Battery Charging Over Winter

If you are going to overwinter the bike and are prepared to go through the nausea of resetting the clock and mph, I’d remove the battery and keep it in the house. Lead acid chemistry batteries will continually discharge, regardless, even when disconnected, so a trickle every 6 to 8 weeks should keep it in tiptop condition until you want to use it. Just my take on it. Andy

 

If by trickle charge you mean on a smart battery maintainer like an optimate or better still ctek you should be fine. These will make sure it has a full charge to start with and then perform regular monitoring and maintenance charges. I have several vehicles that sit on smart battery maintainers all year around and this seems to massively extend the battery life (ctek maintainer - ymmv)

 

It’ll be fine as long as it’s a proper battery maintainer not just a trickle charger.

 

Yeah just get an optimate, the issue with lead acid is that they sulfate if left too long. Unless it’s had a lithium one out in it? If it has, take it off and bring it in the house warm and leave the bike without a battery

 

CTEK works for me & my petrol/ diesel toys

 

CTEK also here for the stop/start battery on the diesel VDub
Oxford Oximiser on both bikes over winter.

 

Ride more often

 

If your bike is going into Hibernation why did you have to order a battery now.
Nowadays you don't get the acid with the battery They are ready filled. Depending where you bought itThe battery could have been sat about for ages eating its life away.
I don't know in most cases whether they are filled before sending to the retailer or filled by the retailer before sending to you
Halfords are filled and put on the shelf. They are supposed to charge them regularly or I believe that's the case

 

Mines on a ctek all year round. Battery is 7 years old now. Its always a nervous time getting it out and starting it for the first time after winter though.

 

My local retailer fills them at time of purchase.

Halfords are already filled, hence why occasionally they will have a clear out. I believe @Chris and @Jez900ie have both bought at a discount Halford batteries when they’re close to or past their best date.

 

Thats certainly true.

I forgot to rotate the charger and perhaps my bargain battery is now toast? Still I put it on my CTEK repair mode for 48hours and the green light came on! So my plan is to wait until Wednesday coming -which will be a week post recharge/repair- and test it then. Fingers crossed that I can then keep trickle charging it for another five years. LOL

 

I have a car battery which has been on my ctek for the last 9 odd years - but the battery is now 13 years old and still going strong starting the car with no difficulties (no mean feat as it's a high compression engine with competition cams). I can't guarantee everyone will have the same remarkable result but I'm totally impressed by it. The same smart charger has also "saved" a couple of other batteries that I thought were lost to the world.

 

problem is, as you will know or not Jez, it can show "charged "and over 12 V but sometimes still no good when you put a load on it. something I was trying to intimate in a "DM "

 

sounds like you have a quality battery there, still happens to me now and then, but more by luck than judgement. not questioning that the charging method and sequence is vital but what make battery? One make that I have found that lasts longer than others in the last 10 years at a fairly reasonable price is Varta. I can remember a Sonnenschien that lasted over five years as well.

 

Varta are quality Batteries, they are the same as Bosch. The one on my old van lasted well over 10 years.

 

Provided the voltmeter still shows 12+v on Wednesday, I'll slip it into the Monster (hi comp pistons/ cams etc). If it can fire that devil up, it will have all the load I need! If not its going in the recycling.

Following my stupidity of letting the battery go flat, I've looked through the internet and found what appear to be solid independant articles supporting the CTEK restore method. Fingers crossed.

 

sadly the same for my two

EDIT sorry, I should have clarified, they are not dead yet but I'm pretty suspicious and will try and harness one to start a motorbike soon hopefully

 

I'm impressed by some of these numbers. On cars and bikes I regard batteries as a consumable and simply replace them precautionarily at 5 years regardless of apparent health. Esp with modern cars they generally fail suddenly and without warning and you can guarantee that it won't be at a good time.

 

Regular shoutout for my preferred maintainer. The Noco Genius range. Works well for me