Do I need a trickle charger

Goose81 · 08-01-2021 6:10pm #1

Obviously working from home the bike isnt really getting used whereas it would have been used every day, wondering do I need to get one of these trickle chargers for it?

I have no experience as I have never had bike lay up without being used daily.

Its a brand new bike/battery if that makes any difference.

Its stored outside under a cover so no power supply nearby, although I could get one installed beside it if it was beneficial to have one for the charger.

Japcati2020 · 08-01-2021 7:34pm

Every few days run the bike up to full operating temp,and until the fan kicks in.
That will keep the battery topped up.

Max Headroom · 08-01-2021 7:44pm

Take the battery out and bring it indoors..not good to leave them outside in cold weather....stick a charger on it now and then..

Goose81 · 08-01-2021 7:58pm

Max Headroom wrote: »

Take the battery out and bring it indoors..not good to leave them outside in cold weather....stick a charger on it now and then..

I would be fairly sure that would screw the alarm/immobilizer up, no?

Japcati2020 wrote: »

Every few days run the bike up to full operating temp,and until the fan kicks in.
That will keep the battery topped up.

Couldn't be arsed man, takes an age just to get the stupid cover off. I might just have to bring it into the house haha

Del2005 · 08-01-2021 8:19pm

What bike is it? A 4 cylinder should be OK being left for a while without being stated, a big twin won't.

If you have an alarm on it you'll need to keep it charged regardless. Don't know if battery chargers can be left outside though, but you can get long cables for some.

Stephen Gawking · 08-01-2021 9:26pm

I have a pigtail charger fitted on mine. My bike is stored outside under a cover as i have no garage & theres no way the missus would agree to have it indoors. If you take out the battery the alarm will eventually screech so leave the ignition switch on if you remove it & remove the master fuse. In the current cold climate batteries will die a lot quicker than normal so a trickle charger is a must.

mgbgt1978 · 09-01-2021 12:49am

^^^^As above.
Have mine in the Shed with this attached using the quick-release connector;

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B078GPM2QQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I know that the alarm on mine does cause a small drain, and if left alone the Battery won't turn the bike over after a week or so in the current temperatures. With the trickle charger I can leave it for weeks and it keeps the Battery nicely topped up.
The quick release connectors (I'm sure there's a name for them, but there are a few different types) mean that I don't have to access the Battery to remove/connect any clamps.
BTW I deliberately picked one this size as I didn't want anything above 1 Amp charging rate.....I have a C-Tek charger for proper re-charging.

omerin · 09-01-2021 1:57am

Its one of those, better to be looking at it then looking for it. They are cheap and can save you a few headaches

zubair · 09-01-2021 2:14am

Japcati2020 wrote: »

Every few days run the bike up to full operating temp,and until the fan kicks in.
That will keep the battery topped up.

Honestly, I'd disagree with this. I find this degrades a battery, need to get it out on the motorway for a decent recharge. Better off doing nothing than idle it.

A trickle charger is good to have. But with a new battery and bike I wouldn't worry too much. My bike is currently getting minimal use due to lockdown and it still starts like I charged it yesterday every time I start it.

CJhaughey · 09-01-2021 12:53pm

I have 3 smart and one dumb charger. I leave all bikes on them for a week at a time, or in this weather permanently.
Chargers are cheaper than Batteries.

Breezin · 09-01-2021 1:08pm

I use it as an excuse for a run once a week or 10 days. Thinking of a run to Howth after lunch, temperatures permitting.

Duke Dan · 09-01-2021 1:43pm

Starting and running for 15 mins every 10 days in the current weather is best and lets the oil circulate too. Batteries don't long prolonged charging either.

sm3ar · 09-01-2021 3:00pm

Anyone ever use the Oxford oximiser 3x?

mgbgt1978 · 09-01-2021 3:52pm

The Oximiser 888 is available for about half the price of the 3X. Does the same job, especially if you're only after a Trickle charger.
Can't tell you much about the Oximiser. I had an Optimate about 15 years ago. Used it for 5 years or so without any problems.

Goose81 · 09-01-2021 5:38pm

Del2005 wrote: »

What bike is it? A 4 cylinder should be OK being left for a while without being stated, a big twin won't.

If you have an alarm on it you'll need to keep it charged regardless. Don't know if battery chargers can be left outside though, but you can get long cables for some.

4 cylinder, it's a 6 month old BMW S1000RR ; I'm thinking because of the age even though it has an alarm surely it would be ok. I might get the trickle charger anyway would be good to have.

I'm currently just starting it up for 15 mins every 10 days or so

mgbgt1978 · 09-01-2021 5:45pm

Just ensure you get one with a connector so you can leave a permanent connection on the bike's Battery.
Then you can tie-wrap the connector just behind a fairing piece (probably just hiding under the seat on your Beemer) and connect/disconnect your charger in 2 seconds.
A lot of trickle chargers only come with Battery Clamps.

Goose81 · 09-01-2021 6:00pm

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

Just ensure you get one with a connector so you can leave a permanent connection on the bike's Battery.
Then you can tie-wrap the connector just behind a fairing piece (probably just hiding under the seat on your Beemer) and connect/disconnect your charger in 2 seconds.
A lot of trickle chargers only come with Battery Clamps.

Is the idea with a trickle charger that you leave it on permanently or you just turn it on once a week for a while? How do they work

Yep if I get one I will defo get that sort of connector for it, thanks

mgbgt1978 · 09-01-2021 6:17pm

You would leave it on all the time if you're not using the bike much (or in cold conditions, like this week).
If you're sure you are going to be going for a decent spin every few days you shouldn't need it.

Ask any of the guys who look after car Parking at any Airport. The amount of jump-starts they do is unreal (again especially over the winter).
This is just on cars that the Drivers considered were fine.....until they weren't started for a week or two.

The smaller Trickle chargers put out less current that the Bike's own charging system, and most of them have some circuitry to turn them on and off as needed.

BTW if you do go for the any of the Oxford Oximiser chargers just be aware that a lot of them only come with the permanent leads and Crocodile Clip leads are an extra. Just a heads-up in case you want to use it for any other Bike/Car.

ED E · 09-01-2021 6:32pm

Just because it's new the chemistry is no different. LA cells hate being discharged significantly, the cold is mostly a temporary problem(irish cold). A new cell you'll damage but it may still start, you've still shortened its life. The old cell you'll damage and maybe it won't start as it's now fecked.

"Every 10 days" is really kinda arbitrary. It will depend on how much current the alarm circuit draws, you want to keep it above 50% SoC.

Del2005 · 09-01-2021 6:55pm

Goose81 wrote: »

Is the idea with a trickle charger that you leave it on permanently or you just turn it on once a week for a while? How do they work

Yep if I get one I will defo get that sort of connector for it, thanks

You can do either. If it's low it'll charge the battery, if you leave it plugged in it will trickle charge. Since the bike is new I'd leave it connected to make sure that the alarm is working.

galwaytt · 10-01-2021 1:36am

Franklin motorcycles in Dublin and Lee Honda sell the Battery Tender 800 - this is waterproof and comes with both bike leads and crocodile clips.

Plug in and leave it, sorted.

I have 3 on order atmo.

Goose81 · 10-01-2021 1:37am

ED E wrote: »

Just because it's new the chemistry is no different. LA cells hate being discharged significantly, the cold is mostly a temporary problem(irish cold). A new cell you'll damage but it may still start, you've still shortened its life. The old cell you'll damage and maybe it won't start as it's now fecked.

"Every 10 days" is really kinda arbitrary. It will depend on how much current the alarm circuit draws, you want to keep it above 50% SoC.

Well the issue is a decent charger costs the same as a battery , so do you buy the charger or just buy a new battery if you need one after winter

Goose81 · 10-01-2021 1:38am

galwaytt wrote: »

Franklin motorcycles in Dublin and Lee Honda sell the Battery Tender 800 - this is waterproof and comes with both bike leads and crocodile clips.

Plug in and leave it, sorted.

I have 3 on order atmo.

Ah I will be getting the optimate if I get one, that's been reviewed as being the best you can get bar none.

Battery tender is the original but it's a yank yoke and is old tech at this stage looking at reviews.

galwaytt · 10-01-2021 8:06pm

Goose81 wrote: »

Ah I will be getting the optimate if I get one, that's been reviewed as being the best you can get bar none.

Battery tender is the original but it's a yank yoke and is old tech at this stage looking at reviews.

Actually I changed to the Battery Tender from Optimate.

Smaller, waterproof, better quality leads & connector. Imho, that is. Oh, and cheaper.

Its not old tech, they have models of various kinds fir all modern tech batteries .

I do have Optimate as well btw, still works fine.

Goose81 · 10-01-2021 11:25pm

I wasn't willing to fork out the extra 5k for the lithium battery from BMW though haha, dunno how a lithium charger get on with a non lithium battery.

I'm sure the 400 grams I would have saved would have had me front of the TT grid lol

Goose81 · 10-01-2021 11:28pm

galwaytt wrote: »

Actually I changed to the Battery Tender from Optimate.

Smaller, waterproof, better quality leads & connector. Imho, that is. Oh, and cheaper.

Its not old tech, they have models of various kinds fir all modern tech batteries .

I do have Optimate as well btw, still works fine.

Cool, I will check it out.

Seems optimate do a campus version specially for BMW but there's zero evidence of it working on my bike that I can find online and if I change to a different make in the future probably makes more sense to get the one that you can just attach your own lead straight to the battery.

ratracer · 10-01-2021 11:32pm

In 20+ years of biking, I never needed an optimiser. Ive never used the bike less though with Covid, and the battery has now let me down twice. I’ll replace the battery I’d say, but I bought the Oxford 888 from motorcycleshop.ie last week. It was reduced to €35, so I figured it was worth a punt. It’s done the job so far!

Vikings · 11-01-2021 11:47pm

An optimate 4 will set you.back what maybe €70 these days? One time investment.

If it saves you from having to replace 1 battery it's already paid for itself. Buy it once, use it and never worry about the bike not starting due to battery problems.

Thinkingaboutit · 13-01-2021 12:03pm

The Oxford trickle charger I used didn't seem to be do much good compared with disconnecting negative (I think) and / starting up on occasion when not using the bike.

CJhaughey · 13-01-2021 1:08pm

Trickle chargers are not the same as Smart chargers.

Trickle chargers put in a very low current charge.

Smart chargers will put in different currents and voltages depending on what state of charge the battery is in.

Good ones will also run a de-sulphation cycle to keep sulphation to a minimum.

Japcati2020 · 13-01-2021 5:19pm

Great little lithium charger.

Do I need a trickle charger

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