Winter Odyssey

[basilr]

I got the Odyssey battery last spring and the time to put the bike up for winter is now approaching.

 

I had by Gel cell BMW on a Battery Tender Junior for 3 winters and it worked great. However, Odyssey did not provide an opinion on it when used with their battery.

 

I also have a Canadian Tire 2/12 amp charger if I needed it.

 

So my choices are:

 

1. Leave it in the bike disconnected, check it in the spring and charge if necessary.

2. Bring it inside disconnected, check it in the spring and charge if necessary.

3. Put it on the Tender Junior for 6 months.

4. Trickle charge it on the CT charger.

5. Get something else that is better than all of the above.

 

I would appreciate any input. Thanks.

 

[tallman]

How about charging it now and again?

Put on tender/chare/unhook/repeat at later date.

Good luck.

[Alan D]

Get one of these:

http://www.tecmate.com/u_optimate_4_dual.php

 

[Nice n Easy Rider]

I got the Odyssey battery last spring and the time to put the bike up for winter is now approaching.

 

I had by Gel cell BMW on a Battery Tender Junior for 3 winters and it worked great. However, Odyssey did not provide an opinion on it when used with their battery.

 

I also have a Canadian Tire 2/12 amp charger if I needed it.

 

So my choices are:

 

1. Leave it in the bike disconnected, check it in the spring and charge if necessary.

2. Bring it inside disconnected, check it in the spring and charge if necessary.

3. Put it on the Tender Junior for 6 months.

4. Trickle charge it on the CT charger.

5. Get something else that is better than all of the above.

6. Ride your bike down south and leave it with a board member to keep charged for the winter

 

 

I would appreciate any input. Thanks.

[moshe_levy]

Relax. Shelf life on Odyssey is up to 2 YEARS @ +25C. (Normal VRLA is 3 months). Cold weather only slows down the self discharge. So hook it up every so often if you need to, but it'll be fine!

 

-MKL

[millbert]

I used an Odyssey battery in my RT for 11 years. I disconnected the cables,made sure there was more than 12.60 volts in it,left it ALL winter-unheated-never charged it once-always worked-never failed once.

( that Odyssey has been on the shelf for over a year,it still has 12.20 volts -I replaced it with a Shorai.after 11 years!!)

 

Go with door # 1

[Trojan]

Hi Basilr - $0.02 from the Heartland. Disconnect nothing, plug the Tender Jr. in, and forget it. Been doing this with smartchargers for years with ATV and bikes, works great. Likewise, with marine agm batteries and wetcells on other smartchargers, works great. Tender Jr. will work well for that application.

John

[elkroeger]

That battery tender will be fine. I'd go out there once a month and charge it for a day or so.

 

I would avoid leaving the charger on there 24/7. I did that with my car once, and the battery boiled over after a few weeks. There's not much point in doing that 24/7 anyway.

 

Or you can bring that bike down here, and I'll "exercise" it for you all winter. We wouldn't want that gas to go stale... or the seat to get dusty... or...

[Michaelr11]

Take one of those electric outlet strips with an On/Off switch. I've got mine mounted on my garage wall. Plug your Battery Tender into one of the receptacles on the strip and connect the BT into your bike. Switch the outlet strip ON, watch the lights on the BT as they cycle to green over the next few minutes or hours. A day or so later, switch the outlet strip OFF. Every 2-3 weeks switch the strip On again. I keep a BT for each bike and the BT cable is hanging by the bike.

[Tippy]

I've been using a battery tender for years. It's designed to be left on without overcharging, overheating or otherwise damaging the battery. Is there something about the Odyssey that makes it unsuitable for this?

[basilr]

I think the only thing would be if the BTJ was not meant to charge or maintain an AGM type battery.

 

Even if it wasn't meant to, it still may do everything OK, which is what I am hoping for. On the other hand, as some have mentioned, doing nothing with the Odyssey may be the best approach.

 

It's too bad Odyssey does not offer an opinion on the BTJ.

[elkroeger]

...if the BTJ was not meant to charge or maintain an AGM type battery....

 

What could possibly be wrong with it? I have an odyssey, and a BTJ. I've never had a problem putting the two together.

That BTJ puts out a very small current, and it shuts itself off. Exactly what you want. AGM batteries are essentially the same as any other battery - metal sheets in an acid bath. It's not rocket science.

 

I'll bet money that Odyssey does not want to offer an opinion on a particular charger because other charger manufacturers would get upset, not because there is somehow something incompatible about it.

[basilr]

Makes sense to me.