mike042 Posted December 30, 2013 #1 Posted December 30, 2013 bikes been sit for 4 months cause of hurt back. now I want to just start it of course batterys not up to it will it hurt anything if I put charger on it while still in bike its 83 venture. just want to charge it enough to get her started. my charger is a Schumacher I can put on 2amp slow charge?
Snaggletooth Posted December 30, 2013 #2 Posted December 30, 2013 No problem at all. A slow low charge is the best route to go. With the charger you have i would assume its a smart unit. An overnight charge should fix ya up. If the battery is NOT a sealed unit like an AGM make sure to check the fluid level before the charge. From my Droid wherever I may happen to be at any given moment.
Peder_y2k Posted December 30, 2013 #3 Posted December 30, 2013 If your charger is NOT a "smart" charger type, then no more than 24hrs charge at 2 amps. Add distilled water only after full charge period. -Pete, in Tacoma WA USA
saddlebum Posted December 30, 2013 #4 Posted December 30, 2013 Before I got a smart charger I would connect the 2 amp charger to the bike and leave it on all winter. The charger itself was plugged into a wall timer and I set it to charge for one hour every day. I got 6 years out of that battery.
Flyinfool Posted December 30, 2013 #5 Posted December 30, 2013 Whether you add the water before or after charging is an area open for debate. The acid level will rise during charging because of the bubbles produced during the charging process, displacing some of the electrolyte. Because the level will rise, if the battery is full, there is a chance that it could bubble over as the level rises during charge. this is usually only an issue with batteries that will be charged at a high rate causing a lot of bubbling. On the other hand. Adding the water before charging will insure that it is fully mixed into the solution during the charging process. This is especially important if the battery will be subjected to sub freezing temperatures where the layer of water in the top of the battery could freeze. Since the OP is in Massachusetts, freezing this time of year is a realistic possibility, especially with the weather that I am done with and sending on to the east..... The best thing to do is to check the fluid level in the battery before charging, if it is low, fill to just below the fill mark to get as much of the water mixed as possible. You never want to charge a battery when the level is low enough to have exposed plates. The slightly low level will prevent bubbling over. Then top off with just the small amount of water needed after charging and after the bubbles have all had a chance to rise to the top. Most batteries will not bubble over with a low charge rate like you are planning to use. If bubbling over was a concern then you would also not be able to charge a battery that was already full.
mike042 Posted December 30, 2013 Author #6 Posted December 30, 2013 thanks for all the tips!! yes its a smart charger (brand new) bikes in heated garage so no freezing but I was just concerned about any charge getting to bikes charging or frying anything it shouldn't. I never leave any charger on any battery any longer than I have to even if storeing a battery for a long time I will fully charge it disconnect and just check it every few weeks or so
MiCarl Posted December 30, 2013 #7 Posted December 30, 2013 As stated, you can charge in the bike. If it was severely discharged, or discharged for a long time, you might find you need to replace it.
SilvrT Posted December 30, 2013 #8 Posted December 30, 2013 bikes been sit for 4 months cause of hurt back. now I want to just start it of course batterys not up to it will it hurt anything if I put charger on it while still in bike its 83 venture. just want to charge it enough to get her started. my charger is a Schumacher I can put on 2amp slow charge? Question: Once you get it started, what do you plan to do? Whatever it is, don't rely on the bikes charging system to fully recharge the battery. To properly (and fully) charge a discharged battery, it should be disconnected and charged up using a proper battery charger.
Goose68 Posted December 31, 2013 #9 Posted December 31, 2013 I leave mine on a battery tender anytime I am not riding it.
aharbi Posted December 31, 2013 #10 Posted December 31, 2013 Me too Sent from my BNTV600 using Tapatalk
KIC Posted December 31, 2013 #11 Posted December 31, 2013 I think the main point is to make sure your tender or float charger actually turns off when battery is full. When I had 7 different types of bikes in the garage, I would keep them on what I thought was the correct charger. Then I started going through batteries every year. I found out that the charger was, I guess the best description is, "boiling the batteries dry. I found the batteries constantly low on water. Once I quit leaving it on all the time my battery woes went away....as did most of my bikes...
chabicheka Posted December 31, 2013 #12 Posted December 31, 2013 Does it hurt to charge batt in bike... I charge battery in the bike all the time....never felt any pain in any part of my body.
saddlebum Posted December 31, 2013 #13 Posted December 31, 2013 It actually may hurt more if you try to charge the battery out of the bike.........for example if while removing it from the bike it slips and falls on your foot
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