Battery charging

[English Mike]

I am having a lead fitted next week when it goes in for twin siren mounting that will enable me to simply plug the HD charger into the lead to always trickle when sat in the garage. My journeys are often short so I don't get the alternator spinning for long. The main reason is it wil always be alarmed and may stand for a couple of weeks.

Question is, will the constant charging cause any longevity problems to the battery and are they maintenance free, or do you still need to top them up with distilled water?:22:

Thanks

Mike

 

[UK-Rider]

This is what the dealer told me when picking up the bike last week. I only can say about the 2007 batteries if there is a difference with the 2006 I do not know.

The battery is a gel type and they do not like to go flat so with an OptiMate or Datatool Battery charger if you have not ridden for a week then plug the charger in and it will be quite happy on Maintain.

I was lucky DG20 fit the plug to all new bikes as standard but as far as leaving the charger connected all the time, this does give me some hesitation. I left the bike for a week and it took 2 hours for the battery to come up to maintain so there was a charge left in the battery. Be interested to hear other opinions on the subject.

 

[glider]

I am having a lead fitted next week when it goes in for twin siren mounting that will enable me to simply plug the HD charger into the lead to always trickle when sat in the garage. My journeys are often short so I don't get the alternator spinning for long. The main reason is it wil always be alarmed and may stand for a couple of weeks.

Question is, will the constant charging cause any longevity problems to the battery and are they maintenance free, or do you still need to top them up with distilled water?:22:

Thanks

Mike

Mike
The smaller .750 (3/4) amp trickle chargers (battery tender Jr.) is what you are looking for with a float cycle so it doesn't overcharge. They come with the pigtail you speak of. If you have an electric garage door opener, you can hook it up to the bulb circuit that lights the light in the garage for 4 minutes everytime you open the door which will be more than enough to keep the battery up as long as you use the door regular.
If you have long spells of non use, I would switch on the ignition/headlamp to discharge the battery for a few minutes every week or two. If a battery is not run down a little and recharged, the plates sulfate ( a white coating) and will have a hard time holding a charge. They must then be run down and recharged slowly to bring them back again if this happens. NEVER fast charge a battery, it warps plates and will ruin the battery.

Check out this thread.

http://www.hdtimeline.com/general_tips/797-battery_charger_for_storage.html

 

[English Mike]

Cheers chaps, all taken on board..

All makes sense.

Mike