Battery Tender Question

[RK Ryder]

I have been in the habit of putting each of my bikes on battery tenders after each ride, as well as for the duration of the winter months.

 

My question is, is this the right way to maintain the batteries or should they be used less often to prolong the batteries’ longevity?

 

Cheers!

 

Paul

 

 

[dirtrider]

1 hour ago, RK Ryder said:

I have been in the habit of putting each of my bikes on battery tenders after each ride, as well as for the duration of the winter months.

 

My question is, is this the right way to maintain the batteries or should they be used less often to prolong the batteries’ longevity?

 

Cheers!

 

Paul

 

 

Afternoon Paul

 

That sort of depends on the battery tender or charger, if the tender is smart enough to have a non-harmful float cycle & it is smart enough up to not sulfate the battery then it shouldn't hurt the battery.  

 

If you are not sure, or if you can't verify the charger action, then probably limit the charger usage to longer periods between usage. 

 

For winter storage the safest way is to disconnect the battery from the motorcycle, or at least remove the fuses on the full-time B+ circuits like clock, Fueling computer, & electronically controlled turn signals, etc then put the charger on a timer or manually just charge the battery every few weeks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[RK Ryder]

I really don’t know what my tenders do as far as cycling features. Both bikes have Odyssey 680 batteries and both tenders are BMW. 
 

 

 

[dirtrider]

15 hours ago, RK Ryder said:

I really don’t know what my tenders do as far as cycling features. Both bikes have Odyssey 680 batteries and both tenders are BMW. 
 

 

 

Afternoon Paul

 

The PC 680 is a sort of a special outlier AGM battery, it requires slightly higher charging voltage & likes a higher amp charger than a 1.25 amp.  The PC 680 uses a slightly different charging algorithm than most similar powersport batteries.   

 

Personally I would not continually  keep a PC 680 on that BMW charger. I would have to put a meter on it but my guess is it will only bring the PC 680 up to about a 90% full charge.  Enough 90% charges can sulfate a battery fairly quickly. 

 

I have PC 680 batteries in a number of my motorcycles & for winter storage I just disconnect  them for the winter then do a 24 hour charge about twice a winter.   

 

The PC 680's claim to fame is a very low low self discharge when just sitting open circuit. 

 

Odyssey published an acceptable battery charger list, it covers a number of acceptable chargers for their unique AGM  battery but there are some decent chargers  that are not on that list that work just fine. It's just a real pain to find the fine details from the battery charger companies to compare with the accepted chargers. 

 

 https://www.odysseybattery.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/ODYSSEY_approved_12V_chargers.pdf

 

 

 

 

[RK Ryder]

When I bought the first 680, I asked the shop for a tender compatible with it. They sold me a NOCO genius G3500 which didn't seem to do an adequate job so I went back to my BMW tenders. I do have an Odyssey approved charger (OMAX-6a-1b) but it is not a battery tender.

 

Guess I'd better start looking for an appropriate tender.

 

Thanks for the advice and link, Dirt Rider.

 

Paul

Edited June 22, 2023 by RK Ryder
typo

[RK Ryder]

 

 

 

[Lowndes]

RK,

 

I have several of these chargers including the "Dirtrider approved" CTEK Snowflake 7002 (which is now my #1 GO-TO charger).

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FRLO9Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

For more info on maintenance of the PC680, specifically "RECONDITIONING", read this: https://www.odysseybattery.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/ODYSSEY_Battery_Reconditioning_Charge_Procedure.pdf

 

And:

https://www.odysseybattery.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/ODYSSEY_approved_12V_chargers.pdf

 

[dirtrider]

10 hours ago, RK Ryder said:

 I do have an Odyssey approved charger (OMAX-6a-1b) but it is not a battery tender.

 

Morning  Paul

 

That OMAX-6a-1b should work just fine as I believe it does have a 13.5-13.6 volt trickle (maintain) setting that automatically kicks in at the end of the bulk charge phase. 

 

That charger is a bit bulky but should be perfectly fine for  your PC 680. 

 

The problem (not really a problem) is, I don't believe the OMAX-6a-1b has a de-sulfation cycle like the larger OMAX chargers but if your PC 680 is kept properly charged to 100% then you should not need a de-sulfation cycle. 

 

The other problem with the  OMAX-6a-1b is that it is a little different than the larger OMAX chargers in that you need to FULLY understand the button usage & what the panel lights are telling you  as (I think) the smaller OMAX-6a-1b will stay in the battery test mode depending on when you push the buttons. 

 

Put that OMAX-6a-1b on your battery overnight then next day put your voltmeter across the battery posts, if you measure 13.5-13.6 volts then it is in the trickle (maintain) mode.   

[RPG]

16 hours ago, dirtrider said:

Afternoon Paul

 

The PC 680 is a sort of a special outlier AGM battery, it requires slightly higher charging voltage & likes a higher amp charger than a 1.25 amp.  The PC 680 uses a slightly different charging algorithm than most similar powersport batteries.   

 

Personally I would not continually  keep a PC 680 on that BMW charger. I would have to put a meter on it but my guess is it will only bring the PC 680 up to about a 90% full charge.  Enough 90% charges can sulfate a battery fairly quickly. 

 

I have PC 680 batteries in a number of my motorcycles & for winter storage I just disconnect  them for the winter then do a 24 hour charge about twice a winter.   

 

The PC 680's claim to fame is a very low low self discharge when just sitting open circuit. 

 

Odyssey published an acceptable battery charger list, it covers a number of acceptable chargers for their unique AGM  battery but there are some decent chargers  that are not on that list that work just fine. It's just a real pain to find the fine details from the battery charger companies to compare with the accepted chargers. 

 

 https://www.odysseybattery.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/ODYSSEY_approved_12V_chargers.pdf

 

 

 

 

Per the list that D.R. supplied, I purchased a CTEK Snowflake a few years ago. Regular use on my 2004 RT with a PC680 battery saw that unit last more than 8 years. In fact, I replaced it prior to the Springfield, MO rally with another PC680 (thinking that it's 8 years old and I don't want to die on the side of the road).

 

 

[konacyclist]

Don't leave Optimate out of your consideration. I have an Optimate 6 that I leave my R1250RT on when I'm not riding it. It is a smart charger also.

[dirtrider]

51 minutes ago, konacyclist said:

Don't leave Optimate out of your consideration. I have an Optimate 6 that I leave my R1250RT on when I'm not riding it. It is a smart charger also.

Afternoon  konacyclist

 

I doubt that your 1250rt has an Odyssey PC 680 battery in it.

 

The PC 680 takes a slightly different charger to properly top it off, the Optimate 6 might work OK on the PC 680 but the charging specs of the Optimate 6 should be verified first as it isn't on the Odyssey approved list. 

[Michaelr11]

FWIW - I use a Battery Minder charger on my Oilhead AGM battery.  It has an automatic desulfation cycle which it displays as active by lighting a desulfate LED.

 

I checked the Battery Minder product information pages, and they very specifically mention that their desulfation cycle is done with high frequency pulses and not high voltage.

 

[Hosstage]

 

 

[Hosstage]

I plug all my batteries in to the Minder occasionally throughout the year to top them off and condition/desulphate them. It will bring a dead battery back, the button must be pushed to activate the cycle (it will not charge a battery below 10 volts, as with most maintainers), and can take weeks to months to bring a battery back. 

[dirtrider]

33 minutes ago, Hosstage said:

I plug all my batteries in to the Minder occasionally throughout the year to top them off and condition/desulphate them. It will bring a dead battery back, the button must be pushed to activate the cycle (it will not charge a battery below 10 volts, as with most maintainers), and can take weeks to months to bring a battery back. 

Afternoon Hosstage

 

That 12117 will eventually damage Paul's Odyssey PC 680 battery, it's charge voltage is too low & it's float voltage is too low for the PC 680 battery to get to a full charge. 

 

It could be used if a quick charge is needed but I sure wouldn't want to use it daily or long term on an Odyssey PC 680.  

 

He would need the 12118 as that charges at 14.7 volts & floats at 13.6 volts.  Even then the amps output is a little on the low side for a solid bulk charge cycle for a PC 680.   

[Hosstage]

Copy that, dr, that 680 is a unique animal. Luckily, my batteries are pretty simple units, all 7 or 8 of them.

[RK Ryder]

My 680 batteries have been lasting seven years which I thought was a decent time until I began reading where others had theirs last much longer, which is why I posted this thread.

 

So yesterday at 7:30 pm, the battery which had not been on a tender since I rode on Monday, read12.93. I hooked up the OMAX-6a-1b and almost immediately it went from charging to fully charged.

 

This morning  I removed the charger at 6:30 and the battery had a charge of 13.43.

 

Does this mean I will be able to alternate the OMAX-6a-1b as a battery tender between my two bikes which each have an Odyessey batteries?

 

Cheers!

 

Paul

[dirtrider]

41 minutes ago, RK Ryder said:

My 680 batteries have been lasting seven years which I thought was a decent time until I began reading where others had theirs last much longer, which is why I posted this thread.

 

So yesterday at 7:30 pm, the battery which had not been on a tender since I rode on Monday, read12.93. I hooked up the OMAX-6a-1b and almost immediately it went from charging to fully charged.

 

This morning  I removed the charger at 6:30 and the battery had a charge of 13.43.

 

Does this mean I will be able to alternate the OMAX-6a-1b as a battery tender between my two bikes which each have an Odyessey batteries?

 

Cheers!

 

Paul

Morning Paul

 

Pretty much you can do that, the self discharge of the PC 680 battery is really low so open circuit the PC 680 can go for months without charging (that is why I disconnect the batteries in my many motorcycle for winter storage). 

 

The limiting factor for you will be the inherent parasitic drain in some of your motorcycles. The more kept-alive things on the motorcycle like clocks, chassis electronics, fueling system electronics, etc the more often you will have to charge them.     

 

That 13.43 volts is just a surface charge that will dissipate after a day or so, I would expect a fairly new  PC 680 to be in the high 12.76 to around 12.89 volts after the surface charge bleeds off. I have seen a few PC 680's hold 12.9+ volts after the surface charge bleeds off when the battery is fairly new. 

This is taken at 70°f - 80°f as battery full-charge voltage is effected by battery temperature. So right after a charge (that heats the battery), or right after a ride (that really heats the battery) you will probably need to find a SOC (State Of Charge) chart for your specific battery then figure the voltage temperature offset. 

 

With good condition PC 680 batteries you should be able to easily put that OMAX-6a-1b on each motorcycle overnight every couple of weeks & be just fine. When you do put that OMAX-6a-1b on just make sure it gets to the trickle state (or full charge state)  before removing the charger if possible unless you are going to start & ride it right then. 

[RK Ryder]

Dirtrider, thank you for your advice on my Odysseus battery tender/charging issues and letting me know that my OMAX charger (that I had never used previously) will work as a tender for both bikes.

 

Cheers!

 

Paul

[konacyclist]

23 hours ago, dirtrider said:

Afternoon  konacyclist

 

I doubt that your 1250rt has an Odyssey PC 680 battery in it.

 

The PC 680 takes a slightly different charger to properly top it off, the Optimate 6 might work OK on the PC 680 but the charging specs of the Optimate 6 should be verified first as it isn't on the Odyssey approved list. 

You are correct stating that my R1250RT has an OEM AGM battery. The original poster did not ask about a specific brand of battery i.e. Odyssey. I have always been very careful about charging my BMW batteries monthly, overnight and have had great luck with battery longevity, even with a simple BMW brand charger. The reason I switched to the Optimate is that I can just leave it connected to the bike during idle periods without worry. It monitors the battery charge state and only charges when it detects a need for charging or conditioning. I wasn't implying that it was the best or only way to go or that it was ideal for a PC 680.

[dirtrider]

26 minutes ago, konacyclist said:

You are correct stating that my R1250RT has an OEM AGM battery. The original poster did not ask about a specific brand of battery i.e. Odyssey. I have always been very careful about charging my BMW batteries monthly, overnight and have had great luck with battery longevity, even with a simple BMW brand charger. The reason I switched to the Optimate is that I can just leave it connected to the bike during idle periods without worry. It monitors the battery charge state and only charges when it detects a need for charging or conditioning. I wasn't implying that it was the best or only way to go or that it was ideal for a PC 680.

Morning konacyclist

 

Actually RK Ryder did mention he had a PC 680 battery (actually 2 PC 680 equipped motorcycles)  so this thread is about proper chargers for the Odyssey PC 680 battery.

 

Quote from RK Ryder's post above :   " I really don’t know what my tenders do as far as cycling features. Both bikes have Odyssey 680 batteries and both tenders are BMW" 

[konacyclist]

Hi dirtrider

 

From RK Ryder's initial post, I was of the opinion that he was asking a general question about battery care. In a later post, he mentioned that he had two PC 680 equipped motorcycles. Do not be concerned. I would not dare to question your knowledge of the subject. Maybe as the thread has quickly evolved into a PC 680 specific topic the title should be modified.

 

Respectfully submitted,

konacyclist