four months. Optimate .. Good girl !!                                                                                                                                                                             

I will try that this winter GT, thanks. Its probably too late now for this season, but i'll def have a go. Put that stuff in it and then just leave the optimate on? Sounds much easier than remembering to start it and keep the battery charged. Although i do love sitting on it and revving it, just to remind myself of what i plan to do come the warmer weather!