Battery charging time of year

[stuartb]

Well lads its that time of year. Just been reading that thread on HID lights and the Canbus system that we have on our bikes. How does it go with charging my battery.

Knowing not a lot on Canbus I read thru a few features and watched some videos..theres a lot of info on the web, I grasped the basics of it.

The question is, Ive an oxford optimate trickle charger is it ok to put that on my battery.

If not what do I have to buy.


Cheers the noo..


Stuart

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[alex]

Optimate attaches directly to the battery using the supplied fly-lead. This is fine with Canbus as its not like you leave it attached when riding


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[stuartb]

Thanks Alex. Ive used them for a long time I was curious if there was anything to watch out for.


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[stuartb]

And Im presuming I can leave the Fly Lead attached to the battery as I have done in all my previous bikes ?

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[alex]

Yes I leave it in, with the end in the tail unit so you only have to open the cowl to get at it.


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[stuartb]

Cheers for that

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[phil]

How many of you lot keep your trickle charger on all the time during winter?

 

[mibridger]

I usually do, but I changed my battery for a LiPo (Lithium) one, so I will not be leaving it on, they are supposed to last several months before needing to be charged.

 

[soofsayer]

How many of you lot keep your trickle charger on all the time during winter?

I leave my bikes on trickle charge whenever they are in the garage.

 

[MacRR]

I don't normally bother using a trickle charger but I did have some post winter problems this year with the bike cutting out and not re-starting which ultimately I put down to an undercharged battery, so I will be using a trickle charger this year.

 

[fast_ryan]

Battery

Last winter I just put the bike away after the last trackday of the season in November and left it until March and the battery was absolutely fine. I don't intend on doing anything different this year.

 

[Stephen]

You're probably better off trickle charging it and then leaving it off charge for a few weeks and repeat. I think (and this is just my theory) the battery gets 'used' to being on charge. Quite often if we take a bike in p/x and the owner says 'battery's good, it's always on a trickle charge!' It means after 10 days in the shop without being on charge it will be flat.

 

[soofsayer]

You're probably better off trickle charging it and then leaving it off charge for a few weeks and repeat. I think (and this is just my theory) the battery gets 'used' to being on charge. Quite often if we take a bike in p/x and the owner says 'battery's good, it's always on a trickle charge!' It means after 10 days in the shop without being on charge it will be flat.

The ctek chargers I use exercise the battery and go through a charge / discharge routine to keep the battery healthy, can't say I have had problems in 8 years with ctek chargers - one replacement battery due to age and another because I forgot to leave it on charge and it drained and became damaged lol. Maybe your experiences are down to customers telling a variation of the truth, 'battery is old and stuffed but I keep it on a charge so I dont have to spend any money on it'. lol.

 

[RickS1K]

You're probably better off trickle charging it and then leaving it off charge for a few weeks and repeat. I think (and this is just my theory) the battery gets 'used' to being on charge. Quite often if we take a bike in p/x and the owner says 'battery's good, it's always on a trickle charge!' It means after 10 days in the shop without being on charge it will be flat.

So, I have two bikes and one trickle charger. Am I ok to e.g. swap them round on the charger each month when they're in the garage?

 

[Stephen]

So, I have two bikes and one trickle charger. Am I ok to e.g. swap them round on the charger each month when they're in the garage?

Yea that would work well. Though as soof said the quality of the charger probably makes a difference to wether you can leave it on at all times...

If there's no discharge and it starts ok does it need to go on charge?

I'll just be leaving mine and seeing how it is in February

 

[ekdg]

I have one charger and two bikes and just give them a charge once a month through the winter, i don't leave them on just until the charger says its no longer charging.
I have heard problems with leaving them on charge all the time.

 

[phil]

You're probably better off trickle charging it and then leaving it off charge for a few weeks and repeat. I think (and this is just my theory) the battery gets 'used' to being on charge. .

+1, I have my bikes on trickle charge approx 1 week in 4.

 

[phil]

The ctek chargers I use exercise the battery and go through a charge / discharge routine to keep the battery healthy, can't say I have had problems in 8 years with ctek chargers .

I think that is the make I have, I used to have a different make and stopped leaving it on charge as I thought it was the charger that killed the battery (?).. hence post above.

 

[Skel]

2 bikes one charger so I always remove battery's around this time of year. I then start to trickle charge them one month before I need them again. One week on one week off and never had any bother.


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[alex]

Keeping the battery in a warm ish house is usually better - if you're not using the bike then removing it and having it in doors can't hurt...till you kick it with bare feet.