Weedy Battery On This Bike..

Optimate 4 is a great bit of kit for looking after the battery over the closed season, which is currently running for the whole bloody year. I can't remember that last time a battery failed on me. I've been using Optimate 3 and now 4's for years. As says about, it checks the condition of the battery every now and ten and will only charges as and when required.

 

Like they said, you need an Optimate (or similar). I've got 3, one for each bike, and they're connected when the bikes are at home in the garage. Never had a problem.

 

Hmmm...my own experience with many harleys is that they tend to have a maximum duration of about 3 weeks without use before they fail to start the bike. Maybe I've just been unlucky.
I use a double optimate for both Triumphs which live outside. Whilst the bikes never fail to start I do wonder if one day I'll get a nasty surprise parking overnight in winter away from home.
But so far so good with the optimate.

 

Do you have any current draw from an alarm or immobiliser etc? Assuming no current draw, LA batteries will typically self discharge around 4-6% per month depending on temperature, plus, the rated capacity will drop by about 1% for every deg below 20deg C so, if your bike isn't in regular use and is stored outside or in an unheated shed or garage you're better off removing the battery or connecting a maintenance charger if possible On battery charging I'm not a fan of leaving any charger permanently connected. I use a Ctek charger on a timer which comes on for around 90mins every day. Fortunately the bikes are in a garage attached to the house, unheated but the CH boiler is in there so while nowhere near as warm as the house it's frost free.

 

There's no harm in leaving the battery connected to an Optimate for as long as you like, weeks if necessary. As Bonne Phil says, it tests the condition of the battery at regular intervals and only charges it if it needs it, which it will do if left on an unused bike during the winter. It isn't charging constantly. It won't harm the battery. If it did then Optimate (or whoever makes them) would lose a ton of business.

 

I have an Optimate 4 battery charger/optimiser. I bought it because modern bikes with their fancy doodads consume a little power all the time so if you are not riding regularly your battery will eventually end up flat. They do not like being left flat for extended periods of time. Most of the time the charger appears to do bugger all but whenever I have gone to start the bike it zaps straight into life without hesitation. Given the price of a replacement battery and the associated shagnasty I reckon the £50 I spent on it was worth it.

 

I use the Ctek periodically on the SUV even though it gets used maybe 2-4 times PW but they're mainly short journeys and the intake heater pulls almost 50A for around 30-60 secs after cold startup which gradually reduces battery charge even though it has 2 x 95ah HD batteries. The alarm pulls around 35ma when parked up so isn't really a problem.

 

I have a few bike and ALL of the newer bikes need to be charged at most once a month.

I have put a meter on them and all draw some current even with "everything" off. I think prob immobilizers, alarms etc etc take their toll

I use a CTEK XS 0.8 and leave it connected moving round, once a week.
You do need power though. For my lockup which has no power I use a charger from a radio control model (used to charge model car batteries) most charge lead acids as well and run off 12 V. Small car battery and a few hours keeps them topped up.

OR as I have done on some just disconnect the battery when not used for a while

 

I would agree with what many others say, either invest in an Optimate or consider buying a Shido Lithium battery, I realise they are not cheap (£74 from Sportsbikeshop), from experience I would avoid the Motobatt brand, batteries are complex, more than people realise. Personally I fit quality batteries, nothing worse than being in the "back of beyond" and you get the CLICK - CLICK - CLICK when you want to go back home.

 

Be a little cautious of the "indicator" charge cables such as CTEK Indicator. U have found they draw about 1.5mA on average so while nice to see when a battery is low, on small batteries actually flatten the battery faster the natural self discharge or the bike.
I now use a cut down charger extension with a multimeter on it.

Plug it in, 12.8V 100% charged, 11.8V totally flat. (nominal after leaving to settle for a few hours after being charged). I usually put mine back on charge when it hits about 12.4 volts, just above 50% discharged.

 

I've gone the Lithium battery route on my Tuono and will probably do the same when the present battery on the Thruxton gives up the ghost, but be aware with Lithium batteries, you need a battery charger/tender that is suitable for use with lithium types. An ordinary lead acid trickle charger will bugger up your new expensive lithium battery.

 

In my opinion the main advantage of lithium is lightness, now of you have a super lightweight bike the extra 5kg may make a difference but on most bikes it's not worth the effort.
The control required with multicell lithium cost and complexity negatives for me far outweigh advantages at the moment.
I'll be sticking with a good quality AGM call for the future on most standard bikes.

 

My Road King has an Odissey fitted, left 4 months and still fires up. Great batteries these.
My other bikes have the Lithium Ion batteries, even then they can be a struggle to start. The Odissey seems to be the best so far.
The Bonny has the standard battery which so far have no issues with.

 

Hi folks

All batteries suffer from self discharge over time, some worse that others.
Quality of battery is a factor by chemistry is by far the biggest.

Wet cell, AGM, Gel, Lithium all are different but from experience there are two major factors which over ride the self discharge which on most cell will be 6 months plus from charged down to 50% ( I find below 50% that's when it may struggle to start a bike and I put mine back on charge)

1) Age of battery, as batteries age they develop sulphides, these sort of short out the plates causing internal current paths and significantly increase self discharge.

2) Draw of current from the bike, old bikes, ignition key off, bike was off. No so for many modern bikes with active keys, immobilizers, clocks etc.

So in short a good battery, replace when you have to "keep charging" their not that expensive now and if you going to leave for a long time, just disconnect the battery.

 

I keep a very inexpensive battery tender on my sports car all winter. When Spring arrives, it never fails to start right up. Same battery since 2014.