Got a battery trickle charger

[Old Steve]

As I'm likely to be off my bike for several months I've decided to invest in a trickle charger. Did some net surfing and found some Aussies who swore by the CTEK trickle chargers, so went around a couple of automotive shops this arvo and came home with a CTEK XS 0.8 from REPCO for $90.

So undid the bolts on the top of the battery terminals, bolted on the short connector plug, plugged the unit into the wall and it scrolled through a couple of the lights on the unit which shows its bringing the battery up to full charge. It is then supposed to trickle the battery to keep it fully charged. With the connector permanently wired in and stored under the seat it'll be more convenient to use, just pop the seat and plug it in.

Has anyone had experience with CTEK trickle chargers, or any other make?

[jasonu]

As I'm likely to be off my bike for several months I've decided to invest in a trickle charger. Did some net surfing and found some Aussies who swore by the CTEK trickle chargers, so went around a couple of automotive shops this arvo and came home with a CTEK XS 0.8 from REPCO for $90.

So undid the bolts on the top of the battery terminals, bolted on the short connector plug, plugged the unit into the wall and it scrolled through a couple of the lights on the unit which shows its bringing the battery up to full charge. It is then supposed to trickle the battery to keep it fully charged. With the connector permanently wired in and stored under the seat it'll be more convenient to use, just pop the seat and plug it in.

Has anyone had experience with CTEK trickle chargers, or any other make?


This one. I have been using them for years. Totally reliable.
http://www.happy-trail.com/battery-tender-junior-by-deltran.html?utm_source=google_shopping&m=simple&gclid=CO3ei-zxwNECFU5cfgod9FQAEg

[Hobbyhorse]

I have a couple of Oxford Optimiser battery tenders and thus far they have done the job well ... about the same price as you CTEK.

[Woodman]

As I'm likely to be off my bike for several months I've decided to invest in a trickle charger. Did some net surfing and found some Aussies who swore by the CTEK trickle chargers, so went around a couple of automotive shops this arvo and came home with a CTEK XS 0.8 from REPCO for $90.

So undid the bolts on the top of the battery terminals, bolted on the short connector plug, plugged the unit into the wall and it scrolled through a couple of the lights on the unit which shows its bringing the battery up to full charge. It is then supposed to trickle the battery to keep it fully charged. With the connector permanently wired in and stored under the seat it'll be more convenient to use, just pop the seat and plug it in.

Has anyone had experience with CTEK trickle chargers, or any other make?

Yup, had a ctek for a while now, and very happy. I used to sell them in a previous life(for repco) amongst other brands and had 100% success with them, which I can't say about the other brands we were selling.

[SVboy]

C-tek are very good. I have several which have done well for years.

[skippa1]

Got a ctek on my toy car and had oxford on my bike. Both good

[pritch]

I asked around and read the reports and bought one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/TM-141DUAL-OptiMate-Weatherproof-Desulfating-Maintainer/dp/B004PPXZIA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1484376344&sr=8-2&keywords=optimate+4+battery+charger

My brother in WA said most of his mates had them.

I'd better not ever lose the manual because there are seemingly myriad combinations of lights, either constant or flashing, and they all mean something different.

Generally I don't just hook it up and leave it, I just plug it in if the bike hasn't been used for a while. Mainly because with the current arrangement, running a lead in there would make it difficult to lock the door.

[YellowDog]

The external plug on mine has a waterproof plug-in, so I just leave it on all the time and take it off only when I use the bike.

My current battery is almost 7 years old. Starts first time, everytime :banana:

[old slider]

The external plug on mine has a waterproof plug-in, so I just leave it on all the time and take it off only when I use the bike.

My current battery is almost 7 years old. Starts first time, everytime :banana:


Yep, my C-Tek is left on continuously, keeps the batt charged up, helps with the security system running continuously on the HD that would reduce the battery voltage quite a bit within a few weeks otherwise.

[Swoop]

Had to get a CTEK for the tin-top battery. It's a cadmium-cadmium battery and cannot be charged with a regular charger.
Also handy for the bike if required.

[AllanB]

Had a Battery Tender Junior on the Hornet your years - worked well.

The dealer fitted one to the Ducati for free when I traded the Honda in on the new bike. I'd have to check what brand but the few times I've plugged it in it's lights have done what they should.

I think they are a good idea.

[neels]

I think they are a good idea.
Definitely a good idea on modern bikes where the brain is awake all the time even with the key off.

Mine is pretty basic, just a 13.8V power supply to float the battery. I figure if it's good enough for the stuff at work it's good enough for a motorbike, if it's actually flat I'll use the proper charger.

[shanks]

This is a helpful thread. As CTek has been recommended and is available locally, I found this CTEK 0.8 SMART CHARGER (https://www.thebatterycellonline.co.nz/product/524675) from a Wellington company.

My question is would it charge my flat battery on my HONDA HORNET 250??? It wouldn't start after I left her sitting for 4 weeks..eeek!

[babysteps]

Mines Solar Powered......

http://www.supercheapauto.co.nz/Product/SCA-Solar-Maintenance-Charger-1-5-Watt/292829

[Bass]

Mine started life as the trickle charger for the starter batteries on the standby generator for a radio repeater station on the top of Bluff Hill. My father acquired it when the standby unit was replaced. It's real basic - just a transformer and a rectifier. Flat out short circuit at 140 mA and it must be 50 years old. Still going fine but.

[Honest Andy]

Yep, Ctec are good. There are others too that work just as well but mostly I've used ctec because they seem to be the cheapest for size.

BUT don't be temped to put your little bike charger onto your old van battery thinking "that'll be fine, it'll just take longer" cos it wont be fine and it'll just burn out.

Don't ask me how I know that....

[pritch]

This is a helpful thread. As CTek has been recommended and is available locally, I found this CTEK 0.8 SMART CHARGER (https://www.thebatterycellonline.co.nz/product/524675) from a Wellington company.

My question is would it charge my flat battery on my HONDA HORNET 250??? It wouldn't start after I left her sitting for 4 weeks..eeek!

How old is the battery?

I'm not sure if they are all the same but... My smart charger only charges very slowly, it takes much longer than the old trickle charger that I have. That's Ok it's designed to work like that, you just need to allow the time. Once the battery is charged the smart charger will keep it up.

I'm not sure if they'll have the same but mine came with socket you attach to the battery terminals so all you have to do is plug the charger in.

[Honest Andy]

This is a helpful thread. As CTek has been recommended and is available locally, I found this CTEK 0.8 SMART CHARGER (https://www.thebatterycellonline.co.nz/product/524675) from a Wellington company.

My question is would it charge my flat battery on my HONDA HORNET 250??? It wouldn't start after I left her sitting for 4 weeks..eeek!

Smart chargers are usually really good at recovering flat batteries because of the way they charge using different voltages depending on the voltage in the battery, so they are more effective as well as more gentle to a flat batt. But whenever an automotive battery goes flat its effective "full charge" and its life is reduced no matter how you recharge it.

The other thing is that a smart charger wont start charging until it detects that you've connected a battery to it, so if your battery is so flat that it isn't detected you'll need to put it on an old fashioned trickle charger for a short time first.

But if you need to do that then treat that battery as a short-term accessory and start saving up for a new one...

[cods4]

I got one of these when it was on special a couple of years ago http://www.supercheapauto.co.nz/Product/Projecta-Pro-Charge-Battery-Charger-12-Volt-2-8-Amp/292792 which is good for the car(s)

And i got a couple of these https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/oxford-oximiser-900-2013 when i ordered some stuff from revzilla. They say on the back that they are rated for 110V 60Hz, however they work fine plugged straight into the wall with a travel adaptor.
The electronics inside are obviously rated for the full range of voltages 100-240V 50-60Hz, although the sticker says otherwise. When I get around to it I will chop the plugs off and connect some NZ/AUS plugs.

[Swoop]

The Ctek units are good, especially if you have a modern car with a calcium-calcium battery.
You need a special charger for those, and the Ctek falls into this category.