Posts: 1,180
Threads: 34
Likes Received: 35 in 10 posts
Likes Given: 15
Joined: Apr 2025
(01-20-2016, 05:05 AM)The ferret_imp Wrote: Well it's not an either or. Take out the battery, take it in the house and put it on a tender. That's what I do for my riding mower. Next best thing would be to take it out and take it in the house and let it sit on a piece of carpet or cardboard or plywood, not on a concrete floor. Finally I don't see any difference in unhooking it and leaving it in the bike, or just leaving it in the bike hooked up. In either case it's going to get cold, discharge and not receive any refreshing charge for as long at it sits there..
I see. Thanks!
Posts: 16,119
Threads: 342
Likes Received: 666 in 365 posts
Likes Given: 775
Joined: Apr 2025
I think the question is why does it discharge if it's not connected to anything?
Posts: 23,403
Threads: 697
Likes Received: 482 in 220 posts
Likes Given: 597
Joined: Apr 2025
Batteries at rest lose charge whether connected or not .. something about positive ions and all that...otherwise you wouldn't need a generator or alternator or trickle charger to keep it up. I've heard as much as 1% per day but that may have been old technology lead acid filled batts. They do not store an infinite amount of power for an infinite amount of time. Even when being charged daily they eventually will no longer hold a charge. Nature of the beast.
Posts: 8,026
Threads: 21
Likes Received: 180 in 103 posts
Likes Given: 122
Joined: Apr 2025
Cormanus,
Google battery self discharge and 'local action'. That should explain it, mostly.
Posts: 3,093
Threads: 64
Likes Received: 6 in 2 posts
Likes Given: 7
Joined: May 2013
Yup. Batteries, if left to their own devices, will discharge. There are things going on in the battery and their chemistry that cause this.
You can test this by leaving your battery out for the season, then just before it's time to ride, hook it up to a real charger that shows just how far it needs to charge. It will help you if your battery is kept very cool (but not frozen) during its' down time.
Posts: 2,590
Threads: 28
Likes Received: 6 in 2 posts
Likes Given: 0
Joined: Mar 2013
(01-20-2016, 07:21 AM)The ferret_imp Wrote: Batteries at rest lose charge whether connected or not .. something about positive ions and all that...otherwise you wouldn't need a generator or alternator or trickle charger to keep it up. I've heard as much as 1% per day but that may have been old technology lead acid filled batts. They do not store an infinite amount of power for an infinite amount of time. Even when being charged daily they eventually will no longer hold a charge. Nature of the beast.
That's about right for a flooded cell battery. Actual discharge rates also vary with temperature (hotter temps, higher discharge). You're correct that newer technologies do better. Sealed AGM batteries self discharge rate is about half of the flooded cell rate. Lithium batteries are pretty good in this respect, discharging at only 2-3% per month.
Posts: 16,119
Threads: 342
Likes Received: 666 in 365 posts
Likes Given: 775
Joined: Apr 2025
Posts: 129
Threads: 9
Likes Received: 0 in 0 posts
Likes Given: 0
Joined: Apr 2015
I'm in the camp that removes the battery, takes it in the house, leave the bike sit for the Winter. I 'tend' to the battery every few months. Once it warms up, let rain wash the salt off the road before your take the bike out.
Just the way I operate.
Posts: 2,757
Threads: 26
Likes Received: 0 in 0 posts
Likes Given: 0
Joined: Mar 2014
(01-24-2016, 02:25 AM)sourdough44_imp Wrote: I'm in the camp that removes the battery, takes it in the house, leave the bike sit for the Winter. I 'tend' to the battery every few months. Once it warms up, let rain wash the salt off the road before your take the bike out.
Just the way I operate.
That's the way I do it too with all my bikes except the CB. I have an Optimate pigtail connected to the battery which is easy to access so I leave the battery in place and hook up the charger once a month for 24 hours.
The other batteries are stored in a cool dry place and once a month they are cycled through with the charger for 24 hours.
In all cases the chrger goes into "float mode" very soon indicating that the batteries have lost very little charge.
Come spring, I'm in no hurry to get out there before the road debris has been washed away,
