To a degree, you do pay for what you get with batteries. Motobatt are good, and my original Yuasa in the Z is still going strong after six and half years. Don't know about Nitro?

I reckon, if you're careful not to mark the battery and you claim "it didn't fit", you'd get away with sending it back?

Check the resting voltage first on the one you've got. Make sure the bike hasn't run and charged it for at least 24 hours, so the voltage will have dropped to its baseline level. Even better, disconnected it for 24 hours, so you can be sure there's no spurious drain on it from the bike's immobiliser/clock/dash back-up. Anything from 12.5V and up is good, 12.3/12.4 is OK, but marginal and anything less than that is poor.

Many thanks, I'll test tomorrow.

So, the bike started at 6am this morning rather than rely on the train and spend �19 for the pleasure, I took the bike up on it's offer to take me to work.

I know this will mess with battery voltage readings.

If the bike were a person, I'd say it lacked confidence when it started - it was fast, but not straight away and I didn't think it would kick in.

So voltage readings at 19:30 (3degC)
Off = 13.16V
Ignition on = 12.94V
Engine Running 13.88V
Whilst starting = around 10.15V

All looks pretty healthy - I'll keep testing and riding. Come the weekend, I'll give it the 24hr no use unless it fails to start before then.

The garage was closed today so couldn't ask if they did a CCA test.

Thanks,

Chris

Those figures do indeed look alright.

Be interesting to see how much of a voltage drop you get after it's stood for a while though?

It will be, I'll keep riding and monitoring - I'll report back if anything changes. Come the weekend, i'll get my hands dirty too.

Thanks for all your help gents - I'd like to say that's the bike sorted - but deep down inside I know it can't be.

So....

Started fine Tue & Wed (Monday wasn't instant).

Today (Wed) I had rain - started fine, thought to myself the bike seems to be running very well. 1/2 way along a 20min motorway ride I notice the engine stutters badly above 4k revs (scary at 70mph). Keep revs low and try to relax.

Get to the end of the motorway and it decides to stutter at idle - worried it will cut out, so rev hard to keep it going. 10mins later at Henley's Corner, the engine cuts out and won't restart. 3rd or 4th go it restarts but pulling throttle seems to decrease revs (???) engine finally behaves and I keep revving at traffic lights just in case. By the time I get to work at Spitalfields 20mins later it idles as thought there was never a problem. Switch off engine and successfully restarts.

Argh!

Oh and the battery's been keeping it's charge too. Only took readings when off and ignition on - At 6am I don't fancy faffing about with noise any longer than necessary.

Best get that tank off and check the injector wiring. Beginning to sound very much like that could be the root of your woes?

Boohoo,I thought you'd say that.

I've seen what I'm looking for, if the cable is still there can I just use some heat shrink casing on it, then put some foam between the cable and the frame and it could be ok?

How long would it take your average joe to remove the tank?

Anyone know of large Jerry can suppliers?

Thanks again.

Chris

Assuming it is the injector spur, you should be able to repair any damage to the wires quite easily. You may have to peel back some of the looms wrapping to get enough slack to play with. Use solder to repair the conductor (if required) and heat shrink or self-amalgamating tape to repair the insulation. Once repaired it would be wise to fit a foam pad like the original link you saw to this fault ( http://www.xt660.com/showthread.php?t=23331).

I reckon (if its your first time) it takes about half an hour to remove the tank and about the same to put it back. You do not need to necessarily drain the tank into a Jerry can as the pipe union on the pump body is self-sealing; the only issue is the weight. If you've got half a tank of fuel or less you will be able to man-handle it. With a full tank it's still possible, but 23 litres of fuel weighs about 20Kg!

Here's a good thread to guide you through removing and refitting the tank...

http://www.xt660.com/showthread.php?t=8876