Dead Battery

Ok, so I'm still very new to riding so please bare that in mind ... Basically I wasn't able to ride my bike for a month and today rode it for the third time, just the short journey (5/6 miles) to work... I stalled it a few times this morning and one of the times the dash said low battery but as I then rode for another 10 mins or so I figured it would be fine, then this evening I stalled it twice and the second time the engine wouldn't start again (but the lights and everything still worked) ... I was near home so pushed it the last bit home.

Should I have realised that would happen and rode it for longer before stopping this morning/eve? Not that I intended to stall but still...

My problem now is how do I charge it? My dad says he had a trickle charger, will that do the job or do I need to get something else??

 

Thanks ... I think it is totally dead now

I will see if his charger is any good otherwise I'll buy another!

I think I just need to get it running again then go for some longer rides

 

Optimate do a good range of chargers to just leave on your bike over the winter when usage is somewhat less. Also optimal does a little battery test and may recover your dead battery.

 

Thanks, my dad thinks his charger will do the trick, if not I'll look at optimate!

iPhone tried to autocorrect optimate to intimate lol

 

Don't worry I would think your dad's charger will do the trick

 

Just do not get tempted into giving it a fast charge with a car charger, it will cook your bike battery. always worth thinking about an optimate or something similar, it is something that is going to be needed from time to time especially if you ever get an after market alarm or something similar.

 

As Eagle has said, if you use a high output car charger it can buckle the internal plates of the cells. In that case you'll be needing a new battery.
Some battery chargers have a link that can be moved so as to reduce the charging current specifically for much smaller motorbike batteries. In the past i've used a resistor from an electronic shop to reduce the charging current & I still use this method for charging brand new batteries as they need a constant current flow, which an Optimate charger doesn't do.

 

Not sure if the charger I used was right or not then it was a trickle charger and seemed to do the trick but I haven't had the chance to put it back in the bike yet, will do at weekend.

Have bought an optimate too for next time :s

 

Hopefully you've got the Optimate adapter so that you can plug the lead in without having to use the croc clips.

 

No haven't got that, will look into it!

 

My Optimate came with one. Strange that they don't include them with the main unit anymore

M&P sell them seperately for a few ££

http://www.mandp.co.uk/index.php/de.../workshop/tm71-w-proof-fused-eyelet-lead.html

 

I have 3 optimates and they all came with croc clips and the adaptor that bolts directly onto the battery terminals

 

eBay item:Optimate 3 4 Dual Program Accumate Charger Waterproof Battery Connector Lead TM (#351475970842)

Like this one

 

Finally got battery back in bike and went for a ride yesterday