Winter Battery Maintenance

[GoldOxide_imp]

Thanks Tev. Useful video, although I mostly get to ride all year round so it isn't an issue for me.

Yes, same for me as our climate is quite temperate.

I do tend to use battery tenders though. The 90's Triumphs have a sprag clutch weakness and a sure-fire way to wreck it is to crank the bike over on a weak battery. Once it goes it goes, a split crankcase job to repair with an updated sprag clutch. The repair is more than the bike is worth.

My last Triumph Tiger just gone used to eat batteries, two replacements in five years and it was a must to put that on a tender. Triumph dealer tells me there was nothing abnormal with the bike, I have my doubts.

The only bike I can leave for weeks and weeks without fear of any issues is the CB1100EX, which doesn't have a tender and has never needed one.

I reckon the Triumph has a parasitic load? e.g. tracker or ignition disable/security feature?

It would be easy to measure the current draw at the battery while the Triumph ignition is turned off (e.g. requires lifting the +ve lead). If the draw is in the high tens or hundreds of milliampere range, then yeah - something is suckin' on the battery juice.

I think you are right but Triumph tell me the power draw was in an acceptable range although I can't remember what they said it was but it seemed reasonable at the time. It did have a Triumph factory alarm (branded Datatool) which obviously took something. They had to wait for the bike to go to sleep which could take anything up to 20 minutes after ignition off as the bikes electronics don't fully shut down unless the bike is untouched. Owners of the previous generations of the bikes never had the same problem but they had heavier larger batteries. Penny pinching on the batteries I think.

Late father-in-law had a Vee-Rod with built-in theft alarm that would take out the battery in just less than two weeks while parked idle. Average parasitic draw on battery was about 180 mA.

[peterbaron]

Thanks Tev. Useful video, although I mostly get to ride all year round so it isn't an issue for me.

Yes, same for me as our climate is quite temperate.

I do tend to use battery tenders though. The 90's Triumphs have a sprag clutch weakness and a sure-fire way to wreck it is to crank the bike over on a weak battery. Once it goes it goes, a split crankcase job to repair with an updated sprag clutch. The repair is more than the bike is worth.

My last Triumph Tiger just gone used to eat batteries, two replacements in five years and it was a must to put that on a tender. Triumph dealer tells me there was nothing abnormal with the bike, I have my doubts.

The only bike I can leave for weeks and weeks without fear of any issues is the CB1100EX, which doesn't have a tender and has never needed one.

I reckon the Triumph has a parasitic load? e.g. tracker or ignition disable/security feature?

It would be easy to measure the current draw at the battery while the Triumph ignition is turned off (e.g. requires lifting the +ve lead). If the draw is in the high tens or hundreds of milliampere range, then yeah - something is suckin' on the battery juice.

I think you are right but Triumph tell me the power draw was in an acceptable range although I can't remember what they said it was but it seemed reasonable at the time. It did have a Triumph factory alarm (branded Datatool) which obviously took something. They had to wait for the bike to go to sleep which could take anything up to 20 minutes after ignition off as the bikes electronics don't fully shut down unless the bike is untouched. Owners of the previous generations of the bikes never had the same problem but they had heavier larger batteries. Penny pinching on the batteries I think.

Late father-in-law had a Vee-Rod with built-in theft alarm that would take out the battery in just less than two weeks while parked idle. Average parasitic draw on battery was about 180 mA.

Late father-in-law had a Vee-Rod with built-in theft alarm that would take out the battery in just less than two weeks while parked idle. Average parasitic draw on battery was about 180 mA.

That's heck of a draw

[GoldOxide_imp]

Thanks Tev. Useful video, although I mostly get to ride all year round so it isn't an issue for me.

Yes, same for me as our climate is quite temperate.

I do tend to use battery tenders though. The 90's Triumphs have a sprag clutch weakness and a sure-fire way to wreck it is to crank the bike over on a weak battery. Once it goes it goes, a split crankcase job to repair with an updated sprag clutch. The repair is more than the bike is worth.

My last Triumph Tiger just gone used to eat batteries, two replacements in five years and it was a must to put that on a tender. Triumph dealer tells me there was nothing abnormal with the bike, I have my doubts.

The only bike I can leave for weeks and weeks without fear of any issues is the CB1100EX, which doesn't have a tender and has never needed one.

I reckon the Triumph has a parasitic load? e.g. tracker or ignition disable/security feature?

It would be easy to measure the current draw at the battery while the Triumph ignition is turned off (e.g. requires lifting the +ve lead). If the draw is in the high tens or hundreds of milliampere range, then yeah - something is suckin' on the battery juice.

I think you are right but Triumph tell me the power draw was in an acceptable range although I can't remember what they said it was but it seemed reasonable at the time. It did have a Triumph factory alarm (branded Datatool) which obviously took something. They had to wait for the bike to go to sleep which could take anything up to 20 minutes after ignition off as the bikes electronics don't fully shut down unless the bike is untouched. Owners of the previous generations of the bikes never had the same problem but they had heavier larger batteries. Penny pinching on the batteries I think.

Late father-in-law had a Vee-Rod with built-in theft alarm that would take out the battery in just less than two weeks while parked idle. Average parasitic draw on battery was about 180 mA.

Late father-in-law had a Vee-Rod with built-in theft alarm that would take out the battery in just less than two weeks while parked idle. Average parasitic draw on battery was about 180 mA.

That's heck of a draw

I measured it myself on Vancouver Island, BC. The alarm worked, otherwise it sucked.

[Tev62]

Thanks Tev. Useful video, although I mostly get to ride all year round so it isn't an issue for me.

Yes, same for me as our climate is quite temperate.

I do tend to use battery tenders though. The 90's Triumphs have a sprag clutch weakness and a sure-fire way to wreck it is to crank the bike over on a weak battery. Once it goes it goes, a split crankcase job to repair with an updated sprag clutch. The repair is more than the bike is worth.

My last Triumph Tiger just gone used to eat batteries, two replacements in five years and it was a must to put that on a tender. Triumph dealer tells me there was nothing abnormal with the bike, I have my doubts.

The only bike I can leave for weeks and weeks without fear of any issues is the CB1100EX, which doesn't have a tender and has never needed one.

I reckon the Triumph has a parasitic load? e.g. tracker or ignition disable/security feature?

It would be easy to measure the current draw at the battery while the Triumph ignition is turned off (e.g. requires lifting the +ve lead). If the draw is in the high tens or hundreds of milliampere range, then yeah - something is suckin' on the battery juice.

I think you are right but Triumph tell me the power draw was in an acceptable range although I can't remember what they said it was but it seemed reasonable at the time. It did have a Triumph factory alarm (branded Datatool) which obviously took something. They had to wait for the bike to go to sleep which could take anything up to 20 minutes after ignition off as the bikes electronics don't fully shut down unless the bike is untouched. Owners of the previous generations of the bikes never had the same problem but they had heavier larger batteries. Penny pinching on the batteries I think.

Late father-in-law had a Vee-Rod with built-in theft alarm that would take out the battery in just less than two weeks while parked idle. Average parasitic draw on battery was about 180 mA.

Ooh, that is a lot, I think I was down in the 20mA range.

[peterbaron]

A 20mA discharge is within spec

[GoldOxide_imp]

Thanks Tev. Useful video, although I mostly get to ride all year round so it isn't an issue for me.

Yes, same for me as our climate is quite temperate.

I do tend to use battery tenders though. The 90's Triumphs have a sprag clutch weakness and a sure-fire way to wreck it is to crank the bike over on a weak battery. Once it goes it goes, a split crankcase job to repair with an updated sprag clutch. The repair is more than the bike is worth.

My last Triumph Tiger just gone used to eat batteries, two replacements in five years and it was a must to put that on a tender. Triumph dealer tells me there was nothing abnormal with the bike, I have my doubts.

The only bike I can leave for weeks and weeks without fear of any issues is the CB1100EX, which doesn't have a tender and has never needed one.

I reckon the Triumph has a parasitic load? e.g. tracker or ignition disable/security feature?

It would be easy to measure the current draw at the battery while the Triumph ignition is turned off (e.g. requires lifting the +ve lead). If the draw is in the high tens or hundreds of milliampere range, then yeah - something is suckin' on the battery juice.

I think you are right but Triumph tell me the power draw was in an acceptable range although I can't remember what they said it was but it seemed reasonable at the time. It did have a Triumph factory alarm (branded Datatool) which obviously took something. They had to wait for the bike to go to sleep which could take anything up to 20 minutes after ignition off as the bikes electronics don't fully shut down unless the bike is untouched. Owners of the previous generations of the bikes never had the same problem but they had heavier larger batteries. Penny pinching on the batteries I think.

Late father-in-law had a Vee-Rod with built-in theft alarm that would take out the battery in just less than two weeks while parked idle. Average parasitic draw on battery was about 180 mA.

Ooh, that is a lot, I think I was down in the 20mA range.

Ooh, that is a lot, I think I was down in the 20mA range.
The design was not ideal, but it was on a HD. Without a trickle charger the battery would last less than two weeks.

Similarly, a crappy tech "anti-corrosion" power supply was found on her car and drew about 250 mA. Needless to say one day in the winter the battery was too weak to start the car. I had long since removed the inadequate device and the problem was solved.

[peterbaron]

Thanks Tev. Useful video, although I mostly get to ride all year round so it isn't an issue for me.

Yes, same for me as our climate is quite temperate.

I do tend to use battery tenders though. The 90's Triumphs have a sprag clutch weakness and a sure-fire way to wreck it is to crank the bike over on a weak battery. Once it goes it goes, a split crankcase job to repair with an updated sprag clutch. The repair is more than the bike is worth.

My last Triumph Tiger just gone used to eat batteries, two replacements in five years and it was a must to put that on a tender. Triumph dealer tells me there was nothing abnormal with the bike, I have my doubts.

The only bike I can leave for weeks and weeks without fear of any issues is the CB1100EX, which doesn't have a tender and has never needed one.

I reckon the Triumph has a parasitic load? e.g. tracker or ignition disable/security feature?

It would be easy to measure the current draw at the battery while the Triumph ignition is turned off (e.g. requires lifting the +ve lead). If the draw is in the high tens or hundreds of milliampere range, then yeah - something is suckin' on the battery juice.

I think you are right but Triumph tell me the power draw was in an acceptable range although I can't remember what they said it was but it seemed reasonable at the time. It did have a Triumph factory alarm (branded Datatool) which obviously took something. They had to wait for the bike to go to sleep which could take anything up to 20 minutes after ignition off as the bikes electronics don't fully shut down unless the bike is untouched. Owners of the previous generations of the bikes never had the same problem but they had heavier larger batteries. Penny pinching on the batteries I think.

Late father-in-law had a Vee-Rod with built-in theft alarm that would take out the battery in just less than two weeks while parked idle. Average parasitic draw on battery was about 180 mA.

Ooh, that is a lot, I think I was down in the 20mA range.

Ooh, that is a lot, I think I was down in the 20mA range.
The design was not ideal, but it was on a HD. Without a trickle charger the battery would last less than two weeks.

Similarly, a crappy tech "anti-corrosion" power supply was found on her car and drew about 250 mA. Needless to say one day in the winter the battery was too weak to start the car. I had long since removed the inadequate device and the problem was solved.

One quarter of an Amp discharge

Had a car at work with an audio amplifier, amateur/direct to battery hook up with an 1-1/2 A discharge… and the kid wanted the diags and repair under warranty as the car still had its factory coverage

[GoldOxide_imp]

Thanks Tev. Useful video, although I mostly get to ride all year round so it isn't an issue for me.

Yes, same for me as our climate is quite temperate.

I do tend to use battery tenders though. The 90's Triumphs have a sprag clutch weakness and a sure-fire way to wreck it is to crank the bike over on a weak battery. Once it goes it goes, a split crankcase job to repair with an updated sprag clutch. The repair is more than the bike is worth.

My last Triumph Tiger just gone used to eat batteries, two replacements in five years and it was a must to put that on a tender. Triumph dealer tells me there was nothing abnormal with the bike, I have my doubts.

The only bike I can leave for weeks and weeks without fear of any issues is the CB1100EX, which doesn't have a tender and has never needed one.

I reckon the Triumph has a parasitic load? e.g. tracker or ignition disable/security feature?

It would be easy to measure the current draw at the battery while the Triumph ignition is turned off (e.g. requires lifting the +ve lead). If the draw is in the high tens or hundreds of milliampere range, then yeah - something is suckin' on the battery juice.

I think you are right but Triumph tell me the power draw was in an acceptable range although I can't remember what they said it was but it seemed reasonable at the time. It did have a Triumph factory alarm (branded Datatool) which obviously took something. They had to wait for the bike to go to sleep which could take anything up to 20 minutes after ignition off as the bikes electronics don't fully shut down unless the bike is untouched. Owners of the previous generations of the bikes never had the same problem but they had heavier larger batteries. Penny pinching on the batteries I think.

Late father-in-law had a Vee-Rod with built-in theft alarm that would take out the battery in just less than two weeks while parked idle. Average parasitic draw on battery was about 180 mA.

Ooh, that is a lot, I think I was down in the 20mA range.

Ooh, that is a lot, I think I was down in the 20mA range.
The design was not ideal, but it was on a HD. Without a trickle charger the battery would last less than two weeks.

Similarly, a crappy tech "anti-corrosion" power supply was found on her car and drew about 250 mA. Needless to say one day in the winter the battery was too weak to start the car. I had long since removed the inadequate device and the problem was solved.

One quarter of an Amp discharge

Had a car at work with an audio amplifier, amateur/direct to battery hook up with an 1-1/2 A discharge… and the kid wanted the diags and repair under warranty as the car still had its factory coverage

Supposedly protecting the car from rust using anodic protection. It protected the immediate square foot where the power supply was bolted on - that was it.