Spare a moment, think of teh batterys!

[mr.z]

Winter is officially here for anyone who didn't notice. Fridays forecast for here says -2ºc

Batterys (conventional ones anyway) don't work as well in colder temps, and bikes can be harder to start as it is! so its especially important to keep yours in tip top condition if you don't want to be running up and down the road trying to bump it.

Its not something you'll tend to think about till it goes wrong, but all you need to do is spend 30minutes topping it up/checking every so often, mine has been playing up a bit an I've only just got around to topping it up myself.

Get yourself to a supermarket and find some "de-ionised water" possibly near ironing related things. You could use tap water but DON'T USE TAP WATER if you know anyone who's had a face full of acid they will tell you its not very nice.

Simply take the tops off (one at a time to save dirt getting in), being careful not to let any crap into the electrolite below, get it to the max mark on the side and close it up. You can shine a torch down the hole and jiggle the bike if its akward to see down. In this case its easier to do it in the dark. A syringe is helpfull here, ebay you can buy them (also handy for petrol, oil, fork oil e.t.c.)

Next thing is to give it a charge, trickle chargers can be got off ebay for £5 and can also be used for gel batterys.

Anyone with a sealed battery can be smug right now (and the three or so of you without a battery can be smugger still) but there pricey, so a trickle charger is worth a thought, being so cheap, and gel batterys being so pricey.

Anyone with anything to add feel free.
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>RidingSkills<->Tech Tips<->MyBikes<

[stinkwheel]

Aye. Don't fiddle about trying to do this on the bike with a torch. Take the bloody thing off and do it somewhere you can see what you're doing properly.

Give the outside a wipe with a damp cloth before checking the cells. Top up with de-ionised water. Make sure the terminals are free of corrosion.

Charge it if you wish.

Then put it back on the bike, tighten the connectors down properly and cover the terminals with a blob of copper grease or vaseline to keep corrosion out.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Paddy Blake]

I bought one of these.
https://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=49038&TabID=1&source=1&doy=22m11
Works for me.

Paddy.

[mr.z]

In retrospect i should have taken this one off, the last one was very easy to see through (even without a torch), this ones bloody difficult to see through.

As stinkwheel says you don't have to charge it when you top up, it'll sort itself all being well, if its really struggling you can turn off the lights for a few miles and see how it is then.
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>RidingSkills<->Tech Tips<->MyBikes<

[sickpup]

I had a warning last month from my battery supplier to expect the prices of batteries to more than double over this winter.

The wholesale price of lead per ton has jumped from $1500 in October 06 to $3800 this October and it's still increasing.

[stinkwheel]

[Fisty]

The theft of lead from churches round here is mental. the have even been taking brass from peoples letterboxes and door numbers!
____________________
Quietly and consistently taking the piss.
TL1000R | Hayabusa | ZXR400 | TL1000S | Bandit 400 V
Fatter and faster than Fret

[sickpup]

[virus]

checked the CGs battery a few weeks back to find it had cracked across the bottom and only 2 cells had any fluid in, brand new battery in and a 12/12 getting charged to put in my ammo crate on the back wired in parallel to the standard to keep some oomph going through.

Cheers
John

p.s. would a 6 volt light work on a 12 volt system properly? i need a small cheap bright spotlight to rig in and ive got an old 6v push bike jobby in the shed.
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own: 81 xs1100g...
owned: 85 rat CG (sold), 91 GS500e (stolen), 84 gsx400f (scrapped), 81 z250 (siezed, siezed, scrapped), 83 cb250rs (sold), 84 gpz750r ratfighter (killed) 84gpz400 (sold), '80 cb650 ratfighter (wrote off) 95gsx6/12f ratfighter (killed) 91 xj900 (sold)
stinkwheel Well I just had my hands up a pigs fanny. Which makes your concerns pale into insignificance.

[LeeWat]

I think a 6v bulb would just burn out if you put it on a 12v circuit.
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Simson S51 Enduro, Kawasaki AR80, Yamaha RD125LC, Yamaha XV535, Yamaha XJ600N, Suzuki GS1100G, Kawasaki KLR250, Yamaha BT1100 Bulldog (4/4/08 Deceased). Suzuki XF650 Breakwind.

[Finglonga]

[Itchy]

[sickpup]

[stinkwheel]

And to think I was getting grief for the pile of duff motorcycle batteries in my back yard. By that reckoning there must be about £50 of lead there now.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[sickpup]

[Itchy]

how exactly do you sell this scrap metal? ,

road signs around bolton went missing recently before being replaced by plastic ones,

you just go to a scrap yard and hand it over? (I'd have made a killing on copper a year back I have an enourmous number of copper coins),

I also amassed about 500 kilos of scrap aluminium but alas not sure where to sell it anymore since a local junk yard folded.
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[sickpup]

Find a new scrap merchant. 500 kilos of Ali is worth about £300.

[mr.z]

if the battery's were melted down (ala world fastest indian) there'd be no problem?

How much are glass mat batterys at the moment? three figures?

Not surprised the costs of lead and copper e.t.c. same with steel, allot is down to the huge demand from china and others (but mostly china) its not likely to get any better any time soon either
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>RidingSkills<->Tech Tips<->MyBikes<

[Dalemac]

Do gel batteries charge the same as conventional battery's?

i.e plug it into an optimate?

would something like this work?

https://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=37762&criteria=12v%20charger&doy=23m11
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YBR125 -> GPZ500S -> SL1000

[virus]

[Finglonga]

[mr.z]

As nath about his battery

You'll want a 30watt really to be doing much at all, i'd reccomend some driveing (not fog) lamps, just one is enough in fact.

The cg does have a pish poor headlight, a new shell and H4 bulbs should fix it if its causing bother.
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>RidingSkills<->Tech Tips<->MyBikes<

[Dalemac]

so can gel batteries be charged by normal 12v trickle chargers?

ive got a solar powered 12 trickle charger at home and my gel battery needs charging!
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YBR125 -> GPZ500S -> SL1000

[Finglonga]

[veeeffarr]

"The green reaper" are selling Optimate III SP's for about £25 IIRC.