Simple question. I am going to stick the V7 850 on a trickle charge and I would like to know if I should leave the battery in the motorcycle or take it out. I leave the battery in my Bonnevilles and there are no issues.
Define ‘trickle charge’ - is it an Optimate or something like that, or literally like an old fashioned charger?
My understanding is it mustn’t be too high Voltage because of the electronics on the vehicle. Maximum 14 Volts, usually. Old chargers that are just a transformer and rectifier could exceed that if the current is low, i.e. when battery is charged.
Personally I don’t like leaving a charger permanently on, even the Optimate, only put it on every couple of weeks.
EDIT: I also have V7 850 and that’s what I do. Battery stays on bike, has an Optimate pigtail connected, so simple plug-in. (SAE connector).
Hi,
I’ve always used an oxford optimate charger, which is left on over the winter months. I’ve had no issues with my V7 and with various other bikes over the last 15 plus years since I started using the oxford. It’s connected via a small gubbins that comes with the charger so that the battery remains in situ. The charger monitors and maintains the battery so no worries at all. I think it cost around £60 but no doubt, like everything else, will cost a bit more now. Cheers.
I think the Oxford battery charger is called an Oximiser. The Optimate is a different brand of intelligent battery tender. Optimate were one of the original developers of intelligent battery chargers back in the 1990’s. The Optimate can be left connected to a battery indefinitely without causing problems. Cheers Phil
I have an Optimate 5 permanently connected to the battery via a disconnectable lead. I swap the lead around to keep 3 batteries fully charged. It causes no problems.
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Just occurred to me, of course if you remove battery from bike then you have to ‘reprogram’ the dash settings when you put it back, a common issue with modern vehicles these days. So makes it too much of a faff.