March issue closing date -> we are closing
Batteries
Educational: Gel batteries aren't all that phenomenal, apparently. The underlying idea is simply lawful. Literally. "Wet" batteries are no longer allowed to be shipped by mail. Loose bottles of battery acid are also prohibited.
Wet batteries you buy online aren't filled. You'll need to buy battery acid or visit a store that stocks it.
And are they happy with your battery you bought elsewhere? They'll probably be just as happy with the cheap internet tire you came in for to have it "fixed."
By the way, there's absolutely nothing wrong with those gel batteries if you buy them fresh. A lead-acid battery only begins its life when it's first filled and charged. It doesn't matter how long it's been waiting for you.
A gel battery, however, begins its life on the day it's manufactured. A motorcycle dealer friend was selling off some gel-branded batteries for just ten euros each, as he'd had them for two years. The buyers are still incredibly happy with them.
Many regular batteries don't last more than one or two winters. It's not winter yet, but that gives you plenty of time to think about it.
The last great ride of the season often ends unexpectedly due to rain and trouble. Your motorcycle is happily tucked away in the shed, battery still attached. Then, all sorts of things happen, and the battery is forgotten.
Lead-acid batteries, including AGM and conventional flooded types, typically have a higher self-discharge rate compared to newer—and more expensive—chemistries like lithium. Under normal conditions, lead-acid batteries lose approximately 4-8% of their charge per month. At very low or high temperatures, this rate is even higher.
Conventional lead-acid batteries are actually quite good things. One of these, in good health, just turned eight years old. That's because the battery was always maintained: the fluid level was kept at a good level, the terminals were occasionally cleaned, and—very importantly—it was allowed to sleep indoors every winter. It was regularly connected to a trickle charger. In the spring, it was allowed back into its shed. First connect the positive terminal, then the negative. Start and go!
Oh yeah, those AGM batteries? An Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) battery is a type of lead-acid battery where the electrolyte is absorbed into fiberglass mats. This makes the battery less susceptible to leaks and more resistant to shock and vibration. They're considerably more expensive than traditional batteries.
By the way, online shopping has some surprising aspects. Photo courtesy of Chinese ingenuity. Look and be amazed!
The factory-supplied Varta Silvertop was in the A6 for about 14 years.
14 years . . .
I think exactly the same new one in and done.
No sooner said than done, bought exactly the same brand, model and type
Already a hassle after only 2 years.
Other machines (mowers, generators, mopeds, loose batteries, etc.) all require a good trickle charger every now and then.
So Optimate or Ctek.
Those cheap things from Action seem to be worse.
Tip: get some sae cables from Alie expres, for the charger and the vehicle.
Ideal, easy to connect and disconnect.
Each brand and series of charger has its own set of cables.
Everything resoldered to SAE, nicely interchangeable.
Even the loose terminals turned on a plug
I always keep my batteries connected to a trainer trickle charger (Dunlop). They last for over 5 years that way.
I also have a LifPo battery in my Honda XBR 500, after wearing out a number of lead-acid batteries. Small, light and indeed impressive starting performance! The XBR is in my parking garage, occasionally on the charger in the winter: I am really happy with it.
I rode Blauwtje for at least 10 years on an Exide lead-acid gel battery with a battery activator installed. 10 years!... Then the battery gave up the ghost. Right in the middle of Blauwtje's ongoing development. So I just installed a wet battery, but after three years it gave up the ghost. Just one more to learn the ropes. Okay, not even two years yet...
Then I took the plunge with a LiFePo4 battery. Not 16 or 19Ah, but only 7,07Ah (it says so). Wow, that thing really pulls on the starter motor! None of the previous batteries have ever achieved that. Where lead-acid batteries would run out after about four attempts, I now only stopped after the tenth (with empty carburetors 😉). And that with 7,07Ah…!
Keep in mind that the compression ratio of that 650cc boxer is now 12,5:1 with a final compression pressure of over 16 bar, and the starter motor is still one of the old (reliable) series motor types from Mr. Bosch, which, however, draws a much higher starting current than the more modern ones with permanent field magnets.
The charging voltage should never exceed 14,8V, otherwise the battery risks overcharging. At the set voltage of 14,2V, which is monitored with a voltmeter on the handlebars, the battery won't be fully charged, and a lithium-ion battery like that is perfectly fine.
Is such a Lithium case just hallelujah?
No!
Below 10°C, the thing runs out of fuel very quickly, or even refuses to run, according to experiences found online. For years (year-round), I've driven it to my employer's office where it could be stored indoors. Admittedly, in the workshop, often with the door open, but I've never experienced its lower performance limits in the cold. A downside is its price, three to four times that of a wet lead-based version, and more than twice that of a good lead-gel version.
A plus point is that the Lithium power box can be mounted in virtually any position and its weight is only 30% of that of a lead-acid battery of the same size.
I'm very happy with it so far, and if the battery in the 1150 dies, I'll strongly consider installing the same LiFePo4 in it. The 1150 also has the same battery size as the Blauwtje, but while the top of the battery on the Blauwtje sits a few centimeters below the seat, the R1150R sits about 20 cm higher, making the 1150 even more top-heavy than it already is. Something to consider. However, anyone who's experienced the starting power of a LiFePo4 bike will likely be convinced. At least I am.
My old army side-valve engine not only has a 6V system, but it also doesn't have a voltage regulator...: the dynamo (generator) builds up voltage internally, and as soon as it exceeds the battery voltage, a relay (cut-out) opens a contact and the excess is 'dumped'.
Gel and/or sealed batteries cannot handle this peak well and will throw in the towel prematurely.
This old system was designed for old-fashioned wet batteries, which can handle such a voltage peak.
Downside: they sometimes waste battery life, so you not only have to keep an eye on the level... but it also rots your battery compartment.