ok,so a month after trying to get out on me bike,I decide today's the day - am gonna go for it again!!got meself psyched up for it & went to start her, get her nice & warmed up    ..............................   Battery's bleedin' flat!!!!!!!  I wouldn't mind, but I've been turning her over regular....(ish)   ...I know what she's doing though!!! on Boxing day I was showing her to me mates & saying that I was gonna go out on her on Sunday - she must have heard me & thought "oh no your not!!..I'm not having some numpty taking me out!!"   Soooooooo....how good are Optimates & are they worth it???                                                                                                                                                                              

Aww Stella.. Good on u for the good intentions, but flat battery???  bugga!   Fekkin wish i had a bike..cudda done wiv a ride up to Squires today !!   Hope u get it sorted and get yasen out.. tis a good day for it   * I like the new pic. *                                                                                                                                                                             

Optimates etc are very good.  I have a Datatool equivalent and it keeps my battery in very good nick indeed. Bobbing out every now and then and starting the engine up, allowing it to run for a few minutes and then killing it, is actually one of the worst things you can do for the battery.  No one tells you this and a lot of people make the same mistake. Each time you do this you rob the battery of quite a bit of charge and simply running the engine is unlikely to recover it. If you start the bike and don't have access to a charger of some kind, then you really need to take it for a run of at least ten minutes to charge the battery back up again. Immediately, one thing you could do is jump the bike off a car or a spare battery if one is available.  Both the car and your bike will have 12v batteries, so you can do this, but you need to remove the leads as soon as the bike starts because the bikes electrics may not cope with the current the car's alternator kicks out.   My advice though is to absolutely get an Optimate or similar.  It will keep your battery topped up ready for your next ride and will also as such keep the battery in good condition for a lot longer.                                                                                                                                                                             

Thanks Geoff, have ordered an Optimate. Unfortunately don't have any jump leads! Will bear in mind what you said re 'just starting her up' though! I didn't realise that this wasn't that good for her!   However, I do have the feeling that maybe this was a sign that maybe I shouldn't go out on her today....either that or I'm gonna start calling her Christine!!! Anyway, watch this space for Day 3 posting   PS Kaz, thanks for the comment re the pic                                                                                                                                                                              

does it fer me when geof gets technical how about you HG?                                                                                                                                                                             

oh most deffinately TM!!                                                                                                                                                                              

M&P do bike jumpleads stella. Big G is bang on. I use an optimate to maintain the battery but I jump it off an old Jeep battery.   Having said that I ride pretty much all year round and this time of year the optimate really helps as a cold snap can knacker a battery.   You'll get there gal!                                                                                                                                                                             

I have an optimate and an oxford maximizer and they both work very well. As mentioned before the cold can kill a battery if it is not maintained. the optimate will come with a handy little lead that you bolt onto your battery and all you have to do is plug the optimate in. there are also a set of croc clips too if you aren't brave enough to start unbolting battery leads, some people aren't

Don't know nuffink about them there technical thingies, but I agree - boss new profile pic!                                                                                                                                                                              

I have an Optimate which i used just to charge up the battery and had to then remove it but as I dont have electrickery into the bike shed, the Brill Phil magicked up a solar panel equivalent that works brilliantly.  The Oxford solar panels dont work, as they do not produce enough charge to overcome a bike with an alarm draining the battery.

hmm PP - I was wondering how to remove the battery, but if I can do it without, that would be good.   **thinks me needs to do a motorcycle maintenance course! lol **   Cheers WB                                                                                                                                                                              

HG I have an Optimate and to make connecting it easier I have attached a 12v plug socket to my battery using two spay clips (think thats what you call them) so now I just take of my pillion seat and plug my charger in, on my other bike I did the same but tucked the socket behind a side panel which again gave me easy access to the socket.

I fitted a DIN socket into side of battery box on SpeedTriple. As well as plugging Optimate straight in it's handy for rallies as I can use if for air bed pump, charge the Ipod, phone etc.                                                                                                                                                                             

You may not need to remove the battery HFG, depends on whether you can access the contacts without.   But even if you have to, I can't imagine it being difficult.                                                                                                                                                                             

I'll do it for ya HFG...when I'm passing lol                                                                                                                                                                             

The DIN plugs are brill much better than pants cigarette plugs. Ambulances are fitted with them so we ca plug big boys yous in to them for monitoring really poorly people. Solar panels are good but the oxford ones are mostly underrated for the job they are designed for. The one i fitted for Frag is a 12Watt panel and is about 4ft by 2ft. but it does provide a usable charge for most of the day and most of the year.                                                                                                                                                                             

this all sounds very technical, me finks i need 2 do bike maintinence course also, (will take bike on ride 2moz me finks, lets hope it starts)                                                                                                                                                                             

HFG, if you have problems give me a shout I'm jut up the road from you.                                                                                                                                                                             

hey Cheers prof - I'll let ya know how I get on                                                                                                                                                                              

Just read this post, so am going out to start the bike -- or try to lol