Battery terminal quick disconnect

[WideAWAKE]

I’m tired of dead batteries and I don’t really like the idea of leaving a battery tender plugged in all the time.

Sooo a quick disconnect seems like a good option to keep ‘em from dying so quickly.

Anyone running one? I see the standard ones for sale online and just wondering if anyone has experience.

 

[Raymond]

I usually fit a charger lead to the battery so the charger just plugs in?

 

[jetmechmarty]

to keep ‘em from dying so quickly.

What does "'em" refer to? The XS650 should have zero draw on the battery with the key in your pocket. So, in my mind you're adding a point of failure where there wasn't a problem. If you're dealing with more modern machines, by all means, carry on.

 

[WideAWAKE]

What does "'em" refer to? The XS650 should have zero draw on the battery with the key in your pocket. So, in my mind you're adding a point of failure where there wasn't a problem. If you're dealing with more modern machines, by all means, carry on.

Em refers to a battery.

All I know is every bike I got will have a dead in a month if not ridden.

Can have a battery on the shelf for a year and it works just fine when plugged in.

 

[46th Georgia]

Em refers to a battery.

All I know is every bike I got will have a dead in a month if not ridden.

Can have a battery on the shelf for a year and it works just fine when plugged in.

I've always been told that if a battery is connected, it does indeed drain. I'm sure there are those on the forum that give you a scientific answer.

 

[Adamc]

I usually fit a charger lead to the battery so the charger just plugs in?

View attachment 245643

Zactly wat I use...

 

[Jim]

What does "'em" refer to? The XS650 should have zero draw on the battery with the key in your pocket. So, in my mind you're adding a point of failure where there wasn't a problem. If you're dealing with more modern machines, by all means, carry on.

Even with the key off, the rectifier and (possibly) the regulator are still connected to the battery. It's a direct connection with no switching between them and the battery. I suppose it's possible they could have a parasitic drain....
But on my SG, I let it sit all winter with the battery connected (4-5mo.) with no charger. It still has enough juice to start it in the spring. At least it has for the last 3 or 4 yrs now.
Dunno....

 

[jpdevol]

All I know is every bike I got will have a dead in a month if not ridden

You just need to ride more often.........

With your relatively mild climate, I would not expect abnormal battery issues. To me, a month of storage should not be a problem if it was a fully charged battery and no parasitic drain was present. You may have weak batteries (sulfation, stratified acid,etc.) from infrequent use, or you may have an abnormal drain (rectifier, etc). I'll not go into a big explainer on different chemistries, but the LiFePo4's and AGM's store better.

I don't like to use battery tenders continuously either, preferring to use them once every four to six months. The disconnect might be a solution, but I've not found the need (8 bikes currently)

 

[WideAWAKE]

I usually fit a charger lead to the battery so the charger just plugs in?

View attachment 245643

Access to battery and charger is no issue.

It’s the leaving it plugged in for long periods of time I don’t like.

My shed is not super close to the house. Too many stories of failed charges and battery goes BOOM, then shed is burned to the ground.

 

[WideAWAKE]

You just need to ride more often.........

With your relatively mild climate, I would not expect abnormal battery issues. To me, a month of storage should not be a problem if it was a fully charged battery and no parasitic drain was present. You may have weak batteries (sulfation, stratified acid,etc.) from infrequent use, or you may have an abnormal drain (rectifier, etc). I'll not go into a big explainer on different chemistries, but the LiFePo4's and AGM's store better.

I don't like to use battery tenders continuously either, preferring to use them once every four to six months. The disconnect might be a solution, but I've not found the need (8 bikes currently)

It seems my old batteries, lead acid, never did this. I’ve now got agm and they just all seems to die. Could be cheap batteries to begin with.

What brand batteries are you running.

And yes, they all need to be ridden more. Haha.

 

[gggGary]

Do you have electric start? If not a simple SAE coupler will work. I have one on my Norton. Carrying starter loads a different story.
A disconnect already exists, the positive battery cable has a short lead and coupling that disconnects everything except one side of the starter solenoid contactor which should not have any latent draw.
Pretty easy to use a meter looking for a mystery load on simple ole bikes like this. You don't have some accessory creating a draw USB, clock, some other direct wired farkle?

 

[jpdevol]

It seems my old batteries, lead acid, never did this. I’ve now got agm and they just all seems to die. Could be cheap batteries to begin with.

What brand batteries are you running.

And yes, they all need to be ridden more. Haha.

4 Shorai, 1 Antigravity, 2 DieHard AGM & 1 HD AGM. The old lead-acid would get stratification sitting: weak acid on top, stronger on bottom and begin sulfation. Even AGM's start sulfation below 2.07V/cell; too long there and they're forever weak

 

[46th Georgia]

Access to battery and charger is no issue.

It’s the leaving it plugged in for long periods of time I don’t like.

My shed is not super close to the house. Too many stories of failed charges and battery goes BOOM, then shed is burned to the ground.

 

[46th Georgia]

Access to battery and charger is no issue.

It’s the leaving it plugged in for long periods of time I don’t like.

My shed is not super close to the house. Too many stories of failed charges and battery goes BOOM, then shed is burned to the ground.

About 15 years ago, I had a Ford diesel tractor with a bad alternator. So I would charge the battery overnight from time to time. One night I thought I heard a shotgun blast and went outside to investigate. Finding nothing, I went to bed. The next day I walked over to the tractor (about 50 ft. from the house) and went to disconnect the charger. Imagine my surprise to find a battery split wide open. Yeah, I don't like leaving chargers hooked up unattended.

 

[jetmechmarty]

I have three old motorcycles and a mower. The mower sits all winter. I can’t ride all of the bikes every day. All have AGM batteries. All hold a charge for weeks or more. So, I’m suspicious the drained battery means something isn’t right

 

[WideAWAKE]

I have three old motorcycles and a mower. The mower sits all winter. I can’t ride all of the bikes every day. All have AGM batteries. All hold a charge for weeks or more. So, I’m suspicious the drained battery means something isn’t right

It’s not one bike in particular, it’s all (6) of them. (My tractor dies too)

 

[WideAWAKE]

Do you have electric start? If not a simple SAE coupler will work. I have one on my Norton. Carrying starter loads a different story.
A disconnect already exists, the positive battery cable has a short lead and coupling that disconnects everything except one side of the starter solenoid contactor which should not have any latent draw.
Pretty easy to use a meter looking for a mystery load on simple ole bikes like this. You don't have some accessory creating a draw USB, clock, some other direct wired farkle?

They all have electric start (although I never use em).

Nothing more than lights, horn, blinkers and starter is hooked up on any bike, 2 dont even have blinkers.

 

[WideAWAKE]

You just need to ride more often.........

With your relatively mild climate, I would not expect abnormal battery issues. To me, a month of storage should not be a problem if it was a fully charged battery and no parasitic drain was present. You may have weak batteries (sulfation, stratified acid,etc.) from infrequent use, or you may have an abnormal drain (rectifier, etc). I'll not go into a big explainer on different chemistries, but the LiFePo4's and AGM's store better.

I don't like to use battery tenders continuously either, preferring to use them once every four to six months. The disconnect might be a solution, but I've not found the need (8 bikes currently)

While my climate is mild I am on the coast, we dip into the 30s in the winter at night, and summers are usually 50s.

My sheds are not well insulated and bikes aren’t covered (except the xs2) which seems to stay charged longer. It still has the battery I got with it.

Lack of insulation means they turn into sweat lodges in the afternoons.

I’m thinking the combo of cheap batteries, constant swings of temperature may have something to do with it.

And yeah, one they die and get recharged, they die again much easier/faster.

I think my next move may be some insulating blankets and covers to see if that helps.

 

[GLJ]

I understand your concerns for leaving chargers on unattended. I seldom leave a charger on overnight.
Instead of going to the time, trouble and expense of adding disconnects to all your bikes just remove the negative cable from the battery when you are not going to use it for a while?

 

[Adamc]

Old style chargers have no built in protection.
Modern chargers and ‘maintainers’ do have good systems to prevent overcharging. They can also recover batteries that are extremely low on charge.
Knackered batteries are knackered!