Issue with new bike, who to believe???
Discussion
So basically I bought a new Tuono 660 the end of November, it turned up with a faulty indicator (despite the dealer doing its sign off check list), went back to the dealers and back about 5 days later. Its only done 100 miles since then due to the winter months and me working away.
When I work away it goes on a trickle charger as does my other bike. So I was away 12 days and took the chargers off then a couple of days later went to run up both bikes, Ducati fired up straight away yet the Tuono didn't, flashing red battery light on the dash. Stuck the charger back on and a few days later it fired up and I ran it for 10 mins. Then 2 days after that I went to go for a run out on it and it was flat again same battery light flashing.
So I ring the dealers explaining it all and they said to ring the Aprilia recovery and ask them to take the bike back, did that and a couple of hours later a RAC man turns up and sticks his tester on it, basically confirms its flat then shows me his computer to say its diagnosed a failed cell and needs replacing.
I will add that there is a known issue (on Aprilia forums) with some Yuasa batteries on the Tuono's i.e there was a bad batch made, dealer surprising hasn't heard of this but.
So they then arrange it to be taken back to the dealers, 2 days later I ring the dealers and he says they have charged the battery and its started and stopped 10 times since then then and shows a full charge? I asked him about the RAC diagnosing the failed cell and he basically said there's no way he could have diagnosed that as the battery was flat?
He said the RAC man was basically trying to sell me a battery? (its under warranty still, only 4 months old so why would he be trying to sell me a battery?).
The dealers have now said they will leave it sitting until Monday and check if there has been any voltage drop and if not then its fine, I also asked him if I had only been away for 12 days would he expect the battery to go flat if I didn't have a charger on it, he said yes?
I can't believe for a moment that the battery is expected to last no more than 12 days before it goes flat surely. The whole experience is now wearing thin especially as I'm still waiting for the IMU to arrive 4 months later, seriously considering taking a hit and part ex'ing it.
What would you guys do? Would you expect a battery to go flat after 12 days?
Part of me thinks I should of just bought a new battery myself and saved all the hassle but then again why should I when its only 4 months old.
When I work away it goes on a trickle charger as does my other bike. So I was away 12 days and took the chargers off then a couple of days later went to run up both bikes, Ducati fired up straight away yet the Tuono didn't, flashing red battery light on the dash. Stuck the charger back on and a few days later it fired up and I ran it for 10 mins. Then 2 days after that I went to go for a run out on it and it was flat again same battery light flashing.
So I ring the dealers explaining it all and they said to ring the Aprilia recovery and ask them to take the bike back, did that and a couple of hours later a RAC man turns up and sticks his tester on it, basically confirms its flat then shows me his computer to say its diagnosed a failed cell and needs replacing.
I will add that there is a known issue (on Aprilia forums) with some Yuasa batteries on the Tuono's i.e there was a bad batch made, dealer surprising hasn't heard of this but.
So they then arrange it to be taken back to the dealers, 2 days later I ring the dealers and he says they have charged the battery and its started and stopped 10 times since then then and shows a full charge? I asked him about the RAC diagnosing the failed cell and he basically said there's no way he could have diagnosed that as the battery was flat?
He said the RAC man was basically trying to sell me a battery? (its under warranty still, only 4 months old so why would he be trying to sell me a battery?).
The dealers have now said they will leave it sitting until Monday and check if there has been any voltage drop and if not then its fine, I also asked him if I had only been away for 12 days would he expect the battery to go flat if I didn't have a charger on it, he said yes?
I can't believe for a moment that the battery is expected to last no more than 12 days before it goes flat surely. The whole experience is now wearing thin especially as I'm still waiting for the IMU to arrive 4 months later, seriously considering taking a hit and part ex'ing it.
What would you guys do? Would you expect a battery to go flat after 12 days?
Part of me thinks I should of just bought a new battery myself and saved all the hassle but then again why should I when its only 4 months old.
Edited by Martylaa on Saturday 19th March 12:46
Edited by Martylaa on Saturday 19th March 12:48
Edited by Martylaa on Saturday 19th March 12:49
scorcher said:
I wouldn’t expect a battery to go flat after 12 days personally. Don’t think I’ve ever had a bike where it has. If a new one isn’t much I’d buy one myself as it’s less hassle than messing about going back and forth to the dealer.
I've spoken to three of my biker mates today and every one said there's no way a battery should be going flat after 12 days, let alone when it has a optimum charger on it every time I go back to work.I'll see what happens on Monday, but it really has left a disappointing feeling dealing with this dealer on a new bike (first time I've ever purchased a new bike) from themselves.
I had a BMW K1100 which would go flat in a week. Old battery, but also a fierce ECU drain 24/7.
Current Ducati will go from green to amber on the ctek indicator in about a week.
Personally, I'd measure the volts of the maintenance charger and also the current it's putting in.
I assume you don't want to do too much with a bike under warranty.
Does the battery run the headlight for a good time with the engine stopped?
How far do the volts go down when cranking?
Volts when the engine is running?
If buying a new battery, be aware that due to the rules on acid these days, batteries are no longer stored 'dry charged' but may be filled and left on the shelf for months. So I would be careful to buy from a vendor with high turnover and keep the receipt.
Yuasa batteries are IMHO the best at starting bikes, but arguably not the best for holding charge in storage.
Current Ducati will go from green to amber on the ctek indicator in about a week.
Personally, I'd measure the volts of the maintenance charger and also the current it's putting in.
I assume you don't want to do too much with a bike under warranty.
Does the battery run the headlight for a good time with the engine stopped?
How far do the volts go down when cranking?
Volts when the engine is running?
If buying a new battery, be aware that due to the rules on acid these days, batteries are no longer stored 'dry charged' but may be filled and left on the shelf for months. So I would be careful to buy from a vendor with high turnover and keep the receipt.
Yuasa batteries are IMHO the best at starting bikes, but arguably not the best for holding charge in storage.
airsafari87 said:
What kind of battery did it come with? Lithium or lead acid?
What type of batteries is your trickle charger designed for? Lithium or lead acid?
It came with a lead acid battery and the charger is the same type i have on my Ducati Multistrada, its for these type of batteries, never been an issue until now, the thing that's getting me is there's a known issue with this battery from Yuasa in some Tuono's and the RAC guy's unit showed a knackered cell and needing a new one, why would he say that, its not like he's a salesman is he.What type of batteries is your trickle charger designed for? Lithium or lead acid?
t your dealing with. Totally agree guys, I'm more pi--ed with the dealers, if I'd known it would be this difficult and hard I'd of just changed the battery myself...
I'll see what they say Monday if they find anything, the thing is the dealer said they'll change it if there's any voltage drop on Monday from this morning, then in his next sentence he's saying he'd expect a normal battery to go flat within 12 days, on that logic just change the iffy battery then and be done with it?
I'll see what they say Monday if they find anything, the thing is the dealer said they'll change it if there's any voltage drop on Monday from this morning, then in his next sentence he's saying he'd expect a normal battery to go flat within 12 days, on that logic just change the iffy battery then and be done with it?
Sounds like the dealer is just deflecting it and blaming you for letting it go flat. I'd ask him, if he suggests that a battery will go flat in under 2 weeks, what the rated drain is on the bike and ask him to calculate it based in the battery capacity. Either way he won't know as he seemed to have calculated that in his head by telling you 12 days is 'expected'.
If they're still adamant on Monday it's OK, ask to see the drop test results as just monitoring voltage drop is not a valid test of a battery, it needs to be tested under load and if they think voltage drop off the bike is a valid test then they're not competent. At that point I'd replace it myself and move on after letting them know your displeasure in their response.
They're only about 40 quid.
If they're still adamant on Monday it's OK, ask to see the drop test results as just monitoring voltage drop is not a valid test of a battery, it needs to be tested under load and if they think voltage drop off the bike is a valid test then they're not competent. At that point I'd replace it myself and move on after letting them know your displeasure in their response.
They're only about 40 quid.
airsafari87 said:
For the cost of them, I'd just fit a new battery myself and be done with it.
I couldn't be done with the hassle of going between the dealer and the RAC playing a game of 'He said, She said'
Me too, If I was sure the fault was just a sick battery, not a problem with the bike killing the battery or not charging it.I couldn't be done with the hassle of going between the dealer and the RAC playing a game of 'He said, She said'
I'm an engineer, I'd be able to test the battery etc.
You don't want to buy a new battery and then find the real problem was the starter motor for instance.
Urgghhhh there's been loads of instances with the starter motor on the Tuono 660 on the internet, do you think I should ask the dealership to check that as well?
Just want bike I can ride, I've been re-capping all those amazing YouTube reviews since it went back as too why I bought one in the first place lol...
Just want bike I can ride, I've been re-capping all those amazing YouTube reviews since it went back as too why I bought one in the first place lol...
TimmyMallett said:
Sounds like the dealer is just deflecting it and blaming you for letting it go flat. I'd ask him, if he suggests that a battery will go flat in under 2 weeks, what the rated drain is on the bike and ask him to calculate it based in the battery capacity. Either way he won't know as he seemed to have calculated that in his head by telling you 12 days is 'expected'.
If they're still adamant on Monday it's OK, ask to see the drop test results as just monitoring voltage drop is not a valid test of a battery, it needs to be tested under load and if they think voltage drop off the bike is a valid test then they're not competent. At that point I'd replace it myself and move on after letting them know your displeasure in their response.
They're only about 40 quid.
Thanks I will do that on Monday when he calls, who knows they may find a problem and admit its knackered and just change it, I very much doubt it mind but here's hoping...If they're still adamant on Monday it's OK, ask to see the drop test results as just monitoring voltage drop is not a valid test of a battery, it needs to be tested under load and if they think voltage drop off the bike is a valid test then they're not competent. At that point I'd replace it myself and move on after letting them know your displeasure in their response.
They're only about 40 quid.
Its just occured to me.
Am I right in thinking that you got the bike from a dealer in Thirsk? (I won't name them)
If so, they have a good reputation and I know from personal experience that their customer service is spot, I actually have 2 bikes that were bought on Wednesday and are being delivered to me next week from them.
They aren't really known, at least in my experience, and that of a friend who has had a few bikes from them, as being slippery to deal with.
Am I right in thinking that you got the bike from a dealer in Thirsk? (I won't name them)
If so, they have a good reputation and I know from personal experience that their customer service is spot, I actually have 2 bikes that were bought on Wednesday and are being delivered to me next week from them.
They aren't really known, at least in my experience, and that of a friend who has had a few bikes from them, as being slippery to deal with.
airsafari87 said:
Its just occured to me.
Am I right in thinking that you got the bike from a dealer in Thirsk? (I won't name them)
If so, they have a good reputation and I know from personal experience that their customer service is spot, I actually have 2 bikes that were bought on Wednesday and are being delivered to me next week from them.
They aren't really known, at least in my experience, and that of a friend who has had a few bikes from them, as being slippery to deal with.
Yes Thirsk indeed, well that's good to hear and hopefully you have no issues, this is my only experience of buying a new bike from a dealer and tbh I wouldn't say its been a brilliant experience for me personally. I'm still at a loss how a battery can keep going flat and the guy at the dealership reckons a modern battery can run flat in 12 days (pretty sure that wouldn't be in any sales pitch) and why he'd think the RAC guys diagnostic machine isn't capable of identifying a bad cell and recommending a new battery which it did.Am I right in thinking that you got the bike from a dealer in Thirsk? (I won't name them)
If so, they have a good reputation and I know from personal experience that their customer service is spot, I actually have 2 bikes that were bought on Wednesday and are being delivered to me next week from them.
They aren't really known, at least in my experience, and that of a friend who has had a few bikes from them, as being slippery to deal with.
But I'm new to biking so I'll wait and see what happens, I'm just hoping to get it resolved and have a bike I want to be able to ride any time without having to worry about if it'll start.
It's worth a mention that *sometimes* smart chargers can have a wobbly. I left a battery on an Optimate once... went to use the bike and it was dead.
I think it got stuck on the "test" phase and failed to switch back to charge and ran the battery down instead.
In future when I leave a battery on charge like that I use a cheap timer that powers it off for 15mins a day.
I think it got stuck on the "test" phase and failed to switch back to charge and ran the battery down instead.
In future when I leave a battery on charge like that I use a cheap timer that powers it off for 15mins a day.
Fastdruid said:
It's worth a mention that *sometimes* smart chargers can have a wobbly. I left a battery on an Optimate once... went to use the bike and it was dead.
I think it got stuck on the "test" phase and failed to switch back to charge and ran the battery down instead.
In future when I leave a battery on charge like that I use a cheap timer that powers it off for 15mins a day.
That's interesting, I may look into a timer as well, cheers.I think it got stuck on the "test" phase and failed to switch back to charge and ran the battery down instead.
In future when I leave a battery on charge like that I use a cheap timer that powers it off for 15mins a day.
Martylaa said:
Fastdruid said:
It's worth a mention that *sometimes* smart chargers can have a wobbly. I left a battery on an Optimate once... went to use the bike and it was dead.
I think it got stuck on the "test" phase and failed to switch back to charge and ran the battery down instead.
In future when I leave a battery on charge like that I use a cheap timer that powers it off for 15mins a day.
That's interesting, I may look into a timer as well, cheers.I think it got stuck on the "test" phase and failed to switch back to charge and ran the battery down instead.
In future when I leave a battery on charge like that I use a cheap timer that powers it off for 15mins a day.
It's a bit awkward if you want to set it for specific times but if you don't care about the precise time, just that it cuts power 15min a day all you need to do is pull all the "pegs" out except one.
Fastdruid said:
I've got a couple of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01L4P5EYG (for various things, not just charging).
It's a bit awkward if you want to set it for specific times but if you don't care about the precise time, just that it cuts power 15min a day all you need to do is pull all the "pegs" out except one.
Cheers I'll order one.It's a bit awkward if you want to set it for specific times but if you don't care about the precise time, just that it cuts power 15min a day all you need to do is pull all the "pegs" out except one.
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