We are going overseas for four months, and I'm wondering what's the best way to ensure that my m/c battery is in good shape when I get back (people will be using the car). This battery is new, and I'd hate to have to replace it.
The best thing is to take it off the bike and get someone to charge it once a week. Half an hour would be enough.
Just disconnect the earth lead and forget about it - I'll bet it sat on a shelf for longer than four months before you bought and fitted it.
Unless, of course, you need the bike alarm to be activated. If you do, leave it connected but on an intelligent smart charger.
Does the bike need anything powered, engine management alarm? If not go for a ride to make sure it's charged then just disconnect it just in case there are some electronics taking a bit of juice. 4 months fully charged and no drain won't be a problem.
If there are electronics see if there is a "shipping condition" mode that sends everything into a deep sleep. The makers don't want to have to faff about disconnecting batteries before crating up and the dealers don't want to have to connect 'em up when un-crating months later or have to deal with dead batteries.
Failing that I might be tempted to disconnect the battery anyway and power the bike from a 12 V DC wall wart. The load will only be a few mA if that.
Looking at your email address you are already overseas :-)
You don't say if the bike is indoors or out, and if there is power near by.
You can get smart chargers designed for this situation - they just trickle charge the battery - but they aren't much good if you can't rig one where the bike will be stored.
Cheers
Dave R
;) It will be kept indoors with access to power. From the different responses, I'm still not completely sure if I need to arrange some charging system, or if it will be sufficient just to disconnect it when fully charged. I have a very dumb charger, which probably does more harm than good, and I've been contemplating getting a smart one.
Make sure it's fully charged, then disconnect it. Lead acid has a very slow self discharge rate and it'll be fine for many months.
charge it and disconnect it.
Most batteries are not filled with acid until they are sold.
When I rebuilt the house, I didn't cut the lawn for 2 years. That was it for the lawnmower starter battery.
4 months is a doddle
In days of yore maybe but not now with "sealed for life" things with the bungs glued in. Not to mention what the H&S would be for the bulk storage of battery acid and the handling of it to fill the cells. Can you imagine the average spoty Halfords oik managing to do that? And why would they have "Charged mm/yy" stickers on 'em if they were dry?
The key is does the bike need some electronics powering 24/7? If it doesn't as I said go for a good ride, park up the bike and disconnect the battery. 4 months open circuit won't bother it at all.
There's nothing on this bike (27 years old) that needs power when the ignition and lights are off. Thanks.
Er, well they're "dry charged", that's why! :-)
You charge the battery and then remove the acid. The state of charge is in the plates, not in the acid. The person receiving the battery simply refills it with acid and the battery is ready to go.
I can remember doing this with a car battery some years ago. The acid was actually delivered with the battery, just in a 'safe' well sealed container.
I don't think this is so common nowadays though.
This is how my m/c battery came.
No; they're built from plates that would be in the charged state.
Exactly so. From direct experience I can say that the older a battery gets the more fussy it is about being left uncharged, but a new one won't be distressed by a four month lay-up.
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