Gel battery

[bikemonkey]

Would I be right in saying this isn't a lead acid battery, and would be better than the piece of quickly discharging s**t sat in my bike right now that needs a trickle charger plugged into it constantly? Or is my minimal knowledge failing me?

http://www.mad4bikes.co.uk/batteries-ge ... p-632.html

[magg]

It is a lead acid battery.

All batteries self discharge over time and therefore should be trickle charged if left idle for long periods. New batteries can go longer without charging, older batteries less. A fully charged battery will read 12.8 volts or more, a battery reading of 12 volts or less indicates charge time.

What specifically is the issue with the battery you have now.

[bikemonkey]

Well it's constantly on a trickle charger as it's still stored in my garage at the moment. But if I take the trickle charger off it for longer than a few days the battery can't start the bike, and I'm guessing it shouldn't discharge that quickly.

[Neosophist]

It's a standard lead acid as above.

Battery may well be goosed but presuming it's and NC30 the charging systems break on the bike too so you want to check

1. battery is actually knackered
2. charging system is working
3. nothing is discharging the battery excessivly while it's turned off.

[bikemonkey]

Aye better get myself a voltmeter?/ammeter?

The fan is switch operated but obviously that's always off, there isn't an alarm draining it and I can't think of much else. Will have to get in the garage on my next day off work (whenever that is).

[Neosophist]

Aye better get myself a voltmeter?/ammeter?

The fan is switch operated but obviously that's always off, there isn't an alarm draining it and I can't think of much else. Will have to get in the garage on my next day off work (whenever that is).

Few simple things you can do without a volt-meter.

If you fully charge the battery and take it off the bike, leave it for a couple of days and see if it still has enough power to start the bike.. a failed battery often self-discharges very quickly.

If it still starts the bike ok then investigate the charging system, a simple multimeter will be fine to do this.

[duncan]

I had one of these gel batteries on my BMW once.The advert said it had more beef than the standard lead-acid job and would work better at low temperatures so I spent £80 on it.The thing was absolutely useless so I ended up throwing it away and buying a standard one.When new it struggled to start the bike and as soon as the first cold snap came it just died

[magg]

How old is the battery?

[bikemonkey]

How old is the battery?

I have no idea, bought the bike December last year and being an excited 19 year old forgot to ask a few of the key questions

[magg]

Not a question that many would ask, myself included, just interested in its history. If it needs constant trickle charging to be able to start the bike I would consider it to be stuffed. When you first got the bike, was the battery capable of starting the bike without charging, particularly if left idle for a few days or a week. A good battery with a full charge should be able to start the bike once a week easy without trickle charging, provided it is being charged correctly when the engine is running.