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Batteries and smart chargers

T

tris

Cruisin' Guzzisti
Joined
May 30, 2012
Messages
256
Location
Lincolnshire UK
Morning all, I had a search but didn't find the answer to my question

Does keeping a battery kept on a smart charger while not in use hide a failing battery?

i.e. it will start the bike as soon as you disconect it for a ride and then fail when you're out and about

I ask as I suspect that the battery in my Roamer is circa 6 years old, so likely to need replacing and lives on my 5 amp Ctek charger most of the time

Cheers
Tris
 
The battery in my Roamer is nearly 8 years old and still going strong, it's always been on a tender but I sometimes leave it off for a day or two to make sure it's still up to the job.
 
As someone who used to work on and build industrial battery chargers, yes, charging the battery right before starting the engine could be hiding a worn out battery. But I doubt that the tender (or tender/charger type) is your issue.

If for example your charging system on the bike is not in good shape, or you have some parasitic current draw through either a minor short or aftermarket accessories, that too would allow you to start the engine fine when you've fully charged the battery at home, and the battery may last long enough or get enough charge to keep the voltage high enough to run the bike while riding, but then give you starting issues on your return journey home.

Battery tenders are designed to do just that, tend to a battery that is in good condition and will just be sitting for a while. While it may be sort of nursing your battery along, I would be inclined to say your issue is upstream of the battery tender itself, or what type of tender/charger it is. Almost certainly the battery or charging system health is your issue instead, especially given the age of the battery you mentioned. Well worth replacing regardless, and cleaning the terminals on the harness too.

None of my bikes over the years have needed to be on the battery tender in order to start, even when sitting for a whole winter in my garage. I still use a battery tender on my seasonal bikes, but the tender always reports that the battery is still full or very nearly full every time I plug it in. Never had starting issues in years prior to me owning a tender either. I also usually replace batteries in my bikes well before any noticeable issues arise, usually every few years, or if the battery has been discharged too much due to some issue before. That can damage the plates in the battery and accelerate wear.

-Mike
 
Thanks Mike

To be clear I haven't had a problem yet, but if the tender is hiding the problem that would be problematic.

Generally though (perhaps Dave above excepted) 6 years seems to be a good life and as you say it would be prudent to change to a new battery before it lets me down in the boondocks

Cheers
 
tris said:
Generally though (perhaps Dave above excepted) 6 years seems to be a good life and as you say it would be prudent to change to a new battery before it lets me down in the boondocks

Cheers
Click to expand...
Especially if that happened in nearby Sherwood Forest. I've read that the ghost of Robin Hood rides a Guzzi.
 
tris said:
Morning all, I had a search but didn't find the answer to my question

Does keeping a battery kept on a smart charger while not in use hide a failing battery?

i.e. it will start the bike as soon as you disconect it for a ride and then fail when you're out and about

I ask as I suspect that the battery in my Roamer is circa 6 years old, so likely to need replacing and lives on my 5 amp Ctek charger most of the time

Cheers
Tris
Click to expand...
Keeping a battery on a tender can do that but you should be able to identify the signs of a failing battery when not on the tender and especially when riding.

What you are describing is a battery with a very reduced capacity to store energy. The charger brings it to a state where it can start your bike but then either because of a short ride or because the alternator is not working properly or because the battery will not accept the charge or all the above, it will fail to restart unless charged again. Eventually even after the charger displays a fully charged battery you will be unable to start your bike, or start it with difficulty. You basically need a new battery and properly maintain it.

My understanding is that lead acid batteries like to be at a fully charged state. What deteriorates a battery's health is when its charge is being depleted (and the lower it gets the worst) and it's not charged back to a full state.

Long story short, the idea is, the longer you keep your battery as closer to fully charged as possible, the longer it will last. YMMV.
 
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I agree. In my fleet, the average battery age is 7 years. They live on automatic 4 AMP chargers whenever they are parked in my workshop.

I never experience electrical anomalies either like many who come here. Go figure.

FWIW: I am in the process of upgrading all of my bikes to Lithium batteries. My Centauro has had the same Lithium battery for over 10 years now.

YMMV
 
Last edited:
scottmastrocinque said:
I agree. In my fleet, the average battery age is 7 years. They live on automatic 4 AMP chargers whenever they are parked in my workshop.

I never experience electrical anomalies either like many who come here. Go figure.

FWIW: I am in the process of upgrading all of my bikes to Lithium batteries. My Centauro has had the same Lithium battery for over

10 years now.

YMMV
Click to expand...
I'd be interested to participate in a discussion about lithium batteries. But I know very little about the subject so I will wait for someone more knowledgeable to start a thread 🫡
 
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