K11 Owners Group

[Grunter]

How many years would you expect to get out of a battery fitted to a K1100. I have just changed mine when it refused to even turn the engine, this was after an overnight trickle charge. (Sealed lead acid type).

I was quite surprised to find that the date it was activated was 2006 - after 11 years of use I think it has done the job well.. I hope the new one gives as good a service. The old one was a BMW branded Exide and the new one is branded YUASA, but also sealed lead acid.

What I didn't like was the price - £75 Stirling = approx 98 US dollars. The recent replacement battery for my car which obviously was a lot bigger, only cost me approx £45 (approx 58 US Dollars)
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1997 K1100LT
1994 R1100RS

[Stoked Steve]

I would expect 5-6 years from a new battery if kept regularly on a tender. Maybe 3-4 if not.

I just put a new AGM (absorbed glass mat) battery from Motobatt in my VStrom that I hope will last 6+ years kept on a tender. Cost was $90 US shipped.

The original 5 yo battery was doing fine, but I just didn't want to chance being caught on a trip (HMX!) and have issues. I am a firm believer in regular battery tender use.
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Steve
Virginia Beach, VA
93 K1100RS Mystic Red SOLD
12 Suzuki DL650A VStrom

[RAL88]

I also got 11 years on my Odysee battery kept on a battery tender.
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Rich

"If it ain't broke, take it apart and make it work better"
*************
'96' K1100LT-SE
'97' R850GS-R

[waynedear]

I know your pain, £65 for the K, £20 for a used one for the car 2nd hand.
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K1100lt 93

[Grunter]

After checking the usual parts dealers prices and finding they were all within a £1 or so of each other. Then I checked the website of a Auto spares Company in UK called "Halfords".

Normally I would not touch them for anything to do with a bike and the spares I may need, but they were selling the same batteries for around the same price, actually a £1 or so cheaper and there was a store within 3 miles from where I live. So I got one that day and didn't have to pay the extortionate cost of delivery!
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1997 K1100LT
1994 R1100RS

[RobBowker]

Re: Halfords in the UK

The current battery price (excuse the pun) is £74 and very convenient to pick up. If you search Yuasa YT19BL-BS on eBay, you'll get one for £48 with free overnight delivery - which is what I aim to do. It has the same AGM tech as Odyssey for less than half the cost plus right shape terminal posts. I had a Yuasa on my old NTV which only let me down after 5 year's neglect in service and 12 years off the bike (deep neglect?) in storage. My reason for caution and not blowing £100+ on an Odyssey battery is that although I seriously doubt the health of the Varta battery fitted to the bike, It MAY be something else which will fry a new battery in the same way the Varta seems to have met its end.

BTW, starter relay's good. A noise with the ignition key out was coming from the starter motor area but it wasn't turning over the engine, just whirring away. I removed the battery as quickly as panic allowed and charged it for 8 hours @ 900mA before the indicator showed 14V.

Bike starts as easily as it ever did (always a BIT laboured from cold) but the ABS is flashing and battery is bubbling away but failing to reach full charge. I think it was flying duck who mentioned low voltage making for unhappy ABS (mine isn't cycling through its self-test at start-up + 15 yards or so, not even after riding and restarting). So just wondering, is it all to do with voltage or connected to amperage also?

Also, when I fit the new charged-up Yuasa battery, do I need to "reset" the ABS by messing with the blue plug, assuming it was lack of Volts or Amperes causing it not to cycle?

Love and hugs,

Rob
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1998 K1100LT SE
1995 Honda NTV 650 P (now sold)
1986 BMW R80RT TIC (the money pit - sold)
1981 CX500B (sold)
1981 Honda C70 (sold)
1981 Honda C90 (written off on a gravelly bend!)
1960s BSA Bantam D7 (never did get it running)

[Grunter]

Assuming you have the ABS 2, if the battery is fully charged before you fit it then I don't see why you should have to reset the ABS.

The Yuasa I fitted was only partially charged (Showed only 11 volts on a digital meter) after the acid was filled into the cells and took a further 5 hours on a 1.5a charger before the charging lights on the charger changed from amber to green. It is now showing over 13V and always on a maintenance charge.

Whilst I have disabled the ABS on my K11 following a fault it didn't affect me so even if yours shows the alternate flashing lights, a short run, perhaps a couple of miles or so, followed by stopping and switching off the motor and restarting should be enough to get it functioning correctly.

If it is ABS 1 then it is the blue plug I'm afraid.
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1997 K1100LT
1994 R1100RS

[RobBowker]

Thanks Grunter. Yes, ABS2. I'll charge my new Yuasa fully before fitting and see how it goes. Should be here tomorrow.
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1998 K1100LT SE
1995 Honda NTV 650 P (now sold)
1986 BMW R80RT TIC (the money pit - sold)
1981 CX500B (sold)
1981 Honda C70 (sold)
1981 Honda C90 (written off on a gravelly bend!)
1960s BSA Bantam D7 (never did get it running)

[Grunter]

Going from the picture for your Avatar, you have the same bike as myself. Canyon Red and Glacier Grey. Bloody heavy but comfortable
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1997 K1100LT
1994 R1100RS

[RobBowker]

SNAP! I thought it was called Fjord Grey - either way, a slow uphill turn on a dark and stormy night means that my r/h mirror is now a minty green replacement from Mortorworks. The weight, for a 10st weakling like me, was a bit of an issue and I still only straddle and paddle it when the engine's not running - I can't wheel it about from the side more than a foot or so. But underway and regardless of the weather, it is the loveliest bike to ride. I've also pulled out the radio (didn't work, and if it did...) and backrest after the rack broke. It had no function and weighs a ton. Ditching the cargo net/vanity mirror in the top box lid also means it now takes my full face helmet. Hopefully the replacement top box rack will last longer. I still marvel at the ability to ride through a rain storm and come out dry at the other end. Mileage is just approaching 40K.
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1998 K1100LT SE
1995 Honda NTV 650 P (now sold)
1986 BMW R80RT TIC (the money pit - sold)
1981 CX500B (sold)
1981 Honda C70 (sold)
1981 Honda C90 (written off on a gravelly bend!)
1960s BSA Bantam D7 (never did get it running)

[Grunter]

Yes indeed I had been looking at something else when I wrote the wrong colour name.

I too have removed the radio, when I go away to Europe, space is more important to me than listening to drivel on the radio. The Top Box backrest is too go as well, it actually weighs 12 pounds and that is a lot of dead weight to carry with no purpose. I have a buyer for both. Yes the weight is a bit ofa bind and getting it into the garage is a bit of an adopted skill to gt past the other bike in there.

Both my mirrors have been resprayed to cover up various scratches incurred over the years it has been running. Apart from that it is a K1100 and non the worse for it.

The ABS went AWOL after I used the bike on a flooded road, but I've never missed it

It had only 17500 miles recorded when I bought it just over 2 years ago and it now has close on 33000. Even the oil consumption has dropped of significantly.
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1997 K1100LT
1994 R1100RS

[RobBowker]

Removing the backrest and rear speakers certainly takes a lot of the strain off the plastic rack. It did leave a scuffed surface and several drill holes. I found a Halfords grommet for the power supply hole but have just taped over the rest. Already it looks a LOT better as well. I'd considered proper filling and painting but I might wait until I see a scrap lid going.

*should add that when I was stripping the unwanted ballast from the top box, the lower backrest bolts through into dense foam. You may have a miserable time trying to undo the screws without making it a)unsecured and b) unusable in future. I left the lower backrest when I realised it was going to be more trouble than any problem it was going to solve.
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1998 K1100LT SE
1995 Honda NTV 650 P (now sold)
1986 BMW R80RT TIC (the money pit - sold)
1981 CX500B (sold)
1981 Honda C70 (sold)
1981 Honda C90 (written off on a gravelly bend!)
1960s BSA Bantam D7 (never did get it running)

[Grunter]

The backrest is already off and gathering dust in the garage until the buyer comes to collect.The holes left in the top, I have filled with rubber grommets bought fron Screwfix and look quite neat.
There is only one scuff mark I cannot remove where it has gone through the paint to the plastic base, but the others polished out quite well. The combined weight of the top box and back rest must have put a strain on the carrier. There is about 3mm free play between the carrier and the seat base whe I stow tools etc and this is next in line to be padded out with rubber to stop the shakes.
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1997 K1100LT
1994 R1100RS

[RobBowker]

Yuasa YT19BL-BS battery charged at last. Exactly the same dimensions as the Varta it replaces. I only have a 900mA 'intelligent' charger and it has taken approx. 26 hours to move from charge to float mode. Battery cell cover now installed all the way. Time for a test ride I think - in the rain!
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1998 K1100LT SE
1995 Honda NTV 650 P (now sold)
1986 BMW R80RT TIC (the money pit - sold)
1981 CX500B (sold)
1981 Honda C70 (sold)
1981 Honda C90 (written off on a gravelly bend!)
1960s BSA Bantam D7 (never did get it running)

[RobBowker]

Hi Grunter, I seem to have sorted my ABSII problem.

http://k11og.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3947&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=

Basically, I just needed to charge the battery and reset the fault code. Story's longer than that though - bikes being what they are.
_________________
1998 K1100LT SE
1995 Honda NTV 650 P (now sold)
1986 BMW R80RT TIC (the money pit - sold)
1981 CX500B (sold)
1981 Honda C70 (sold)
1981 Honda C90 (written off on a gravelly bend!)
1960s BSA Bantam D7 (never did get it running)