Do I "need" an optimate charger?

[Beans]

I don't intend to not ride my bike over winter,but I'm not going to be riding if its snow or very icy. So it could be away for a day or a week or more.

My cbf came with an optimate cable.

Do I need to get a corresponding charger?

[bonio]

I don't intend to not ride my bike over winter,but I'm not going to be riding if its snow or very icy. So it could be away for a day or a week or more.

My cbf came with an optimate cable.

Do I need to get a corresponding charger?

Should be ok for a few weeks. If it were me, I'd want it on a charge if it was regularly left for 4 weeks or so.

But supposed it's kinder to the battery to keep it on a trickle charger - I guess you might find the battery lasts longer if you connect it up.

Yout dont' need a pucker Optimate, you can use pretty much any motorbike batter charger and save some money. Just fit the lead that comes in the packaging.

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

Or buy a generic gel cell charger, rated at around 400 to 500Ma. You can leave it connected or set up a timer for a couple of hours a day. I used to leave bikes all winter on one of those. The output is so low the battery won’t overcharge or overheat. Around a tenner or less on Amazon or EBay.

You might need to adapt the connector or buy a suitable alternative.

[Guest]

I don't intend to not ride my bike over winter,but I'm not going to be riding if its snow or very icy. So it could be away for a day or a week or more.

My cbf came with an optimate cable.

Do I need to get a corresponding charger?

Should be ok for a few weeks. If it were me, I'd want it on a charge if it was regularly left for 4 weeks or so.

But supposed it's kinder to the battery to keep it on a trickle charger - I guess you might find the battery lasts longer if you connect it up.

Yout dont' need a pucker Optimate, you can use pretty much any motorbike batter charger and save some money. Just fit the lead that comes in the packaging.

"Pucker" is what your ring piece will do when you see how much an Optimate actually costs!

[Gerontious]

People from certain towns in Warwickshire are known to fall to the ground and start foaming at the mouth when they realise that some people.. Especially Northerners, have more disposable income than they do... This is especially prevalent in Tory run constituencies.

Be kind.. Consider donating to their local food bank.

[TimR]

"Pucker" is what your ring piece will do when you see how much an Optimate actually costs!

https://www.infinitymotorcycles.com/product/oxford-oximiser-900?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIq-LXpL3P3QIV7ZTtCh28cgyHEAQYAiABEgIw7_D_BwE

[Fleck]

I've had an optimate 3 for the last 17 years. I bought it for my ZX6R but when I sold that I put it to good use maintaining my 110ah caravan leisure battery (I emailed the manufacturer and they said it will be ok, but will take much longer to do the bulk phase charge), then I used it to maintain my Land rover Defender battery for 3 years, and now it maintains my Duke 390 battery throughout the winter.

I've now bought an optimate 2 for the motorhome leisure battery. It let's the battery rest between trickle charging phases to minimise electrolyte loss. They are very good chargers in my opinion

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

People from certain towns in Warwickshire are known to fall to the ground and start foaming at the mouth when they realise that some people.. Especially Northerners, have more disposable income than they do... This is especially prevalent in Tory run constituencies.

Be kind.. Consider donating to their local food bank.

 

I couldn’t knowingly or willingly feed a Tory it could cause an allergic reaction

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

I don't intend to not ride my bike over winter,but I'm not going to be riding if its snow or very icy. So it could be away for a day or a week or more.

My cbf came with an optimate cable.

Do I need to get a corresponding charger?

Should be ok for a few weeks. If it were me, I'd want it on a charge if it was regularly left for 4 weeks or so.

But supposed it's kinder to the battery to keep it on a trickle charger - I guess you might find the battery lasts longer if you connect it up.

Yout dont' need a pucker Optimate, you can use pretty much any motorbike batter charger and save some money. Just fit the lead that comes in the packaging.

"Pucker" is what your ring piece will do when you see how much an Optimate actually costs!

 

Says the man who has just spent how much on a helmet?

[Guest]

People from certain towns in Warwickshire are known to fall to the ground and start foaming at the mouth when they realise that some people.. Especially Northerners, have more disposable income than they do... This is especially prevalent in Tory run constituencies.

Be kind.. Consider donating to their local food bank.

Oh, and what "certain towns" would those be, then?

[Guest]

Should be ok for a few weeks. If it were me, I'd want it on a charge if it was regularly left for 4 weeks or so.

But supposed it's kinder to the battery to keep it on a trickle charger - I guess you might find the battery lasts longer if you connect it up.

Yout dont' need a pucker Optimate, you can use pretty much any motorbike batter charger and save some money. Just fit the lead that comes in the packaging.

"Pucker" is what your ring piece will do when you see how much an Optimate actually costs!

 

Says the man who has just spent how much on a helmet?

.....yes, but I needed the helmet.....

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

I also needed the helmet so I see your point. Now I need new gloves. It’s a hard life

[mikestrivens]

Motorcycle riding is not a cheap hobby.

[fastbob]

No

[onesea]

Cheaper to buy a new battery more regularly IMO. I am not convinced they help that much against occasional charge us by riding or charger...

[Westbeef]

Cheaper to buy a new battery more regularly IMO. I am not convinced they help that much against occasional charge us by riding or charger...

 

£30 for a charger to keep your battery going a few years, vs a new battery yearly at £50+

[Tango]

I use an optimate which keeps the battery in top condition......it's especially important for Triumph Triples as you can mess up the sprag clutch if you try to start the bike with a low battery.........£800-900 repair bill!......

[onesea]

£30 for a charger to keep your battery going a few years, vs a new battery yearly at £50+

That's if you believe they extent the life of the battery or just keep it charged and make the battery lazy.

[Tango]

£30 for a charger to keep your battery going a few years, vs a new battery yearly at £50+

That's if you believe they extent the life of the battery or just keep it charged and make the battery lazy.

 

Optimates are a battery conditioner......so they run regular discharge cycles to prevent the battery from developing a memory, which AGM or Lead/Acid batteries tend not to do anyway......

[Stu]

£30 for a charger to keep your battery going a few years, vs a new battery yearly at £50+

That's if you believe they extent the life of the battery or just keep it charged and make the battery lazy.

 

Nothing will "extend" the life of a battery but keeping it in tip top condition goes a long way to making it last as long as possible

allowing a battery to discharge once over a winter is enough to kill a battery or shorten its life extensively

I have seen new batteries need replacing after a year after the owners failed to maintain them yet I have had a battery last more than 10 years after been plugged in to an optimate after every ride

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

I use an optimate which keeps the battery in top condition......it's especially important for Triumph Triples as you can mess up the sprag clutch if you try to start the bike with a low battery.........£800-900 repair bill!......

 

What a “sprag clutch”?

[onesea]

I use an optimate which keeps the battery in top condition......it's especially important for Triumph Triples as you can mess up the sprag clutch if you try to start the bike with a low battery.........£800-900 repair bill!......

 

What a “sprag clutch”?

Nasty achilles heel of a certain age of triumphs that mean dismantling half a bike/ engine to change, its to do with the starter motor and it engaging. Low voltage & hence slower starter motor on starting is believed to be a major cause of sprag clutch failures.

Edited September 27, 2018 by onesea

[megawatt]

A sprag clutch works on one direction. One way, it slips, the other way, it grips. Normally using cylindrical rollers and soft springs onto a machined surface.

[Tango]

Yeah.....as the guys have said.....it's on the starter.....It engages when the starter motor spins to turn the engine over, and disengages when the engine starts........The problems start when the starter is turning too slowly, the engine can kick back with a lot of force which forces the sprag the wrong direction and breaks it......as [mention]onesea[/mention] says, some of the older triumph triples need the crankcase split to get to it.....which is an engine out and strip job.....

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

Aah I see. If that could be caused by a flat battery an optimates a no brainer isn’t it?! I have optimate chargers on both bikes- because I was advised to not because I have clue what what I’m doing. Has given me peace of mind though that I’m not eroding the batteries life when I do either short or a lot of stop start trips.