I used a optimiser all through the winter to keep my battery in check, I don't really use it during the summer months but a chap I know uses one all year round, what do you guys do?
Mine sits on a solar charger all year round. I will occasionally give it a week on a trickle charger if it has sat for ages and the weather has been cold/dull.
When my bikes are in the garage they on plugged in to an Optimate at all times. I had a Tuono for six years (being a big twin they are hard on batteries) but never had any problems whatsoever.
As above mate, my bike is used daily but nearly every night it is on a Optimate, apart from the previous Blades ABS ECU flattening the battery (that one is in my NC30 now, as I did not realise what had caused the issue and bought a new one, which went flat the next week), I don't have problems or buy new batteries, in fact my 929 was on 95K when I sold it and on the original battery.
I use mine daily too but don't use charger, are you saying it helps lengthen battery life? Any other benefits?
Mine is connected to the Optimate all the time I'm not riding it. Did the same with my previous bike (CBR600F) and that was 8 years old when I sold it and still on it's original battery
Will they revive a totally flat battery??? mines been sat outside all winter, and is flat as a fluke.
Sounds like most people use them all year round, and as for bringing a dead battery back it will to a certain extent but it'll never be like a new battery and I wouldn't have much trust in it
Lead acid battery's will suffer if not kept topped up, if left to discharge too much or for to long rarely will they recover. Remember these are small battery's unlike the one in your car which has spare capacity, my advice would be to trickle charge as often as you can regardless of how often the bike is used as the battery will naturally loose its ability to hold max charge the older it gets due to the chemical process, that being said some modern Chargers will have a de scale cycle to help refresh the battery to some degree. Lithium
Could I ask what solar trickle charger you use? I'm looking for one now and any recommendations / advice / experience with them would be great
It was from Maplins. Bought another, higher wattage one, for the wife. Both are still going strong and I have mine for at least 2 years now. http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/solar-powered-12v-15w-battery-auto-trickle-charger-l58bf
I just bought the Optimate 6 and it says in the book that it needs to be reading a minimum of 2v to be able to bring it back, I looked this up when I had a battery showing only .02 v, in which case the only response from the optimate was to show the power on light.
Wow you keep the wife on a trickle charge, will have to try that on mine as she seems a bit low on energy sometimes.
Me too, plugged in all year round, no probs. read a report about old optimisers goin on fire, manufactures recommend replace after a period, me had no probs over last five years
Just bought my bike yesterday and it's on the optimate tonight, found it had connections for a charger from previous owner, which explains why it's 7yrs old and original battery
