battery storage for winter

[550ERAT]

I'm sure this has been addresed but.....for the winter....battery in or out of bike? disconnect or leave connected? battery tender or no? connected to battery tender all the time? I did this last year and my battery dried out and died. the battery is new (this summer), and don't want to buy another one in the spring if I don't have to. Thanks.....

[Boondocks]

If you are using a real Battery Tender or another charger of comparable high quality, you can leave the charger connected to the battery in the bike all winter. It will keep it fully charged without damaging the battery. If you are using a battery with filler caps, don't forget to service it first before leaving it connected. It's also a good idea to take a look at the battery once a month or so to verify that everything is OK.

The trouble is that "battery tender" is used as a generic term by some for any kind of cheap trickle charger. Many if not most of these cheap "specials" will destroy a battery. Although they have low charging rates, the chargers are "dumb" and don't know when to quit. If left connected too long they will will continue to push too-high voltage into the battery until it boils the electrolyte out and ruins it. This sounds like what you did with the "battery tender" that you used.

The real Battery Tender is a registered trade name for a sophisticated high quality "smart" battery charger. It senses the battery condition, and after the battery is full charged it switches to a safe lower voltage/current float (maintenance) charge.

[550ERAT]

it's a real battery tender. what do you mean by "service the battery first"

[Boondocks]

it's a real battery tender. what do you mean by "service the battery first"

Add distilled water to the upper fill level. The battery shouldn't dry out if it's connected to a properly functioning Battery Tender. After bringing the battery to a full charge, it should drop the battery voltage to a safe 13.2V float charge at a miniscule current. At that level the battery can be connected and maintained indefinitely without any danger of boiling the battery dry. This doesn't explain why your other battery "dried out and died".

[550ERAT]

I wish I could explain it. Thanks fer the help....I'll just make sure I start it every two weeks or so. that should help.

[ptm]

I wish I could explain it. Thanks fer the help....I'll just make sure I start it every two weeks or so. that should help.

I wouldn't start it unless you can run it long enough to get it up to full operating temperature. If not, you'll get condensation in the engine and exhaust and just cause more problems and faster deterioration.

I've put all three of my bikes on Battery Tenders for 4-5 months at a time for the last several years and have had no problems with either drying out or being ready to start the bikes when the weather finally turns. It might be worth looking occasionally to be sure the water level is good, but other than that, forget about it - the bike will be ready in the Spring.

[SkeletonLake]

I agree completely with not starting it to charge the battery, in a cold climate all that does is create moisture in the engine; unless you can get out for a good scoot to warm it to operating temperature, don't start it. Take the battery out, bring it inside, be sure it is topped off with distilled water and give it a charge once a month. I use a charger that has an auto shut off when the battery is charged, use 2A hour cycle.

[Boondocks]

I wish I could explain it. Thanks fer the help....I'll just make sure I start it every two weeks or so. that should help.

Don't start it unless you are going for a ride and fully warm up the engine. It won't help the battery to charge, will wear the engine unnecessarily with cold starts, and will contaminate the oil with water (condensation) that can't be evaporated by a engine that is not warmed up.

You don't need to remove the battery or take it inside as long as it is hooked up to the Battery Tender.

[550ERAT]

thanks guys, now I get to deal with an ongoin problem.....damn bike won't run off of choke. looks like I am going to try a carb teardown, clean and rebuild this winter.....

[Steve]

Not trying to take anything away from the real Battery Tender here, but they do tend to be a bit pricey. AUTOMATIC chargers/maintainers are available at Wal-Mart, Auto Zone, Sears and other places. Just make sure that the words "automatic" and "maintainer" appear in the item description. Typical brands include Schumacher and DieHard.

If you happen to have a non-automatic trickle charger and also happen to store our bike in a garage with an electric opener, install a power tap in the door opener's light socket. Plug your charger into the power tap. That way, every time your door is opened, the light stays on for a few minutes, and the battery charger runs for the same amount of time. Not perfect, but it keeps it from going DEAD.

Lotsa luck with the carbs.


.

[Boondocks]

Not trying to take anything away from the real Battery Tender here, but they do tend to be a bit pricey. AUTOMATIC chargers/maintainers are available at Wal-Mart, Auto Zone, Sears and other places. Just make sure that the words "automatic" and "maintainer" appear in the item description. Typical brands include Schumacher and DieHard....

I'm all for using battery chargers that work properly. That said, I have ruined batteries by putting them on a Sears battery charger using the "maintainer" function. I still have the charger and will sell it to anyone looking for a 6/2A 6/12V charger with a "maintainer" function at a very good price.

An "automatic" battery charger may not be a "smart" microprocessor controlled muti-stage constant current charger, but is less likely to damage a battery. Constant voltage chargers take longer to charge a battery than more sophisticated constant current chargers. I have an "automatic" battery charger as well, and don't use it anymore either. It is also for sale.

Last winter I bought a Schumacher SC-600A battery charger at Walmart at an attractive price. It had extra features (2/4/6A charging current) and high frequency microprocessor controlled multi-stage constant current charging. It also had a small cooling fan (like a computer fan) in the case. A properly designed low current switched DC battery charger shouldn't need moving parts like a cooling fan, as there shouldn't be much heat developed. The Schumacher case was fairly bulky, unlike better designs that don't need large transformers. Within a week of use in cold weather, the fan started to shriek as if it had a dry bearing. I thought that maybe I had just gotten a defective unit, and exchanged it for another. Within another week, the same thing happened on the second unit and I returned it for a refund. My point is that the "Made in China" Schumacher product was a dud, and a brand name is no guarantee that it is a good product.

The Battery Tender Plus is specifically designed to accomodate the AGM motorcycle battery and is a proven state of the art design that works. The price of $35 is competitive for a quality charger. I have no financial interest in Battery Tenders, and although I have one I don't consider it to be my favorite or best charger. That distinction goes to the Battery Defender Pro. If you click the link to my previous post at Battery Question you will get a rundown of its attributes.

[Mysuzyq]

Took a look at the 'Big Crank' batteries featured on that 'Battery Defender Pro' site.....anyone tried them? Are they really everything they claim to be performance-wise. Prices don't seem to be too bad for a sealed battery, and they claim to easily outlast the competition to boot.

http://www.bigcrank.com/bigcrank_batteries.php

Tony.

[Boondocks]

The Big Crank batteries are good batteries, but so are almost any other AGM battery. You still need to compare the CCA (cold cranking amps) rating and guarantee, which are maybe the only verifiable data besides the dimensions. I would take the claims of superiority with a grain of salt, as marketing hype is commonly used to sell batteries. If the Big Crank battery was as superior as they make it sound, it seems like it would have more than a one year guarantee.

[gsgeezer]

sealed battery

Next time I would recommend a sealed battery. They are worth the money, especially on a bike. No worries about spilled acid, low levels, etc....