Flat Battery

[willmartyr]

Hi all,

This is my first post!

My 97 firestorm is kept under a cover but on the street in the cold and my commute is only 5 miles each way. In the winter months, It has problems with getting the big V2 started in the morning. I recognise that this commute is not enough to get the battery juiced up. Is there any tips for getting round this issue.

I am currently either Jumping it off my wife 50cc vespa, which takes time and periodically taking the battery out and trickle charging it over night. Both of these are a pain... I am pretty sure my battery is not the most expensive option but I am unsure if shelling out for a better model will have any effect.

suggestions greatly appreciated.

cheers
Will (now on a vespa in full leathers most mornings!)

[lloydie]

Hello and welcome .
Could you fit a connection on the battery so when you get home just plug it in on the charger .

[Phimosis]

yeah the battery is too small for 5 miles e/w I found 15 e/w was only just enough to juice it up properly, if there is no way you can run an optimate to it at night you are going to be struggling, you could also buy another battery to drop in when you get home and have 1 on charge all the time. Welcome.

[Wicky]

+1 on wot Phimosis wrote

For a journey of 5 miles a push bike would suffice and only take 20–30 minutes.

[Phimosis]

+1 on wot Phimosis wrote

For a journey of 5 miles a push bike would suffice and only take 20–30 minutes.

For a 5 mile ride home for me on a pushbike would entail a 800 ft rise in elevation, this would mean the missus being ready with paddles to restart my heart when I got home.

[willmartyr]

Thanks Gents,
I think a second battery is my best option. I am pretty sure a push bike through the Blackwall Tunnel could cause problems!

Will

[agentpineapple]

Thanks Gents,
I think a second battery is my best option. I am pretty sure a push bike through the Blackwall Tunnel could cause problems!

Will

i got to help out a fellow southerner/londoner
a few of us have upgraded our batteries to a motobatt item, big yellow buggers but very powerful, the only downside is you can't get the black plastic battery cover back over the top of it, heres a link....
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Motobatt-AGM- ... 564ee65d53

[lumpyv]

has your bike got an alarm ?? they flatten batteries a treat

[Wicky]

Okay a rowing boat & pushbike

is this you?

[youtube][/youtube]

Thanks Gents,
I think a second battery is my best option. I am pretty sure a push bike through the Blackwall Tunnel could cause problems!

Will

[VTRDark]

WTF how is that bike still running all the electrics must be soaked.

willmartyr stick a multimeter on your battery and make sure your regulator rectifier is working properly as well.

Welcome to the forum

(:-})

[agentpineapple]

only a honda could do that, nice snorkel set up. and you end up with a very clean bike at the end of it, which means mr mon would never do something like that.

[bazza696]

Okay a rowing boat & pushbike

is this you?

[youtube][/youtube]

Thanks Gents,
I think a second battery is my best option. I am pretty sure a push bike through the Blackwall Tunnel could cause problems!

Will

why did he take the river, rather than the road???

[willmartyr]

Cheers, Had a look at those more powerful Gel Motobat batteries. Guess they would last a few commutes longer before needing a topup at home on the trickle charger. No, alarm on mine. If find a bombproof chain round a massive tree and round the missus's vespa keeps the Lewisham scum at bay. However, I have had my cover 'cut off' three times

[agentpineapple]

was chatting to a woman the other day who had a 600 hornet parked on the road, just round the corner from the elephant, shes had the cover nicked 3 times...
now she doesn't bother covering it. as for the motobatt batteries, for the sake of an extra tenner over standard, you get a much more pwerful battery and extra terminals to run a trickle charger....its a win win

[tony.mon]

Is it safeley parke dwhile at work?
If in secure place (company car park?) you could use a small solar panel to help top up the battery during the day.
I use a small suitcase one from Maplins if I can't get it near power.
Similar to the size panel you get in the solar charger/covers you see advertised.