Battery

[Mini_Beth]

So its my first winter with a proper bike and i am most probably going to leave the hornet in the garage for a couple of months until the weather gets a bit better and there is no ice!!!

So your advice please would it be better to disconnect the battery or someone has said to buy one of those optimizers??

But your opinions would be great as not 100% sure what to do as don't really want to flatten and cause problems with the battery but i also dont really know too much about the optimizers. I have read a few bits on them but are they worthwhile??

[DynaMight]

Letting a battery die is the worst thing you can do, I read an article where they tested batteries and when a battery was completely discharged it never got back to 100% capacity and they lost more every time it got discharged. The cold weather will drain a battery in a short period of time.

If you have access to a decent trickle charger then leave it on that, if not remove the battery completely and leave it in the house (somewhere warm and dry)

Having a charger is always worth having, they're not that expensive anymore. You can get the Oxford versions for about £25 or about £45 for a 'premium' Optimate.

[TLS-Moose]

This is all very true ...... but on the other hand my bike still has the battery that was in it the day I bought 9yrs ago, and which appears to be the battery that was in it when it left the factory nearly 14yrs ago, and it has never been removed from the bike, charged, or had a trickle-charger attached. I have left the bike three or four months without it being started, and still the bike starts first time .....

One of the big issues seems to be whether you have alarms fitted to bikes - I never have, and have rarely had problems with batteries - most people who have alarms fitted seem to have problems regularly ......

[billinom8s]

Take the battery out, I have 3 of mine sat on the shelf all charged and nice and warm in the house (don't tell Kim). I have lost a few batteries through the make on both cars and bikes so it does say to look after them.

If you are good law the bike up for the winter don't forget to either fill the fuel tank or switch the fuel tap off and then run the bike until it cuts out. Also is you have them stick the bike up on stands or at least park it on some carpet to protect the tyre where it is contact with the cold floor.

[SteveR3]

Very true Moose, and this reminds me of another problem I found in Spain during the summer while parked up on yellow lines outside a Triumph dealer which happened to have a Police HQ next door.
We found out after much head scratching and our alarms going off etc that the Police put out a jammer signal on all those with Imobilisers - we couldn't get our bikes going or work our fobs unless we free wheeled all our bikes 200yds up the road, around 7 of us all with our alarms screaming!
I really wonder about the down side of these damn things and the damage they do to bike batteries etc... got the same issues with my Rocket 3 now despite being on an Optimate all year round
They really DON'T like alarm systems!

[Mini_Beth]

Cooool thanks for the advice guys! I've got an immobiliser on mine so I just think if i removed the battery surely that would muck the immobiliser up and i dont want that to happen either!! So think i may invest in an optimizer.

The bike has been sat for a month so far and my mate suggested getting one and then me being me panicked and thought i might have already done some damage to the battery! haha but no she was fine!!

Simon Thanks for the tip re: carpet! Will get on and do that tomorrow!

[Funky]

I've charged up my battery and put it under the sink in the kitchen, should preserve it.

[deej]

Very true Moose, and this reminds me of another problem I found in Spain during the summer while parked up on yellow lines outside a Triumph dealer which happened to have a Police HQ next door.
We found out after much head scratching and our alarms going off etc that the Police put out a jammer signal on all those with Imobilisers - we couldn't get our bikes going or work our fobs unless we free wheeled all our bikes 200yds up the road, around 7 of us all with our alarms screaming!
I really wonder about the down side of these damn things and the damage they do to bike batteries etc... got the same issues with my Rocket 3 now despite being on an Optimate all year round
They really DON'T like alarm systems!

haha that also happens in truro halfords car park thats directly opposite the police station

Ive never needed a optimate and never had problems with a bike battery as like moose i never have alarms fitted

[TLS-Moose]

Very true Moose, and this reminds me of another problem I found in Spain during the summer while parked up on yellow lines outside a Triumph dealer which happened to have a Police HQ next door.
We found out after much head scratching and our alarms going off etc that the Police put out a jammer signal on all those with Imobilisers - we couldn't get our bikes going or work our fobs unless we free wheeled all our bikes 200yds up the road, around 7 of us all with our alarms screaming!
I really wonder about the down side of these damn things and the damage they do to bike batteries etc... got the same issues with my Rocket 3 now despite being on an Optimate all year round
They really DON'T like alarm systems!

haha that also happens in truro halfords car park thats directly opposite the police station

Ive never needed a optimate and never had problems with a bike battery as like moose i never have alarms fitted

Deej - you disappont me! I thought you'd be straight in there offering to supply said unit

[julian]

i bought a trickle charger from lidl, i think it cost about £6. i hardly ride my bike in the winter ( or summer ) so put it on once a week or so untill the charge light go's out. seems to work fine.....

[graham22]

Stick it on an Optimate, no worries then. Have used them in the past to bring old batteries back to life over a period of time, may even have enough power to charge your Mini battery if you ever leave that for a while.

Wouldn't trust a cheap one as heard of stories of batteries being boiled to garages catching fire!

My dad just got one free by subscribing to Bike magazine, not sure if that offer is still on.

[deej]

Very true Moose, and this reminds me of another problem I found in Spain during the summer while parked up on yellow lines outside a Triumph dealer which happened to have a Police HQ next door.
We found out after much head scratching and our alarms going off etc that the Police put out a jammer signal on all those with Imobilisers - we couldn't get our bikes going or work our fobs unless we free wheeled all our bikes 200yds up the road, around 7 of us all with our alarms screaming!
I really wonder about the down side of these damn things and the damage they do to bike batteries etc... got the same issues with my Rocket 3 now despite being on an Optimate all year round
They really DON'T like alarm systems!

haha that also happens in truro halfords car park thats directly opposite the police station

Ive never needed a optimate and never had problems with a bike battery as like moose i never have alarms fitted

Deej - you disappont me! I thought you'd be straight in there offering to supply said unit

haha no moose not on here to tout for business, well not yet anyway

[Mini_Beth]

Oh ok thanks graham! I have ordered an optimate as a couple of people have recommended them

[graham22]

Beth,
Hope this is not too late, but there's one for sale in the for sale forum here, and it's in St Austell.

Doh.

[Mini_Beth]

Too late! Mine arrived today!