SuperTanker
Member
For years I have taken the battery out of the bike and took it in the basement and kept a tender on it. Works fine. Can I just leave the battery in my bike and leaves a tender on it in my garage? Temps are freezing for 3-4 months.
What is the proper storage of a motorcycle battery in cold Wisconsin temperatures?
- Thread starter SuperTanker
- Start date
Kevin_56
Site Supporter
Re: What is the proper storage of a motorcycle battery in cold Wisconsin temperatures
I have for 6 winters of ownership. Will continue to do so. Unheated, attached garage. First battery lasted 8 years. Your call.
I have for 6 winters of ownership. Will continue to do so. Unheated, attached garage. First battery lasted 8 years. Your call.
Re: What is the proper storage of a motorcycle battery in cold Wisconsin temperatures
You can leave outside, best if you have a temperature compensating charger.
But best for battery is back in the house. Takes less than 5 minutes, why not?
You can leave outside, best if you have a temperature compensating charger.
But best for battery is back in the house. Takes less than 5 minutes, why not?
Re: What is the proper storage of a motorcycle battery in cold Wisconsin temperatures
A charged battery has a tough time freezing...
At 100% charge, a battery will freeze at -77F.
75%, -35F
50%, 10F
25%, 5F
0% (totally discharged), 20F.
A charged battery has a tough time freezing...
At 100% charge, a battery will freeze at -77F.
75%, -35F
50%, 10F
25%, 5F
0% (totally discharged), 20F.
Re: What is the proper storage of a motorcycle battery in cold Wisconsin temperatures
Mine stays in the bike on a Battery Tender Jr in an unheated garage all year. Never a problem.
Mine stays in the bike on a Battery Tender Jr in an unheated garage all year. Never a problem.
Re: What is the proper storage of a motorcycle battery in cold Wisconsin temperatures
Ditto. Back corner of unheated, attached garage, battery in the zrx lasted 10 years and 40k miles. Never touched by a tender, never removed.
Kevin_56
Site Supporter
Re: What is the proper storage of a motorcycle battery in cold Wisconsin temperatures
My FIL charges his then puts in a freezer in garage.
My FIL charges his then puts in a freezer in garage.
Re: What is the proper storage of a motorcycle battery in cold Wisconsin temperatures
I asked my friend at Interstate Battery what to do. He said keep it in the bike on a tender.
I asked my friend at Interstate Battery what to do. He said keep it in the bike on a tender.
Norm
Vendor
Re: What is the proper storage of a motorcycle battery in cold Wisconsin temperatures
Cooler te,peratures mean lower chemical activity so lower self discharge rate. It also means a higher charging voltage is required so charging requires a longer time. At sub-freezing temperatures a battery cannot be charged at all. (Lead-acid battery- reference ESB resulting from extensive research for US Military)
This is a disadvantage if charging is required but an advantage for long-term maintenance storage. It is common practice in some areas to charge small batteries, wrap in plastic and store in freezer.
I recommend disconnecting the battery from the bike's systems as a simple precaution against possible short circuit failure of a component, mouse chewing, etc.
In the days before smart chargers, the best solution I heard was from someone who connected his 2 amp trickle charger to the lamp socket in his garage door opener. This automatically turned on the charger for 5 minutes, twice per day.
Don't sweat it. If you prefer to have the battery accessible for monitoring, remove it from the bike and store indoors where it is handy. It will require recharging more frequently but won't achieve critical mass and destroy the continent. You can even store it on concrete without the risk of your parrot's tail feathers falling out.
WhiSTler seems to be in storage mode almost 100% of the time now so likely will sell in the spring.
HIH
Norm
Cooler te,peratures mean lower chemical activity so lower self discharge rate. It also means a higher charging voltage is required so charging requires a longer time. At sub-freezing temperatures a battery cannot be charged at all. (Lead-acid battery- reference ESB resulting from extensive research for US Military)
This is a disadvantage if charging is required but an advantage for long-term maintenance storage. It is common practice in some areas to charge small batteries, wrap in plastic and store in freezer.
I recommend disconnecting the battery from the bike's systems as a simple precaution against possible short circuit failure of a component, mouse chewing, etc.
In the days before smart chargers, the best solution I heard was from someone who connected his 2 amp trickle charger to the lamp socket in his garage door opener. This automatically turned on the charger for 5 minutes, twice per day.
Don't sweat it. If you prefer to have the battery accessible for monitoring, remove it from the bike and store indoors where it is handy. It will require recharging more frequently but won't achieve critical mass and destroy the continent. You can even store it on concrete without the risk of your parrot's tail feathers falling out.
WhiSTler seems to be in storage mode almost 100% of the time now so likely will sell in the spring.
HIH
Norm
8-BALL
GeriatricMutantNinja Norwegian
Re: What is the proper storage of a motorcycle battery in cold Wisconsin temperatures
DITTO!
Re: What is the proper storage of a motorcycle battery in cold Wisconsin temperatures
The original owner of my bike put a battery tender on it in an unheated garage (battery still in the bike) every winter, and the original 2006 battery was removed while still working this past spring. Last winter I stored it in my heated basement with no charger, and come spring it started right up without charging.
A little more info for this- A dead battery that has already frozen is slow to charge while still frozen. A battery that was drawn down from a charged state below freezing will charge fairly quickly. I deal with dead, frozen batteries every winter in temps down to -30f, and even a dead battery frozen overnight will charge with it still in the vehicle outside in subzero temps, it just takes longer.
The original owner of my bike put a battery tender on it in an unheated garage (battery still in the bike) every winter, and the original 2006 battery was removed while still working this past spring. Last winter I stored it in my heated basement with no charger, and come spring it started right up without charging.
Norm
Vendor
Re: What is the proper storage of a motorcycle battery in cold Wisconsin temperatures
ESB did extensive research in attempting to develop a means to charge cold batteries (freezing temperatures) but concluded that it is not possible. This supports both my experience and that of the testing we did at Yukon College. A battery must be warmed in order for charging to take place at any significant rate. An example would be some testing we did under minus 50 - 60 F in which batteries were drawn down by a load equivalent to a starting load and then had normal charging system voltage applied. Recharge required 5 or more hours during which the battery was warmed sufficiently by the charging current. Not usual motorcycle conditions.
I'm a bit concerned about the reference to charging a frozen battery. People usually do not correctly reference conditions because charging a battery under freezing conditions (temperatures below the freezing point of water) is a very different issue than that of charging a battery in which the electrolyte is frozen. A "frozen battery" must be one in which the electrolyte is frozen.
In order for the electrolyte to freeze, the temperatures must be low enough to cause phase change for the specific gravity of the electrolyte. For a fully charged battery, this is not likely to be encountered on the surface of this planet. A dead or near-dead battery, however, has electrolyte which is a high concentration of water and will freeze at winter temperatures commonly encountered in the North an off the West Coast.
It is critical that one warms a frozen battery before attempting to charge. Failing to do so will often ruin the battery and may cause it to burst according to our research and experience. When the electrolyte is heated by charging, the materials involved will expand and this can damage the porous structure of the battery plates. Trapping an expanded pocket can create significant pressures within the pocket. Keep in mind that the conductivity of low specific gravity electrolyte is low while that of higher specific gravity electrolyte is higher. For this reason, a zone of electrolyte which as become thawed and has begun to conduct will begin charging which increases its conductivity while other zones remain not charging. As the charge level within that zone increases, the series resistance and charging rate continue to increase current flow and so heating within that zone. As noted the battery is often ruined and often bursts the case. Don't do it!
In order to charge a battery in which the electrolyte has frozen (dead or nearly so) the method is to warm the battery until the electrolyte is completely liquid before charging. One might do this by use of a charger with the battery still in the vehicle but the number of batteries damaged will make the practice impractical.
ESB did extensive research in attempting to develop a means to charge cold batteries (freezing temperatures) but concluded that it is not possible. This supports both my experience and that of the testing we did at Yukon College. A battery must be warmed in order for charging to take place at any significant rate. An example would be some testing we did under minus 50 - 60 F in which batteries were drawn down by a load equivalent to a starting load and then had normal charging system voltage applied. Recharge required 5 or more hours during which the battery was warmed sufficiently by the charging current. Not usual motorcycle conditions.
I'm a bit concerned about the reference to charging a frozen battery. People usually do not correctly reference conditions because charging a battery under freezing conditions (temperatures below the freezing point of water) is a very different issue than that of charging a battery in which the electrolyte is frozen. A "frozen battery" must be one in which the electrolyte is frozen.
In order for the electrolyte to freeze, the temperatures must be low enough to cause phase change for the specific gravity of the electrolyte. For a fully charged battery, this is not likely to be encountered on the surface of this planet. A dead or near-dead battery, however, has electrolyte which is a high concentration of water and will freeze at winter temperatures commonly encountered in the North an off the West Coast.
It is critical that one warms a frozen battery before attempting to charge. Failing to do so will often ruin the battery and may cause it to burst according to our research and experience. When the electrolyte is heated by charging, the materials involved will expand and this can damage the porous structure of the battery plates. Trapping an expanded pocket can create significant pressures within the pocket. Keep in mind that the conductivity of low specific gravity electrolyte is low while that of higher specific gravity electrolyte is higher. For this reason, a zone of electrolyte which as become thawed and has begun to conduct will begin charging which increases its conductivity while other zones remain not charging. As the charge level within that zone increases, the series resistance and charging rate continue to increase current flow and so heating within that zone. As noted the battery is often ruined and often bursts the case. Don't do it!
In order to charge a battery in which the electrolyte has frozen (dead or nearly so) the method is to warm the battery until the electrolyte is completely liquid before charging. One might do this by use of a charger with the battery still in the vehicle but the number of batteries damaged will make the practice impractical.
Papa Doni
John
Re: What is the proper storage of a motorcycle battery in cold Wisconsin temperatures
I take it out and put it in the basement on a battery tender. Original battery on my 2007 ST still going strong, but thinking it may be time to replace with a new one. Not sure how many more riding seasons the OEM has in it?
John
I take it out and put it in the basement on a battery tender. Original battery on my 2007 ST still going strong, but thinking it may be time to replace with a new one. Not sure how many more riding seasons the OEM has in it?
John
sherob
Old Herder of cats.
Re: What is the proper storage of a motorcycle battery in cold Wisconsin temperatures
Battery Tender... Sea Foam in the tank... and a mouse whistle.
Battery Tender... Sea Foam in the tank... and a mouse whistle.