magg wrote:Just a suggestion for those that, due to weather or work commitments, are forced to leave there bikes unused for weeks at a time, you should float, trickle charge or top-up charge your batteries. Newish batteries probably only need a top-up charge every 3-4 weeks whereas a 2-3 year old battery may need a charge every 2 weeks or sooner. How often to top-up charge can only be gauged by measuring the voltage. Typically a battery with a voltage of less than 10.2 is considered fully discharged but it is preferable not to allow the battery to discharge this far.

Or just disconnect the battery?

Ben_OB1 you will still need to do regular checks and/or recharging. The battery will self discharge over time whether connected or not.

I hate buying new batteries due to my own lazy maintenance.

I keep a peak charger connected all year round to my bikes when garaged, it tops up the battery as needed.

In a perfect world an automotive wet-cell battery should be charged every 2 weeks it isn't used.

An optimate / smart-charger is the perfect tool as you can leave them plugged in all the time and they switch on / off when needed.

This will keep your battery in optimimum condition.

As the battery discharges a chemical reaction takes place, a byproduct of this is sulfation, the internal plates of the battery get coated with chemical deposits which reduces their efficiency.

Overtime the battery gets more and more sulphated until it dies. The load placed on the battery by running it flat will literally eat the insides of the baterry away

This then causes charging system / altenator issues as a failing battery cannot take as much charge so the regulator has to work harder burning off more charge as heat, which cooks the reg-rec.

To the op, sounds like your battery is knackered. Even a dead battey should be reading > 10v.

Like Cammo said you can buy fancy gadgets to rejuvinate them but usually chepaer to buy a new battery.

Also always follow the breakin procedure of batteries (RTFM) a lot that you have to add acid to state to slow charge for at least x hours before using etc. Faiure to follow this results in under-capacity battery.

Keep it topped off and you won't have any issues until it's natural worn out due to age.

Neosophist wrote:In a perfect world an automotive wet-cell battery should be charged every 2 weeks it isn't used.

An optimate / smart-charger is the perfect tool as you can leave them plugged in all the time and they switch on / off when needed.

This will keep your battery in optimimum condition.
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Agree on this. Have continuously 2 optimates charging both my NC's every day all year long in case I not using my bikes. The new battery I have stays unused in packaging....well, will see if he lasts till the day I need to get it in operation.

My car is stuffed with batteries.....it is an Hybrid powered one

If the new battery in the packaging has yet to have the acid added it should last years I would think.