Battery use and charge in winter.

Knubje · 21 Nov 2011 at 18:33

Hi All,

Just wondering what others thoughts are on general battery use in the winter and having the issue of charging frequently?

I bought a decent new battery for my Blackbird back in July and it has tonight shown the first signs of needing a charge due to commuting in the dark. I have a garage and a trickle charger for Bike batteries and have put it on tonight so there are no major concerns from me.

Just wondering if you guys charge your batteries often and how you generally perform maintenance on your bike in this way? Do you trickle charge, do you leave it connected all the time or just once a week,etc?

I do 32 mile round trip a day, 10 of which is motorway at a constant speed. I know bikes don't put as much charge back in their batteries and can suffer a bit more in winter through cold. I also heard a stat "You need to run for about 7 miles to cover the charge of starting the bike, let alone the extra electrics". I don't know if there is any truth in this at all, but now I've got full beams on most of the time I guess its a normal thing to expect?

I'm confident my alternator is ok as it was tested quite recently so I'm confident there is some charge going back in!

4T5 · 21 Nov 2011 at 18:40

Buy a spare & keep it indoors & charged up.

thumperslaw · 21 Nov 2011 at 23:27

Could try good battery like Odyssey. Pretty good batterys and life time warranty

gillywibble · 22 Nov 2011 at 09:34

Depends on the battery and the bike. I wouldn't bother charging mine until it has been standing for a week.

Rilot · 22 Nov 2011 at 10:53

I have a fly lead under the seat for my Optimate.
I ride in to the garage, get off, plug in and leave. Keeps the battery in tip-top condition.

BennyC · 22 Nov 2011 at 11:14

I should probably start mine as it's not been ridden in 3 weeks. I don't plan on riding it much over the winter.

I have a car battery charger with a trickle facility. Would this be suitable?

.one. · 22 Nov 2011 at 11:15

Rilot said:
I have a fly lead under the seat for my Optimate.
I ride in to the garage, get off, plug in and leave. Keeps the battery in tip-top condition.

+1 fly lead park up plug in done job and if bike not used for a week or so or longer no problem Optimate will look after your batt.

popovich · 22 Nov 2011 at 22:45

Obviously, batteries suffer most in cold weather. If you're riding your bike in winter daily, you might think about wrapping your battery with something in the housing. Maybe some wool fabric or bubble wrap, so as not to be exposed to extreme temps.
If you have a dry battery, I'd suggest never allowing it to be completely drained of power. That will effectively make a dry battery bad because the electrolyte gel loses its storing properties. Once completely drained, such batteries can later overcharge when riding up to 14-15V and you can end up frying your lights. I fried my position LEDs that way.
If you're not riding the bike even for 2 days, it's always good to take the battery out and keep it indoors where it's warm. I know it can be a hassle to take it out and put it in every time, but you will keep it in good condition that way.