The Guzzi Factory Immobiliser

I have had, from new, the ginuine immobiliser/alarm fitted to my bike. It has already been replaced once after motoring along in Shitney traffic and suddenly cutting the engine, pulled over and miraculously came back to life after an hour.

I have heard reports of it flattening the battery, but had never experienced this myself, until now.

In a period a 5 days, my battery went from full charged to clickety, click, click. Unable to prove it faulty one way or t'other, I decided I would remove it completely. Took about an hour and took the chance to change some of the shitty zinc(?) plated allen head bolts with ridgy didge stainless items. Lift the seat and the bolt look good!

Before: Battery fully charged, 14.2 volts, after 2 days, 13.1 volts, after another 2 days, 12.5 volts, next cold morning, click.

After: battery fully charged, 14.2 volts, 2 days later, 13.4 volts, 2 days later again, 13.2 volts, easy to start.

Seems to me that the immobiliser/alarm is the problem child, and now shall stay in the box in the cupboard until it decides it's going to play nicely in the sandpit!

Warning: I have a Lithium battery, which needs to be charged to 14.2 volts to fully charge it - I use a power supply at work or home (not a battery charger, and especially not one with a de-sulphuriser built in) and takes around 1 hour to fully charge the battery. The charging system is nominally 13.8 volts on motor vehicles, but it may be higher or lower. It looks like mine is lower, which is not a big deal. A Lithium battery should hold a charge for up to a year, and get 80% of a recharge done in under 10 minutes.

I shall now see how long this takes before I (and if) have issues again. I was suspecting the alternator, but have not heard of one instance of the alternator going west.

Funny thing Tony, after the rebuild on the now green GRiSO the  charge rate is now up to 14 volts, it was as low as 13.2 at 4000 rpm before. Only thing I can put it down to is that all the earth points were cleaned up.  

I had issues early on with mine eating batteries... I was leaving the bike for several weeks hiatus as I sailed off to work.
Upon return, not even clicky click.
After a bit of scratching, worked out that the little magic numbers machine ticking over, quietly marking the demise of the universe, sucks the cells to death.
Solution: trickle charger.... got one, but nah.... whenever I'm off for a swing now I just pull the two main fuses.
All is good now, and the system even gets reset when I stick 'em back in!
'Course, I am wearing out the rubber select button well before its time by resetting the clock every month...

All good now, I am happy to report. Yes time marches on Pat, and waits for no one. Ron, fine o nthe earth situation.

Earths - now that is an oxymoron if ever there was one. we have a machine here that has its earth at up to 10 MV (yes folks, that's 10 million volts) and is a real design challenge to keep delicate electronics alive (the ones that use 5, 12, 15 or even a massive 24V for running purposes). Folds, EARTH IS NOT EARTH!

nor is ground, ground. It is simply a reference point (sometimes call 0V even). maybe we should go back to calling it positive (+ve) and negative (-ve) just for something different. don'r get these two mixed up, or you will have the pommy disease of the +ve going to the chassis - it's all very confusing - I think I need a rum!