696 - Where's the battery?

Rocket51 · #1 (**permalink**) 02-08-2009, 04:45 AM

Went to start the 696...turned the key and didn't get so much as a blip. No digital info...Nothin'. The bike is COMPLETELY dead. Hooked the pig nose up to my battery tender, and it won't even begin to take a charge. It doesn't seem likely that the battery is finished, so I'm thinking a connection is loose.

There's nothing in the owners manual about the location of the battery...only that you can recharge it with the pig nose. Here's my question:

How much disassembling would it take to get to the battery connection?

Being that the bike is under warranty, I could just take it in...but the dealership is an hour away (plus I'm horrified by the idea of trailering it through the salty spray of a melting Michigan highway).

**CrimsonCloak** · #2 (**permalink**) 02-08-2009, 08:22 AM

It's under the tank. Remove seat, faux tank panels, then actual tank.

Rocket51 · #3 (**permalink**) 02-08-2009, 03:10 PM

Thanks.

I found this at DucatiMonster.org (for future reference)

Not as hard as you think. First get a 3 mm hex key and remove all the side panel screws and remove the screws that hold the cover around the gas filler cap, and remove the two plastic side panels. After the screws are out the side panels the panels slide forward and will come out. There are two hex screws (size ?) that have to be removed to release the fuel tank. One is under the tank and is accessed from the rear with about a 1 foot extension for the hex bit. The other is on the front rt side and is quite obvious. There is enough fuel hose on the tank that you can simply prop-up the front of the tank with a piece or wood or anything convenient and get access to the battery. I put battery tender leads on my 696. Hardest part is removing all the small screws that hold the side panels and cover for the fuel tank. Hope this helps. My dealer showed me all the details before I did the job.

**CrimsonCloak** · #4 (**permalink**) 02-08-2009, 07:50 PM

The hardest part is not losing any of those tiny allen screws!

Tricky little buggers

Rocket51 · #5 (**permalink**) 02-19-2009, 01:38 AM

I couldn't figure out the problem. So I put it all back together and took it to the dealership. Turns out the Battery (I bought the bike in August) was puting out 3 volts...#@$%&! They've got to warranty the battery, so I've been without the bike for a little over a week.

So it goes.