I keep my 899 plugged in to the oximiser all the time when not in use after the clock change at the weekend I decided to reset the time on my bike so switched off the oximiser switch the ignition on without starting the engine and change the time switched off and plugged the optimiser back in only to find the indicator had gone down to 3 bars after a very short time! The battery is only just over two years old and what not expect the battery to be fooked do they only hold a small charge?
A battery will normally last 2/3 yrs depending on some variables. how often you use the bike, cold storage conditions etc. How many miles you done in the two yrs and what time frame ? I only plug the bike in once a week for 24hrs max, i do not think that constantly keeping a battery plugged in to an optimate does any good, unless its particularly cold. ( your post needs a bit of decoding btw :Bookworm: ).
The done around 3k and used most of the year also it does have a tracker fitted that's why I leave it on the optimiser
i see.....i wouldnt really go with the dial on the charger, play it more by ear. If the bike is starting to show physical signs of battery wear, then change it. Loads of opinions on batteries, but get one with good ampage and one that holds a decent charge. I find the Motobatt good, but others dont.
I had a similar issue with mine over the weekend. After fitting my wrapped rear header I decided to play around in the menu, changed the clock and had a go with the lap timer. Anyway, long story short is that I killed the battery enough for the bike not to start the next time I tried. Plugging the trickle charger in over night cured it, but it didn't take much for mine to drop its charge. I think mine must be due a battery soon...
My 899 is 15 months old with 1100 miles and the battery is pretty weak tbh. I've had it on an optimiser quite a bit since I've had it (6 weeks) but if it's not been on charge or started for a week it struggles to turn over a little. It does have a tracker which I assume doesn't help matters.
Yeah I think that the tracker makes a huge difference! My bike will last 3 weeks easy and still start (new in March 2015 and with 3500 miles on it) but another lad at my work that has a tracker fitted will find his bike dead after a week...
Mine's 20 mths old, no tracker, no charger. Parked up mid nov and got it out 3 weeks ago as working away. I turned the key expecting it to be dead but fired into life no problem. When it does finally give up i'll get a lithium one as 75% lighter and last longer.
My 899 lasts about a week (tracker fitted) Scrambler has no issues after 3 weeks, both similar age and miles! Use the Ducati maintainer on the 899 every week for couple of days
