Battery Question

[300]

manual and lable say 0.9amp/5-10hr, or 4amp/1hr
didnt say anything about the voltage.....

my car charger has 6volt/6amp, 12volt/2amp, 12volt/6amp


question, what does amp relate to volt?

i suppose i can charge my bike at 12volt/2amp as labled,
which i've never had any problem with.....

wonder if that will hurt my battery or what.....?

[HS2020]

No it shouldn't hurt it. There should be a place in your charger manual that tells you what setting to put it on for motorcycle battiers.

[trinc]

in general, the slower the better ( lower Amps )

i would use nothing over 2A-12v and if it doesn't have an automatic
trickle i'd keep an eye on it as it charges.
there is a 1 amp 12v charger you can buy for about $15 bucks - i would
use it over the 2 amp car charger.

a battery tender is a good investment.

tim

[jhugh]

a battery tender is a good investment.

Excellent advice.
You can sometimes find these on e-bay for $15 or less - especially if they have a plug or jack on the end rather than auto style alligator clips - that's very easy to change. The best thing about them is that you just leave them plugged in all the time - they automatically charge and keep the battery 'topped off'. Be careful of the simple trickle chargers, or chargers in general, they can cause damage if kept on too long..

[The CyberPoet]

in general, the slower the better ( lower Amps )... a battery tender is a good investment.

Tim hit it on the nose.

You battery needs a 12 volt charger (6 volt setting is no good).
It can handle a fast-charge time of up to one hour at up to 4 amps (i.e. - if you use the 2 amp setting, you can still charge it up to one hour), provided the charger has a self-cut-off, and you check the battery every 15 minutes during that time to make sure the sides aren't getting too hot to the touch.

TIPS:

1. Trickle charging is the best way of keeping the battery both topped up and charging when low. Unlike a car battery, a motorcycle battery has a much lower volume, which means it has less mass to dissipate heat when charging, and heat is the enemy. BatteryTender brand (Deltran) is among the very cream of the crop. If you live in an area prone to heavy fog, rain, condensation or high humidity levels, seriously consider getting their Waterproof 800 model (recently introduced) -- it will work even if dropped in a bucket of water while charging.

2. Batteries get weak when cold (have less CCA's to draw on), but get damaged from heat and vibration. The heat from your engine, as well as the heat of being rapidly charged both reduce the lifespan of the battery.

3. If the heat causes the sides of the battery to warp at all, replace the battery. It's seen too much heat.

4. Everytime your motorcycle battery goes dead, it loses 25 to 40% of it's ability to hold a charge. Thus, kill it three times and it won't have enough power to start the bike even with a full charge. Replace it if in question, because you don't want to end up at the side of the road unexpectedly (and a tow is far more expensive than a battery).

5. Always charge outdoors, away from flame. All standard motorcycle batteries vent hydrogen (a very flamable gas) when charging. If storing a battery over the winter on a trickle charger, store it away from pilot lights and heavy equipment that may spark when they turn on (furnaces, water heaters, air handlers, etc), in a well ventilated area.

6. I replace my battery every other year for peace of mind. Some members around here simply replace theirs every year. I've never seen a motorcycle battery last longer than about 4 years, and that was with regular trickle charging.

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet