Charging battery (without mains power)

[axlej]

I have just bought an ST1300 which will be kept in a garage with no mains power. My question is what is the best way of keeping the battery in tip top condition?

Other bike is a CBR 600 which I tend not to use in the winter so I just take the battery off and keep it charged up in the house. I want to keep the ST1300 ready for use all the year round and don?t want to keep taking the battery on and off all the time. Does anyone have any clever solutions?

I?ve seen the Solar battery chargers but heard mixed things about them. Can anyone recommend one that:
a) works well and
b) can put up with the cold and wet British Winters (the garage has no windows so it would need to live on the roof)

Is there a way of keeping it topped up via a big 12v car battery? If it meant taking that back to the house for a charge up every month or so I could live with that?

Any suggestions gratefully received

Cheers
Alex

 

[Blrfl]

One of your fellow countrymen posed the same problem a couple of years ago: CLICKY

--Mark

 

[st1300r]

+1
Just so the thread doesn't dead end. A parallel larger battery isn't going to work as a battery tender. Leaving the mc battery on it's own would be better. It would also be easier to haul the MC battery back and forth every month or so How long is it going to sit between uses?

 

[axlej]

Will probably use it every couple of weeks which will probably keep it topped up. I can always charge it in the house if there is a long cold snap. (I'm not bothered by the cold but the bike hates it when they salt the roads!)

Cheers
Alex

 

[Firstpeke]

I don't always leave my ST on the maintenance charger and have recently had to leave it parked for several weeks in the cold, damp shed......

Started no problem..... just had to go out for a run long enough to let the battery recover..... at least a couple of hours.....

As long as the battery isn't too old it should survive.

If all else fails buy a battery boost starter pack, you know the ones with a built in battery, lights and tyre pump and booster cables...... you can keep that charged in the house and use it if required on the bike......