Battery charging

[kitabel]

Explaining my prior post: the electric starter uses quite a bit of battery amperage, so it takes a while riding just to get it back to square one. After an hour (more? less?), the alternator has brought it back up to full capacity. Generators (early Ironheads and big twins) do not charge at idle, and require more riding time and/or charging.

Charging rate: 10% of battery amp capacity at 13.8-14.2 volts
Charged battery: 12.6 volts (each lead/acid cell is 2.1 volts)

[John Harper]

From what I've read, about 30 minutes to recharge a battery after using it to start the engine. About the same time to get the engine fully up to temperature and purge any moisture from the system.

Coincidence, or not?

John

[Toejam503]

Originally Posted by Andy56

I think that person doesn't know all there is to know about AGM batteries. Were you instructed before using your new battery that it needed charging first?

From the Yuasa Short Form manual...
Repeated deep discharge of a standard starter battery will damage the internal
components and lead to premature failure.
On the Yuasa website is more information on the care of AGM batteries that will be applicable no matter who made it.

I realise you are not actually deep discharging it but starter batteries are best kept fully charged unlike a leisure battery that is designed to be discharged.

Reading around the internet it seems that the average life of an AGM battery is 3 to 5 years. If that is taken from users' experiences could it be that the life is being shortened by misuse and abuse? Could it be with extra care those age figures be increased?

Never heard a Battery called "Standard Start" or "Leisure"
I sell Standard "Flooded" or Wet Batteries, Deep Cycle, AGM, and Optima type AGM batteries. Our Local HD sells Lythium batteries, too.
Too much trickle charging tends to cause Standard and AGM batteries to "Sulfate", shortening the life of the battery. If you have a good charging system on your bike, the initial charge at the beginning of your riding season should hold till you store the bike.

[Andy56]

Many years ago a trickle charger was a dumb device and because of the voltage output a small amount of current continues to flow even when the battery has reached full charge. So yes I totally agree that a trickle charger is a very bad idea to leave connected. Before that you had a battery charger that started at a high current flow on a flat battery and as the battery charged so the current reduced but even when the battery was fully charged there was still charging going on that would over time overcharge a battery. That bubble, bubble toil and trouble being hydrogen gas boiling off.

Fast forward to the likes of Optimate, Battery Tender and others they have produced intelligent devices that know when the battery is fully charged and stop charging. They also do not as I understand it run continuously if the battery is in a flat state but do the charging in 30 minute or so time limit steps.

If the tender chargers of today didn't stop charging my battery would be a molten mess on the garage floor as it stays on when I am not riding.

In this day and age with the intelligent chargers we need to change our mindset and not call them trickle chargers, in my opinion.

Yuasa's definitions not mine for battery types. The battery in my car has stop / start AGM printed on it.

[Whitewalls]

Andy56 has it right.
Not simply trickle charging but rather maintaining a battery at a full state of charge will undoubtedly increase its life.

[rejeanprimeau]

Originally Posted by Toejam503

Never heard a Battery called "Standard Start" or "Leisure"
I sell Standard "Flooded" or Wet Batteries, Deep Cycle, AGM, and Optima type AGM batteries. Our Local HD sells Lythium batteries, too.
Too much trickle charging tends to cause Standard and AGM batteries to "Sulfate", shortening the life of the battery. If you have a good charging system on your bike, the initial charge at the beginning of your riding season should hold till you store the bike.

If a motorhome stop at your store and you say that you've never heard of a leisure battery to the owner, you have just lost a sale.

[Tomcatt]

Originally Posted by Andy56

...Fast forward to the likes of Optimate, Battery Tender and others they have produced intelligent devices that know when the battery is fully charged and stop charging. They also do not as I understand it run continuously if the battery is in a flat state but do the charging in 30 minute or so time limit steps...

The Optimate chargers I have do cycle on and off and charge as required. The two Battery Tenders I have don't.

[Toejam503]

Originally Posted by rejeanprimeau

If a motorhome stop at your store and you say that you've never heard of a leisure battery to the owner, you have just lost a sale.

Yeah, we call them "Deep Cycle" batteries, we also have Deep Cycle Marine Batteries. When someone comes in looking for a Leisure battery now, I'll know what he's talking about.

[rokytnji]

Been having good luck with pulse type battery chargers. These new ones shut off when battery reaches full charge.