Like Graham says - battery minder. Harbor Freight sells them on special for $4.99, and that's well worth it. Lots better than having to buy a new battery, although there is a way to rejuvenate one with sulfated plates. Lead-acid batteries weren't meant to be deep cycle discharged and sitting in a discharged condition causes the plates to sulfate - from the sulfuric acid... Stanley
________________________________ From: Graham Rogers <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Tue, December 8, 2009 6:30:03 AM Subject: Re: [Nighthawk Lovers] In New Zealand with Battery woes Hey Dennis, glad to hear you're there. I was wondering. As for the battery - I've had the same experience more than once. I've had bikes quit on me because of batteries in that condition. The battery minder is a good thing. I have about 6 of them shared between about 12 bikes. Next time I'm in NZ I'll help you out by 'minding' one of your bikes for you, Graham On Dec 8, 2009, at 9:56 PM, Dennis wrote: > Hi all, > > I'm in New Zealand now. I arrived down here about two weeks ago. > While I > was gone, my motorcycle here sat for about 9 months with the > battery in it. > Needless to say, it was flat when I got back. I put the charger on > it and > got the bike ('85 CB700SC) started and all seemed well - until two > days > later when the battery was flat again. Another charge and two more > days of > good running and then flat again. > > I took it into a shop today to make sure the alternator was putting > charge > into it and it seemed to be. So, after chatting with the mechanic, I > stepped up and bought a new battery. > > Now that I'm home, I'm wondering if that was the right thing to do > or if I > should have been more patient and debugged things a bit further before > pulling out my wallet. > > The folks at the shop told me that a battery can definitely be > ruined by > leaving it in a bike like that for so long. They said something about > 'sulfation' - which I didn't really understand. > > I also asked them how I should store a battery if I'm going to be > gone that > long and their only suggestion was to buy a 'battery minder' and > use it to > keep that battery topped up while I'm gone. That seemed a bit > extreme to > me for six to nine months. Surely there must be another way? > > You thoughts and comments would be appreciated. > > Dennis G. > - Seattle, Washington > - Christchurch, New Zealand > > -- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. > To post to this group, send email to > [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to nighthawk_lovers > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/ > group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en. > > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en.
