Flat and Run Down

It's that time of the year where I'm thinking of dragging the bikes out of
hibernation in the garage, but all the batteries will be flat again. It must
be time to invest in one of those battery charging/monitoring devices, you
know, the optimate(?) type thing.

Any recommendations on what type to go for and where to buy at a good price?
All the bikes are 12v, and the ability to recover fully discharged batteries
would be handy as I'll probably still neglect the poor things!

Any suggestions appreciated.

Regards
Ross

 

Stick to the new model Optimate

'Hog

 

Always puzzled me, this. Both the gixxer and the preceeding trumpet
tended to be left in the garage for months without use during the
winter, but neither of them would ever go flat (well, the trumpet did
when it said outside veggie's for ~6 months, but I think it was on its
way out by then).

To be fair, I did take the gixxer out for a run in February, only
about 3 months after its previous use, but it had no sign of an even
slightly discharged battery at this point.

As recommended by the world and his dog, I know. All I can say is that
I've never needed one. Only after doing something stupid like leaving
the lights on[1] have I ever needed to charge a battery, and for that
a normal 1A trickle charger is perfectly adequate.

[1] Or having a completely duff battery, like the 400/4 I had for
about three years, although that had a perfectly good kickstart so was
never an issue.

 

Alarm? Datatool on the Duke was a killer on the battery. Solalarm on
the K1100 was a breeze.

'Hog

 

http://www.busters-accessories.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=OPT3

--
Adie
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Triumph 955iSS / GSF1200 bandit / CG125
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I only suffer with vehicles that have alarms. Neither the car nor the
TL will start after two weeks or even less, of neglect. The Guzzi
doesn't have an alarm and never gives any problems, well, not on the
battery front. Both the car's and the TL's batteries, according to my
Accumate, charge fully otherwise.

 

It's the poxy bloody alarms. The gixxer was flat when I fished it out
last weekend. Fortunately, I've (several) spare batteries.

 

Generally agree, but my Meta 357T goes into "immobilise only" after
~10 days with zero current drain. Seems to work too, didn't start it
for two months, and fired up OK. I'd rather have no alarm and a
battery, than an alam for >10 days and a shagged battery.

I do have a Optimate though - got when I had a VFR with a completely
shagged battery & elec system! "Does what it says on the tin".

 

My bike only has an immobiliser, and still it eats the battery

I've got alternative product to the Optimate, but I can't remember
what it's called. Works bloody well, tho - manages to keep the
batteries for the race bike in good nick.

 

Oximiser? The Oxford alternative, perhaps.

I have the latest iteration: the Maximiser, which works well, too.

 

Nah, it's some german thing. Hang on <searches web>

Ah, here it is - made by Banner. The second one on this page:

http://www.bannerbatterien.com/eng/bb1/bb15/bb151/index.asp

 

Thanks for the suggestions, folks, looks like the Optimate is the way to go.

Regards
Ross

 

well, amazingly, the battery on the SOBoxer was still almost up to starting
it on the electric boot. a touch of help from the battery charger and she
fired up. I'd forgotten how loud it is, especially inside its shed, with
the exhausts echoing back off the walls, lovely

all I need now are a new tyre, an MOT and road tax... summat close to 150
quid, buggrit, so it'll not happen this month.

 

Why not just remove the battery and drain the oil and petrol when you
lay the thing up?

Ken Young

Maternity is a matter of fact
Paternity is a matter of opinion

 

you might want to leave the alarm on?

wouldn't hurt on mine, no alarm on it. Nor had the petrol noticeably gone
off, either - or not to the extent that it wouldn't go.

Personally, I wouldn't drain the oil, though, 'cept perhaps if I knew I was
laying something up for several years.

 

Austin Shackles wrote

Draining petrol is a sin. It should be combusted.

 

You're right, that would be the thing to do, but that would be far too
sensible for me! ;-) Also there's just a chance that the weather would be
good enough combined with me having the time, to drag the bike out for a run
during the winter....it doesn't usually happen but you never know!

Regards
Ross