bike batteries

famagusta

after a few weeks off the bike with a busted wrist, i decided to ride her to work this morning. the battery was flat so i had to push start her. anyway my question is; does the motorbike battery charge itself like a car battery, or will i have to plug it into a charger or something??

thanks.

Pigeon Reaper

It charges like a car off an alternator. Once you drove it for some distance it should be good to go again.

famagusta

thanks pigeon, i didn't know that bikes had alternators, cheers.

roadrunner41

Pigeon Reaper wrote: »

It charges like a car off an alternator. Once you drove it for some distance it should be good to go again.

Yep thats the one, though in the bike it isnt an alternator as such. It is called a wiring loom, you can see it if you take of the clutch casings. Can be expensive to replace if they pack up...

macnab

Be careful pushing bikes these days, a lot of em have Cats fitted. You could flood the cat and that might result in you needing a (costly) Replacement. Jump start bikes with Cats if you can. @roadrunner41, they are still called alternators. A wiring loom is the bunch of wires that run along the frame to various consumers such as the headlight, indicators, ignition etc.

Hotblack Desiato

Get a car trickle charger, you want one with not more than one amp output, in any good car accessory shop for about 15 euro. Remove battery from the bike and charge it overnight.
You don't want to stall the bike and then be unable to restart it...
Bear in mind that if the battery gets low enough, it won't start even on a push as the igniter needs a certain voltage to work.

sutty

I'd not buy a car charger, get a bike one. Optimate do a very good one. With a permanent connection if you have easy access to power outlet. Meaning you dont need to take the battery out to charge it.

The Doktor

Id go for an optimate too. I have a permanent connection on the bike, and leave the charger connected to it all the time when the bike isnt in use. Even if its just over the weekend.
Means your battery will always be in good condition.

Hotblack Desiato

Optimate is a waste of money unless you leave your bike sitting a lot.

For the occasional charge-up a car trickle charger is fine, and far far cheaper. The only charger you don't want to use is a high-output car charger that will overheat a bike battery.

galwaytt

Rule of thumb: don't charge the battery at any more than 10% of it's rating.

e.g - 15Ah battery, charge at no more than 1.5A.........to high a current just fubars the batteries....

murphaph

One of the best things I ever bought was a Lidl battery charger. Not the one for 25 quid that was on recently but the one for 5 or 6 quid that was on with the bike stuff. Very small trickle current leaves batteries in good nick. It takes a good while to charge from flat (I've even used it on diesel car batteries) but is safe to leave connected for very long periods, even over the winter.

I have a spare high capacity car battery permanently connected to it which I use if I need to jump the car or bike.

gipi

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I have a battery question!

I've got a 250cc marauder, which, for various reasons (wonderful summer weather being one of them ) has been lying up on and off.

I find that if I don't use or start the bike for about 2 weeks (3 max), the battery goes flat, bike won't start and I've got to charge it all over again. The bike is 2 years old and I've charged the battery (using the Lidl trickle charger mentioned earlier) 4 or 5 times.

Would this be normal, or is my battery banjaxed?

The bike is kept in a shed so is protected from the elements if that makes a difference.

Any advice appreciated, thanks folks!

omb0wyn5ehpij9

gipi wrote: »

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I have a battery question!

I've got a 250cc marauder, which, for various reasons (wonderful summer weather being one of them ) has been lying up on and off.

I find that if I don't use or start the bike for about 2 weeks (3 max), the battery goes flat, bike won't start and I've got to charge it all over again. The bike is 2 years old and I've charged the battery (using the Lidl trickle charger mentioned earlier) 4 or 5 times.

Would this be normal, or is my battery banjaxed?

The bike is kept in a shed so is protected from the elements if that makes a difference.

Any advice appreciated, thanks folks!

When you say the bike won't start after 2 or 3 weeks cos the battery is flat.....how flat is the battery? As in, does it turn over for a minute but doesn't fire up? Or is the battery as flat as a pancake and you get no response from it?

Hotblack Desiato

Having trouble starting after 2 - 3 weeks wouldn't be unusual. If an alarm is fitted, a week or ten days can be enough to cause problems.

I'd advise giving the battery a few hours on the trickle charger once a week if the bike is not being used. If the bike is going to be laid up a lot, get an Optimate or other 'smart charger' that can safely be left connected all the time. They're not cheap but could save you the cost of replacing a battery prematurely from either overcharging or going totally flat.

gipi

Thanks for the replies folks, helpful as ever!

Bryn, to answer your question, it varies. I might get one or two turnovers where it doesn't quite "catch" to start up, but that would be about it. That might be after a 2 week lie-up. If I leave it for 3 weeks, it won't turn over at all, it's dead as a dodo.

Ninja, the smart charger sounds like a good idea - at the mo, while the bike is stored in a shed, there's no power there...but I'm working on that this year so could be something to organise.

Oh, and I don't have an alarm on the bike (don't tell the bad guys please )

Hotblack Desiato

Something worth checking. Make sure the connections to the battery terminals (+ and -)are clean. If they look dirty or corroded (white/green fluffy stuff) unscrew them, clean gently with a brillo pad or old scourer, smear them with vaseline and screw back on tightly. Also wipe off any dirt/grime on the top of the battery, this can trap moisture and slowly discharge your battery. Could make the difference between starting after 2 weeks, or not starting.

It's safe to use a trickle charger or optimate with the battery in the bike. You can connect up wiring or a socket to make this easier. If you ever do use a fast charger, and this is not recommended anyway on a bike battery, you should take the battery out of the bike first.

If bringing power out to your shed, get a proper sparky to do it, the earthing needs to be done right, your existing house earthing may not be adequate. Using power tools in a garden or possibly damp shed, you do not want to take any chances with this. Consider getting your house alarm extended out to the shed at the same time. Have a socket near the door for lawnmower etc. as well as a couple near where your bike will be.

dubtom

A friend uses a little solar trickle charger on his caravan. He only uses the caravan once a year and the charger keeps his electricals going. It's only about 10 inch long by 6 wide. Anyone used anything like this on a bike. Actually it's activated by light,so it doesn't have to 'see' the sun,even the little bit of light in the shed keeps it working.

xavierg

Hey whats up. i had the same problem with a cbr 250 and the cbr 600 f2. i come to find out the all the batteries were not holding thier charge due to the rectifier being bad. replaced it and never had problems since. that could be another route to look st. good luck.


would anyone know where to get a screen for a 94 cbr 600 f2 locally without having to give my first born for it?

Esel

Maplins do a solar-powered trickle charger. They often have then at half price - about €16.50

mcyclist

Yes, most bikes have alternators just like cars. The wiring loom is the set of wires which connect everything together - and cars have them too.
Older bikes i.e. pre 1965, generally had dynamos. I have a 1964 bike which has an alternator.
Some small bikes have dorect lighting off a coil, similar to a bicycle dynamo, without a battery.
I currently ride a 1994 Honda with the original battery - although I know that sort of servie is exceptional.
For what it's worth, in my experience when the battery need constant charging then it is probably not holding the charge and will need replacing soon. How soon depends on how fit you are and how hard you find it to push start your bike!