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Badly pinched nerve. Can't ride. Need to keep my battery charged.


NEOHMark

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I can't ride due to a nasty pinched nerve in my neck. Trouble is, my R1150RT has now sat for just over a week without being run and I'm getting worried about the battery charge level.

 

Can I point a good-quality fan (Honeywell 'turbo') pointed straight into the cooling fins of the front oil cooler and let it idle for ten-fifteen minutes? I know they warn against sitting at idle, but I'd hope that by putting a healthy dose of airflow into the cooler would keep things safe.

 

FWIW - I don't have a 'gel' battery tender, just a Black & Decker 'intelligent' charger (trickle/standard/self diagnosing). Not sure if I buy the hype that a 'special' tender is required for a gel battery. Sounds like a marketing scam to me. Your thoughts on that?

 

Thanks.

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If the battery is any good you should be able to let it sit for several months. I am hung up my self and had a friend ride the bike after two months to be on the safe side. Hope your health improves before the battery needs a charge.

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Mark,

Don't bother with running the engine to charge the battery.

Either put a timer on your little 2amp Black&Decker thing or get a Battery Tender (either variety) and leave it attached full time. I don't believe the GEL hype either but leaving that 2amp charger on ALL the time will cook the battery needlesly unless you time it. Give it an 8hour charge once a week or so to be safe with your existing charger. All my batteries have battery Tenders attached when the vehicle is not in use.

 

Mick

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The Battery Tender Jr. works fine with gel batteries. It's got to be the Junior model, the others will not work properly.

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Laffo IBA#34115

Sorry to here about your pinched nerve. I've had one myself and know what you are going through. A speedy recovery is sent your way.

 

The gel batteries did not come standard on the RT until '04. '03 and prior are lead-acid. Do not hook up a trickle charger designed for lead-acid batteries to the gel battery because the charging voltage is 14.7+ VDC. The peak voltage for charging a gel battery is 14.3 VDC. The Battery Tender PLUS and Jr models are OK for gel batteries but not the older standard Battery Tender. That said..

 

I wouldn't turn my motorcycle into a $15K battery charger by letting it run.

 

I also wouldn't worry about it for two or three months.

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I had a pinched nerve about 18 months ago, turned out to be a herniated disk in my neck. Physical therapy (traction and excercises) finally relieved the pain.

If you have not been to a doctor about this, go now before it gets worse. It took months for an almost complete recovery.

Good luck!

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Thank you Alan, for your concern. I'm reasonably certain it IS a herniated cervical disc. I had a herniated lumber disc about ten years ago and the experience has been remarkably similar - only this time the pain is down my right shouler and arm instead of my left butt cheek and leg.

 

I have a Thursday AM appt with an Orthopaedist.

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IMHO, I'd put whatever charger you already own, on the bike for a couple of hours once a week. Leave it disconnected from the bike the rest of the time. Your battery will stay mostly charged that way, withour getting dried out.

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Sorry to hear about your neck. I have arthritis and my "lifesaver" look to the rear before a manoeuvre is painfull but I'd rather be in pain than a goner.

 

I have studied many reports about battery charging especially chargers which can recover sulfated batteries. I disagree with those who say that your battery will be okay for a few months. Your bike will have a low current drain but higher if you have an alarm immobiliser. All lead acid and GEL batteries will provide optimum life if they always placed on charge after a ride provided that the charger is the modern "intelligent" charger. One of the worst things you can do to a m/c battery is to let it partially discharge then go out on a ride without charging it on the intelligent charger. The reason for this is that the voltage difference between the rectified alternator output and the low battery can result in a charging current of 50A and this will accelerate the sulphation process and life reduction. If the battery is fully charged when you ride (except for the energy used when starting) then the on bike charging current will be quite low.

 

I use an Automate charger and only switch it off when going for a ride.

 

http://www.mdsbattery.co.uk/shop/productprofile.asp?ProductGroupID=1039

 

This is not an expensive item and significantly lower than the price of a high capacity battery for your bike.

 

I don't know about the Black and Decker "intelligent" charger but would have thought that it might have been made to charge nicad batteries which if it is, is totally inappropriate to charge your bike battery.

 

Ian

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I don't know about the Black and Decker "intelligent" charger but would have thought that it might have been made to charge nicad batteries which if it is, is totally inappropriate to charge your bike battery.

 

Ian

 

No - it is a true auto battery type charger. But thank you for your thoughts - and your well wishes. What you say makes sense.

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Not wishing to pursue if you are wanting to close the thread but what to do you mean the the B&D is a "true auto charger"

 

Can you provide its type number?

 

Ian

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You don't have to worry about a week or two ... I (unfortunately) have let my bike sit for 6 weeks plus between rides. Starts up and runs fine.

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Tim,

 

Yes it will appear okay but each time you do this the battery has been weakened and once the sulphation process starts you cannot reverse it except by using special techniques which can take months. Eventually even after a full charge the battery will start the bike and off you go for a few hours ride. You stop for a break and then find the bike will not start. Been there which is why I read up on the subject.

 

Ian

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