How Often To Charge Unused Battery?

[johnsmith222]

Hi guys.

I have put my ZX9R away for the winter.

I have removed my relatively new motobatt battery from the bike and brought it in the warm house. I've charged it up and it's sitting on a block of wood.

how often should I charge the battery to keep it in good condition?

The reason I ask is that I have one ctek trickle charger but multiple bikes that I use it on.

Thanks for any help.

[doggone]

When it starts to discharge, this will vary depending on age of battery.
In the warm and with nothing draining it like alarms and immobilisers once a fortnight should be more than enough, maybe once a month with a newish one.

You can't really overcharge it so more rather than less.

[stinkwheel]

I personally wouldn't expect to have to touch it at all between now and spring if it's fully charged now.

AGM batteries shouldn't discharge much while sat on a shelf in a heated house and ought to recover from a deep discharge even if they did.
____________________
“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.

[Casper]

Never charge mine. Bring it in the warm house around 2nd week of November and take it back out around the end of February. Click, Press, Vroom, vroom. Had the battery almost three years now.

[covent.gardens]

Once a month would be treating it

[uberkron]

Id give it a half hour charge before refitting it, ive done it with most vehicle batteries. Ive come across batteries being damaged by too many maintenance charges. If its full, 12.6v or higher then it should store happily. As lead batteries discharge, their self discharge rate increases. So even a good battery left at 11.5v would possibly not take a charge again if left standing too long.
A bit long, but i like batteries!
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i ride a zip 50 2smoke. It overtakes a hundred times a day.

[covent.gardens]

[uberkron]

I should have been more specific. People using unregulated car battery type chargers performing too many maintenance charges. I work as an auto electrician, ive tried many chargers but they all tend to float too high. If used while the battery is in a vehicle that has some parasitic draw they seem ok but as a battery is a chemical reaction, it is hard to not tip the balance between charging and overcharging once full. Ive not seen chargers on the consumer market that have a discharge feature.
____________________
i ride a zip 50 2smoke. It overtakes a hundred times a day.

[mentalboy]