Battery Chargers

[MCW]

Sorry for silly question, but I know sod all about bike maintenance.

Will an ordinary 12v car battery charger be ok for charging a bike battery?

End of silly question.

[andy_uk]

I wouldn't recommend it being left on very long...the car ones can damage bike batteries.
If it has a low current/trickle charge setting you could use it to give the battery a boost but only if you really need to.

A proper bike battery charger is really the safest way to go.
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Aprilia Classic 125, GS500E, ER5-A1, ER5-C4, ER6 & an XJ6 project frame...

[MCW]

[Islander]

You'll be fine using it for a couple of hours to get a charge into the battery just don't leave it on overnight.

I recommend an Optimate 4 charger. They're ideal for bike batteries and will maintain them as well as charge them. They come with a flylead with ring connectors on one end that you permanently attach to the battery and a waterproof connector on the other than you hide behind a side panel or similar - this means that to charge the bike all you have to do is pull the connector out and plug the Optimate in. If the bike is left in a garage with power you can safely leave the charger connected - useful if it's laid up for any length of time.

[MCW]

Thanks Islander, I will put it on my birthday list. x

[doggone]

The battery will often state a maximum charge rate on it - usually 1 amp for bikes, but even 10 would probably be OK for say 20-30 minutes for a quick boost.

I must say the bikes own alternator could potentially push out at least 20amps, not sure how that is not damaging, perhaps it is if your battery is really low.

[Paivi]

Go for CTEK XS3600, it wakes up a practically dead battery. I haven't used my Monster since last summer and put the battery on trickle charge y'day and the bike started first time a wee while ago.
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My other bike's a Monster...