Battery on guzzi stelvio

[kevin22july]

i have had to replace the battery on my stelvio every year since 2008, it just doesnt seem to hold a charge after i unwrap it and take it out of its winter hibernation.
does anybody else have this trouble

 

[john zibell]

Are you charging it for 24 hours once a month while not in use?

 

[canuck1969]

Never, but I also do as John suggested. Only charge it up every few weeks. I used to keep it on the bike, but have also taken it off and stored it in the house. Still didn't make much difference as long as it is kept charged.

Letting it go dead, especially if it is left out side in the freezing temps is not good. As the battery goes dead, the acid concentration goes down and you risk freezing the battery as the freeze point of the electrolyte gets closer to that of water. Also, once the battery is dead it is difficult to bring it back to life without some permanent damage.

 

[kevin22july]

thanks guys, first year i left it and did nothing, second year i bought a trickle charging unit and left it plugged in as recomended by the seller of the battery, third year i brought indoors so no risk of freezing.
i am beginning to wonder if its a problem on the bike. if i charge it overnight it works ok for about 4 starts, when im riding it starts at 14 v then i can see it drop tio 13.4 once it goes below 13.5 it just will not turn over the engine.

 

[john zibell]

So it works fine the first year, but not the second? If it were the bike, it wouldn't work the first year. Never leave a battery connected for extended periods to a battery. I don't care what the dealer or maker of the charger says. Get a new battery and treat it properly. When not in use just trickle charger for 24 hours once a month when not in use. So far, my 2006 battery is still performing well. That is a lot more than one year.