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Wondering if anyone has any info on the best battery charger for bike and car batteries. Interested in buying one that maintains the battery at a decent level over the winter etc. Optimate is one I’ve heard of, any other suggestions?
I’ve got an Optimate. definately worth the money – charges flat baterries and keeps the battery in top condition all winter. The best 40 quid I’ve spent
Yeah optimate meant to be the best around at the mo, monitors battery and uses trickle charge to maintain charge.
The roads are my race track!!
LOVE IS GIVING SOMEONE THE POWER TO DESTROY YOU, BUT TRUSTING THEM NOT TO DO IT.
GO ON! DONATE! YOU KNOW YA WANNA!
go down the pound shop, get a 12 volt whatever – you only need the cigarette lighter plug that comes with it, cut off the appliance and connect two crimps to the cable. Connect to your battery, plug into car, stand the battery in a plastic box under the seat and the cars charging system will keep it nicely topped up at the correct charge all winter, and you can connect up as many in parallel as you like – i have 3 under my seat, the other bikes in use all winter!
Them battery optimizers, although they work are actually bad… They constantly apply a voltage to the battery which boils off the water, albeit slowly – your better off charging it up normally for a couple of hours and then a few days later stick a bulb across it to discharge it a little – then recharge. The reason they are popular is coz its easier than doing that…..
I slept with faith and found a corpse in my arms on awakening; I drank and danced all night with doubt and found her a virgin in the morning.
Aleister Crowley (1875 – 1947)Blackboard paint – Covers a multitude of sins!
Nice idea about the spare in the car, but do I really want to be carrying a battery around with me all the time? I’ve got a battery charger which I use from time to time when the battery is flat 9usually because we left the interior lights on). And I was one of those who used to religiously discharge and charge the battery over winter, adding de-ionised water to the fill level with my sterile syringe. And then I got a life…..
As you say, an Optimate is easy and I can get more than 18 months out of my battery if I buy one.
Anyone seen one cheaper than £35 UK?I leave the battery on the bike fully hooked up. Then every two weeks or so I stick the bike on the paddock stand and start her up. I run the bike in each gear for a few minutes and repeat until the temp gauge reads normal.
This can emulsify your oil slightly but if you let the bike get warm enough it should not be a problem.
I always change oil before the spring/summer riding season anyway.I have followed this set up for the last 12 years (the last time I rode through a full winter). No propblems with dead batteries and it keeps all your bikes systems alive.
I do ride the Thundercat during the winter, but I only the odd snatch 20 miles or so on those crisp sunny days that come up now and then.
Donate – it makes you feel good!Everbody seriously involved in electric model flying will tell you not to touch trickle chargers. These boys rely heavily on the top condition of their batteries and use only chargers that discharge and trickle charge in cycles and to different levels every time. Batteries have a habit of developing a ” memory “. Meaning, that when a battery is charged from a certain level to a certain level too often it will after a while only take this ammount of charge regardless of the charging time or charge level at the start. Most owners of cordless power tools will know this phenomena. Allthough the batteries are not completely flat they will be recharged, usually on a trickle charger. Do this twenty times and the batteries do not last as long as at the beginning. Run them down completely and charge them for as long as you like they will only last a fraction of the time, due to the ” memory ” they have developed. Only cure is one of the model boys’ chargers which cost real dosh or the occational discharge with a light bulb and a top up charge.
One could also cosider a timer switch set to come on at different times to vary the charging time and at the weekend put on a bulb to completely empty the battery. Too much hustle? Think of the battery life you gain.Muppdog
The lack of power cannot be replaced with madness
I use the Optimate and also start the bike up once a month, and if weather permitting, take the Varadildo out for a spin. I also share the Optimate with my motorhome batteries, the Honda C90 we have which has stood for 3 years, has no charger applied and the battery is sha..ed; but it still starts on the second kick every time.
Cautionary note to GSX Hooligan, whilst charging your batteries under your car seat, hydrogen gas is produced which is highly flammable. just don’t light that fag or “goodness..gracious..great balls of fire!”
its not happened yet!, and that point is just as valid in the garage when your working on your bike with a fag in your hand………
I slept with faith and found a corpse in my arms on awakening; I drank and danced all night with doubt and found her a virgin in the morning.
Aleister Crowley (1875 – 1947)Blackboard paint – Covers a multitude of sins!
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