Bimota Forum

[2bims]

Don't wish to preclude there being a Mid Autumn blast of "late summer" and chance of riding, but what do most folk do to "lay-up" their bikes over the Winter? I've a couple of bikes I intend to keep running, but a couple to lay up. Have already gone through the post riding clean session, and mini-services, but looking for other suggestions, bungs in exhaust, wax spray on engines, how often and for how long to occassionally start over the winter, and always the big bone of contention......Battery Chargers! On all time, once a week, once a month. Recently purchased and fitted a glass fibre mat cell for the DB2 (dry, sealed and maintenance free), fed up with the constant leaks of the old lead acid version. Good guys at Tayna Ltd came up with the goods, perfect size and fit, other than terminals being the other way round, nice fun in re-wiring. Asked their advice about battery chargers and their response was "We would recommend you disconnect the battery from the vehicle and keep it somewhere warm and dry, charge it once a month with your optimate charger, or preferably leave it connected all winter." Hardly a definitive response....

[oily]

Battery's have always been my biggest expense every spring........................................
until I bought optimate II's for each bike. About the price of a new battery but a good long term investment as I've not had to buy another battery since
Just leave them connected whenever I'm not using the bikes. I believe you can buy one with two or more outlets now.

Fuel has always been my biggest problem over the winter especially with the crap that's now being sold at the pumps. Gums up the carbs in no time as it evaporates. Always drain the carbs or use a fuel stabiliser in the tank or Ride the bloody things all winter or at least, start thm up monthly and run them until the fan cuts in (water cooled) before switching them off. Combined with a fuel stabiliser, that's got to be the most practical

[vort28]

Bought a nice new sealed Odyssey battery for the DB4 this year as feed up of forking out for a new cheap battery each year, even though connected to an optimate. Manual for battery states can be left for 2 years without losing a charge, etc etc, and then in LARGE PRINT, DO NOT LEAVE CONNECTED TO BATTERY CONDITIONER FOR MORE THAN 24HRS . I know other people that have been asked by battery manufactures when exchanging their 6 month old battery , You have'nt left this attached to a conditioner have you ?
I would suggest they are not all they are mean't to be !!
Do you still have wet batteries on the SB's Oily ?

[oily]

By wet, I presume you mean Lead acid........
Mine are Gel and now about 3 years old. The only time they are not connected are when they are being ridden or dismantled

Just glanced over at the bikes and I'm not using optimates at all.....................
I'm using maximisers 360T's.
Every thing's been fine for the last 3 years or so as I said but at about £40 per charger or new battery every year.............. works for me (so far)

[vort28]

Last time I looked I couldn't get a gel for the sb but that was a few years ago.

Strange, I had the Oxford 360T on the DB and thought it was pants. Sold it to 2bims and he seems happy with it. Think it might be the alarm on it. The only bike I have with an alarm , and the only one that eats the battries. Do you have alarms on yours ?

[oily]

No, no alarms
What did it not do with yours?

[vort28]

Would say charged on the 360, all looking good. Probably whirl the engine around once or twice, then just click, reconnect 360t and it would say it was goosed. Guess the constant draining of the battery by the alarm, and then the constant charging by the 360 just dried them out. Did open them and add more acid which would give a few months more life , but that was about it. After the original lasted about 15mths , the first varta battery lasted about 11 months , and the replacement about 6 months, the cheap PRC one about 3 months and I thought enough was enough.
Next me thinks the alarm is coming off.