Just trying to say that Ducati fit a connection and give you a battery conditioner with the bike. I don't get why people wouldn't use them when laying a bike up. I've never experienced battery issues with them at all. I laid my Streetfighter up in September / October. I know it's going to start 1st time in a few weeks.
Theres nothing worse than shelling out for a new battery. Oh yes there is, its going to the bike after a lay up, hitting the button and...nothing... Battery conditioners rule!
A new battery is about the same price as an Optimate, and you only buy the Optimate once, not once every year
After a long stint on one of the Optimates, or on any of the other two or three 'intelligent' chargers in the garage, I always give the batteries a couple of hours on the old fashioned 'normal' battery charger. I've come to the conclusion that its OK to leave batteries on Optimate-type chargers forever, but you should not take it for granted they will churn a big V-Twin with the vigour required to launch them into life after a prolonged period of inactivity. In my experience they seem to keep batteries conditioned and ready to take a full charge, rather than maintain them at maximum charge.
Been using an Optimate for years. Changed my Multistrada's battery after 3 & 1/2 years as a precaution as I didn't want to risk being let down on a trip. It is still sitting as an emergency battery in case of a problem and unconnected to the bike it still holds a charge well. That said some Ducatis don't drain the battery and will probably survive a few weeks without a charge. The only time I've had problems with the bike not starting......was when I forgot to switch the Optimate back on.
Until my batteries show a sign of losing much charge between uses I'll stick with my idea. My use of the Optimate is a reassurance as much as anything, it just tells me the battery seems ok and still up to the task. If I'm not using a bike more often than monthly, even in the winter, I'd think it was wasted - but that's just my idea. I want them at immediate notice, 12 months a year...
I leave my bikes on an Optimate 24/7 during the winter and have had no problems. Like ET, I started my bike after 4 mos with no probs whatsoever. I have also never had to buy a new battery for any of my bikes, although I do buy new bikes and change them every three years as a rule.
My Optimate shows my duff Dynavolt as being fully charged when although it might show 12+ volts on a meter it doesn't have enough amps to turn the bike over. That's my frustration, the Optimate says its good when in fact it's not.
