Battery life vs usage?

[Suntan Sid]

Sorry a long post, please bear with!

I have a battery dilemma.
As some of you may know, I permanently exported my FZ1-N to Cyprus, earlier this year.
In November 2014 I bought a new motobatt AGM battery, this sat in our kitchen until the end of Feb 2015, when I fitted it to the bike. Before I fitted it to the bike I checked the voltage and it was sitting at 12.5v, once fitted, with the bike running it was reading 14.46v.
The reason I replaced the battery was, the one on the bike would not hold a charge, after charging the bike would not start, when I hit the button, all I would get was a clicking from the relay/solenoid. The new battery solved this problem and the engine would spin on the first press of the button.
I took the bike to the TT in 2015, rode it in the UK and everything was fine, although I did have to charge the battery if the bike was left for more than a couple of weeks.
I Sorned the bike at the end of January, got it prepared for an MOT and ready to export. I charged the battery up, took the bike to the shippers, where I had to disconnect the battery for shipping.
When the bike turned up in Cyprus, in April, I reconnected the battery and it started up straight away. I rode the bike a few times, then I disconnected the battery prior to returning to the UK for the BBQ and a couple of other events.
On returning to Cyprus I reconnected the battery, the bike wouldn't start, same clicking as before, disconnected it, charged it up, still no joy, so I suspect the battery's kaput!
I have bumped it and had the bike running, but it still wouldn't turn the motor on the button.
Last night, when I came in from riding, I hooked the charger up via the permanent charging socket, I've fitted to the battery, and the battery didn't pass the retention test, I suspect this is because the factory immobiliser is constantly drawing power.

So, my question is this this, am I expecting too much from the battery?
The bike does sit for long periods with little or no use, (now in extremely hot temperatures), if I leave the battery connected, the immobiliser is drawing power from it. You also have to remember that before starting, the fuel pump primes, the exup valves reset and the headlights can't switched off!
Can I expect more than two years of life from the battery, given my circumstances, or am I just stuck buying a new battery every 18 months?

I know a partial solution is to ride it more, which I will, and leave it on a tender, trouble is I don't fancy leaving it on a tender, unattended, for a couple of months

I can't get my hands on a meter, atm, but should be able to tomorrow, so I can't check any voltages atm.
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[doggone]

I don't really see a problem with leaving it on the trickle charger for months if need be.
Most newer bikes have immobilisers and will possibly drain the battery within a month or so.
With almost universal daytime lights taking at least half the juice even a hour or two run out often won't be enough to fully recharge.

Lead acid does not like being even partly discharged for long, and if it ever gets really low irreversible changes occur - and lifetime will be greatly reduced.
In short put it on the tender if not used more than a couple of weeks to maximise battery life.
Or be prepared to buy a new battery every 2 or 3 years.

[Robby]

Batteries don't like being left empty, they last best when kept full - so a battery on a bike in daily use will last 5-7 years, and in your case you managed to kill one in two years.

Leaving it on the maintenance charger won't be a problem. I would buy a new battery and do that.

Alternatively, if you're going to be frequently killing and buying batteries, buy cheap ones. Even buy a couple and keep the spare (unopened, unfilled) on the shelf.

[Copycat73]

I have the original battery in my 9 year old R1 with an annual millage of 2-3k..

but the day it came I connected it to a an early optimate battery conditioner and whenever it is in the garage it is connected to said conditioner...

allowing the charge to drop kills them quick... cold weather is worst for seein them off aswell.
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[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

[Kickstart]

Hi

Cheap batteries don't seem to like being left on Optimate type chargers (the Sprint batteries seem to die rapidly irrespective of being left on a maintenance charger or not).

Motobatt batteries should be a bit better.

However I suspect that what has happened is you have fried the battery early on its life by leaving it connected and having the immobiliser flatten it.

All the best

Katy
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[Copycat73]

[Suntan Sid]

Thanks for the replies!

The reason I'm reluctant to leave it on a trickle charger is I won't be here for 3 months!
I could ask my neighbour to put it on a trickle charger once a week, he would be willing to do that. Would that be enough to keep the battery in a good condition?

Hopefully i'll be getting a new battery tomorrow, I can put it on the trickle charger, while I'm here, I'm not bothered about the immobiliser, so I'll probably disconnect the battery while it's charging.

Is, continually, using a trickle charger detrimental to battery life, or is it all for the better?
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[Kickstart]

Hi

I think that some useage helps, but if the bike is not in use I would disconnect the battery to stop the immobiliser running it down (normally wouldn't bother, but it seems it is quite a load on your bike).

As to a cheapo battery suffering if left on a maintenance charger, I would just avoid the cheapo batteries.

All the best

Katy
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Suntan Sid]

I'll try and get another motobatt, not sure what's available TBH!
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[doggone]

The trickle charger tries to push charge into the battery so long as the input voltage is higher than the battery is supplying
Once it's full the battery pushes back with equal force and almost no current is flowing.
This is probably better for both than charging it intermittently and causing the charger to work harder for several hours at first.

[Kawasaki Jimbo]

[Copycat73]

[Suntan Sid]

[Suntan Sid]

I may have just had a light bulb moment, when I got the bike it had a few extras fitted, one of which was heated grips!
I remember the guy at the dealers telling me if I left 'em switched on even with the ignition off they would flatten the battery.
I have used them a few times, but I don't ride this bike in the winter and I've never left 'em on.

However, I've just read this article:-

https://www.ulyssesmelb.com/content/heated-grips-how-avoid-flat-battery-blues

Not sure what make mine are, I need to check, any thoughts?
Anyone had problems with heated grips, not going to need 'em here, so is there anything I should know before I go about removing them?
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[Kickstart]

Hi

I would be tempted to take the fuse out of the heated grips (I assume it has a fuse, be a bit worried if it didn't)

All the best

Katy
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Suntan Sid]

I'll have a look at the wiring tomorrow, and see what's going on!
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[diesel dog]

I had a similar thing with mine happen during the year. I wired up some R&G grips and a 12v usb power point in Jan or Feb. I used it more often than not and it was fine.

I left it for about two weeks and it was dead with no ignition lights. I took the battery off the bike and charged it up and kept an eye on it for a week and it was fine. Put it back on without the grips/powerpoint and all was good whenever I used it but I'd also switched the bikes red rocker switch to off. Not sure if that made any difference.

For the sake of what it cost I bought an optimate - 2, I think from sportsbikeshop as it had a few £'s knocked off. The grips are wired back up and all has been good. I hate not having a bike start when I want to take it out.

If I was to leave it for 3 months, I'd leave it hooked up to the optimate.
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MT10

[Suntan Sid]

Ok, I managed to get a new battery today, it's a "DynaVolt", all that was available!
Got home, disconnected anything to do with the heated grips, not going to be needing them here. Fitted the new battery and it started the moment I hit the button!

I'll be using the bike on a regular basis until mid December, then the bike will be left for three months, what will be the best thing to do with the battery for this time?
I'll remove it from the bike, I have an Optimate 2, is it sensisble or even viable to leave a battery hooked up for 3 months?
I can get a neighbour to unhook/hook it up at any time, so what should I do?
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[jaffa90]

I charge mine once a month for 24 hours on an optimate.

[Polarbear]

I've left mine for up to 6 months hooked on an optimate when I was at sea with no issues.

Before I had the optimate I used to remove my battery from the bike, fully charge it and leave it somewhere in the house, rather than a chilly garage. Never had any problems with doing that either.
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[Suntan Sid]

The Optimate website states:-

[Polarbear]

[Suntan Sid]

Here's the blurb for my charger:-

https://optimate.co.uk/optimate%202.htm

Whaddya reckon?
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[RhynoCZ]

I wouldn't feel alright leaving it on the charger, unattended. I would just charge it once a month (which is enough) or every 2 weeks with a normal charger. I just wouldn't sleep well, leaving it on a charger 24/7, as chargers may fail and boiling/exploding batteries are nothing nice.

By the way, it's not just draining the battery below 12v that kills it, it's also the starting procedures (electric starter). I can't give you any specific number, but each battery can hanle only a certain amount of starting procedures/cycles, as that is the only time a battery really gets to use in its life. The longest time I've seen a battery being just sat on the shelf (put there with full charge), was 4 months and after that, it still held enough charge for the engine to start. Depends on the capacity, obviously.
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'87 Honda XBR 500, '96 Kawasaki ZX7R P1, '90 Honda CB-1, '88 Kawasaki GPz550, MZ 150 ETZ
'95 Mercedes-Benz w202 C200 CGI, '98 Mercedes-Benz w210 E200 Kompressor