RiderSite.com - Motorcycle Forums

Does anyone know how Optimate IIIs work? I only use the Optimate to charge the battery, if I haven't used the bike for a couple of weeks, before I go out (say on a Friday night).

Since the last battery change about a year ago, what often happens is I plug in the Optimate and it goes to charging (orange) OK.

After a while it show fully charged (green). If I leave it connected it sometimes goes to weak (red) after a while, and if I try to start the bike at that point, it won't - so I don't even try now.

To get it off red, I need to switch the Optimate off and back on, after which it is back to charging and it eventually goes green again. When it's green, I can start the bike with a good rate of turn-over and it's all fine.

I'm not sure why it sometimes goes red after green when left.

Any one???

The red led indicates the batterys charge is not beind sustained.

There are several possibilities for this - would you like me to post up the Optimate intruction sheet ?

Here it is anyway....

In other words maybe your battery is Knackered!

Mine maintains a constant green and only goes red if the power is switched off whilst the battery is still connected.

F9

Mine goes to red if i start the bike without disconnecting it Have to turn it off and on to reset it

Also goes red if i knock the crappy connector that hooks to the battery. Off and on again.

Only time it went red and wouldnt start was when the battery was mullered

The connectors of the optimate are basically crap. It will indicate a bad battery if these are worn out. Go to maplins or similar and get some proper ones. I had e mails from optimate basically saying the same thing.

Johnl

johnl wrote:The connectors of the optimate are basically crap. It will indicate a bad battery if these are worn out. Go to maplins or similar and get some proper ones. I had e mails from optimate basically saying the same thing.

Johnl

They will fall apart tho if you forget and move the bike, or someone trips over the cable.

well whats cheaper new battery, new optimate or a couple of connectors. I think that they are tamiya or similar. Once you disturb the charging circuit it shows red on the panel.

Johnl

Thank guys. So, I need to disconnect the battery and try the process again. I wonder if the drain caused by the alarm could be enough to make the Optimate think the charge is not being held. I'll try it disconnected and see.

I have one of these with a hardwired connector zip tied in so I dont have to take the seat off all the time. I too lost a battery even when the optimate was connected and showing a good charge. It transpired that the connector lead was shagged and I had been plugging it in when the power to the optimate was already switched on. It then does not read true. The answer was to get a new connect lead and only switch power on when all is connected and ready to go. Got no problems now. If you have the ols style permanent lead connected, it has no cap on it and will get wet or ganked up. I dont ride in the wet so I thought it was OK until I left it a couple of months and the alarm sucked all the juice .