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Message started by rl153 on 07/26/10 at 11:41:43

Title: a little early
Post by rl153 on 07/26/10 at 11:41:43

I was wondering if I have to take my battery out of the bike this winter . I have a battery tender junior and a big crank battery . The bike stays in the garage all winter and it gets pretty cold in there . Also if I don't have to take the battery out ,should I leave the battery tender on all the time ,or just plug it in once a week or so till it turns solid green? Thanks

Title: Re: a little early
Post by Routy on 07/26/10 at 13:09:34

A full charged battery will not freeze in this part of the world.
Once a week/month would probably do it, but why take the chance of forgetting,.....leave any type of float/maintainer charger on it all the time. I do that on all batteries not used much thru the winter. Just top the water before storing. It will use very little if any water thru the cold weather.

Title: Re: a little early
Post by rl153 on 07/26/10 at 15:59:51

if it's a big crank battery ,which is sealed ,will any water be lost if you leave the battery tender on all winter?

Title: Re: a little early
Post by Skid Mark on 07/26/10 at 17:13:39

Mine was a stock battery. We usually have -40 for a couple of weeks each winter. When ever it got warm I would pull the Wee Beasty out of the garage and let her run for 10 or 15 minutes. It usually worked out to once or twice a month. Never had a battery issue and the bike cranked over strong each time.

Title: Re: a little early
Post by kimchris1 on 07/26/10 at 19:53:19

Unless it is below 40 degrees or raining I don't ride my bike in the winter. She is covered and I do go out from time to time and start her up and run her for awhile to keep the battery charged. I don't keep a battery tender on her at all. She survived last winter just fine. She is under a carport and not enclosed inside a barn or garage.

Title: Re: a little early
Post by Dj12midnit on 07/26/10 at 21:14:13

No Ice I ride. It does get a little rough bellow freezing.

Title: Re: a little early
Post by Routy on 07/28/10 at 07:44:17

Normally, an AGM sealed battery like the Big Crank, or any battery will not use any water when kept on a float charger, during cold weather. But it must be a float/maintainer type charger w/ max voltage of 13.2 -13.4. Most are now days, but there are trickle chargers out there that put out continuous higher voltage, and they will use water, ...and ruin an AGM if left on all the time.
Some people use timers for an hour a day, but even that can cause water useage, even on a 1 amp higher volt trickle charger.

Title: Re: a little early
Post by Phelonius on 07/28/10 at 08:35:03

If I did not ride in Ice, snow, and rain, My riding time would be limited.
Since I do not drive any vehicle that is not a motorcycle, I ride year round and so do not worry about battery problems. Hypothermia now is a problem sometimes.
That is why I am moving to Hawaii. So I won't have to buy a disabled capable driving van.

Phelonius

Title: Re: a little early
Post by ero4444 on 07/28/10 at 09:07:32

I think any of the Battery-Tender Plus brand chargers are good enough to leave on continuously and it's usually better than letting the battery rest, which is when the sulpher crystals start to grow between the plates. The Plus devices have 4 mode - Initialization, Bulk Charge, Absorption Mode, Float Mode. And they're dead easy to use and to read status.

The Plus or Junior devices are made for (slow) maintenance charging so they can be left on 24x7.

The Big Crank only loses 1-2% per month so I don't even think about charging it over the winter months. But it would better to leave it on the maintenance charger.

Title: Re: a little early
Post by rl153 on 07/28/10 at 09:12:59

I have a deltran battery tender junior .It's less than 1 amp.Putting it on a timer for an hour a day ,all winter would probably work without water loss on the big crank battery ,right?

Title: Re: a little early
Post by bill67 on 07/28/10 at 09:43:35

My stock batteries have always last 3-4 months during the winter and start right up with out doing any kind of charging,I don't know if a big crank will last that long.

Title: Re: a little early
Post by babyhog on 07/28/10 at 09:47:52

I have a Big Crank, and the Deltran Jr. Last winter, I plugged it in once and it only took like 20 minutes to be fully charged (according to the lights on the charger) Then we did hubby's C90 and it took much longer (also Big Crank) but his bike has alot more electronics than mine, so that's what I attribute it too.
Hooked it up a couple times over the winter, also started it a few times, just to make sure it was staying charged. That's what I'll do this winter too, if I find it necessary. Mine is stored in a heated garage though.

Title: Re: a little early
Post by rl153 on 07/29/10 at 11:30:10

My bike is in a cold garage .What do you think will be most likely to prolong the life of the big crank battery,not lose water, with the deltran battery tender junior, Hooking it to a timer for an hour once a day ,Hooking it to a timer for a few hours once a week ,or leaving it plugged in all the time? Thanks