I know this probably sounds silly, but I was wondering if I could somehow provide a trickle or interval charge to a my low riders battery over the winter, in a apartment building garage with no power outlets or access to use a solar panel.

Tell me me if it nuts, but I was thinking about building a 18v rechargeable battery and using a solar panel charge controller to say once a week dump a charge on the battery. My preference would be to use a trickle charger, but everyone I've seen run off AC power. The solar controlle will take the 18v (native output of most smaller solar panels) and step it down to 12v battery charging voltages, and also prevent overcharging.

Was as thinking about using 3 6v batteries to give me the 18v I need. It'll be heavy, but I can lug it. I know it's easier to pull the battery and bring it up and leave it on a trickle, but I like to ride on those semi-tolarable weather days in the winter...

I figure if I can get 5 amps or so in it every two weeks, it will offset the natural discharge and the draw of the security system and keep it start able.

Does this sound viable? And if so, what type of batteries could I use?

thanks

 

Just go to Harbor Freight or where ever and buy a 5 watt solar panel and hook it to the bike. No controller is even needed on these small panels.

 

Battery Tender makes a solar panel converter. Uses your existing panel.

http://www.batterytender.com/Accesso...ontroller.html

Not as crazy as you might've thought now eh?

Edit: and that's what I get for not reading the entire OP. I mean, you're looking at this all wrong. Rather than take power to the bike, bring the bike to power. You don't need to have the whole thing near a power outlet, just the battery. Pull it and stick it on a standard trickle charger in your apartment. The ECM doesn't need the battery to retain anything. It takes less than 5 minutes to install or remove the battery.

 

The source battery should be a deep discharge battery. Your setup should work. But, how about:

-12 volt deep discharge battery (Marine battery)
- DC to Ac inverter, connected to the above battery
- battery tender plugged into the inverter.
- you would need some method then to charge the marine battery, maybe just a car type charger.

 

I am in PA and once the salt hits the roads, you are better to stay off of them...unless you plan on washing that dust off your bike when your done riding.

I can't imagine NY being any different and I doubt you have a place to wash it when it's cold out.

I know you want to ride but just pull the battery and

until the thaw!

 

Yeah, can't use a solar panel. No access.
I don't want to pull the battery as I want to ride when able, w/o having to reinstall the batt.
The inverter suffers a lot of inefficiency for it to last as a trickle, I expect.
I have a nice little 5 gallon sprayer that you pump up and pressurize. Plenty good to wash off salt after a ride. Used for years on my bikes and never saw ill effects of road salt. Got an indoor garage that while not warm, is about 50 all winte long. So no prob rinsing her off in there.

As for shutting her down and waiting for spring, no f'n way...

I'm going to build the "portable" charger one way or another and maybe I'll retire a millionaire from the idea one day lol. Yeah... RIGHT.

 

I mean, if that's the case just go down and start it and let it warm up every couple of weeks. That'll keep it charged up.

 

So instead of just taking out your battery and putting back in when your want to ride you are going lug a battery back and forth to ensure your battery stays charged?

What if you are off a day or two and you kill it?

Seems to me it would be easier to just remove the battery.

 

I didn't think idling was enough to put a charge in it. If so, I could do that..,

 

Be the first to do this then:

1) Remove your OEM battery

2) Attach the pigtail Battery Tender that always stays on your bike to the positive and negative cables (secure/insulate) (You may have to use larger gauge wire but still all doable)

3) Attach two feet of cable to this lithium battery with the mating plug for the plug coming off the battery

4) Put this light-weight battery in the right saddle bag, or coat pocket, or heaven forbid- a fanny pack

Besides solving problems I also read tarot cards and tell fortunes