Archive of BMW Motorrad Club Cape (2006 - 2019)

Everyone that has read a workshop manual knows that many jobs require a "custom tool". This often means a tool which is not available to "the man in the street". However, this thread is looking at "tools" that are aimed at making it easier for you to maintain your bike. BATTERIES Looking at the price of batteries it is clear that these need to me looked after - not to mention the inconvenience when the batteries lets you down .... The Optimate type units have been discussed, and are the second step in maintaining the battery. The first step is monitoring the fluid levels of each cell in the battery. Sounds easy enough, just open the cap and "check the level" - yeah right .... In the photo below the battery is difficult to get to, and impossible to see the side which shows how high the fluid levels should be. Motorcycle battery STEP 1 - Make SURE if it is a "sealed" battery before you force the cover open to check the fluid level !! STEP 2 - Open each cell and check the fluid level. This sounds so easy - yet I often see the fluid and am not sure if it is "high enough". Thus I often end up over filling the cells. This then causes the battery fluid to spill out when you ride again. So HOW can you be SURE that the fluid levels are correct? Look at the sketch below. It is from a standard motorcycle battery, showing the "max" and "min" marks on the side of the battery, as well as the indentation of the caps. Battery level - dimensions For this particular battery the hight, measured from the level of the caps should be between 28 and 37 mm. Thus if you made a "dipstick" you could measure the hight of the fluid. Similar to the dipstick you use to check oil levels. Except oil is dark enough to level a "mark" on the dipstick - battery fluid is not. So use an earbud, and make a mark at 30 mm from the tip on the stem. Submerge the earbud until this mark is at the cap level. Take out and see if it is wet. If not you can repeat this process and submerge the earbud a bit more, and check again. If you reach the maximum depth and the earbud remains dry you need to add distilled water to the battery. NOTE If the earbud is "wet" there is ACID on it - AVOID skin contact and dispose safely !!