Is Idling OK in cold weather?

[willowstreetguzziguy]

Winter and cold weather are here in PA for the next 3 months. I keep my 12S on a trickle charger all winter so it starts up when we have a warm snap and I can ride.

When we get deep into snow and cold in January and February and I can't ride it, is it better to just let it sit on the trickle charger OR start it up once a week and let it idle for 5-10 minutes?

Any thoughts...

[molly]

Only start it up if you are prepared to ride 20 miles or so to get the engine up to 60C otherwise don't bother.

[Sasquatch Jim]

No.

[Perazzimx14]

Let it sit. In fact remove the battery and bring it into the house/basement/shop. One it help the battery last longer and also no matter how tempted you are to hear the motor roar to life it can't.

[guzzisteve]

The oil film on engine parts will still be there come spring. I only have to ride 10mi cause it's warmer here, still enough if you have to get the edge off from not riding.
Mine all have a 34ah  UPS battery, so I don't need anything, they just start.

[wirespokes]

Only start it up if you are prepared to ride 20 miles or so to get the engine up to 60C otherwise don't bother.

This. For a lot of reasons, like acid build up in the engine and condensation in the exhaust that won't get hot enough to evaporate it out.

Adding to what Perazzimx14 said - don't leave the battery on the trickle charger permanently. I know, they're supposed to be smarter lately, but I don't trust them. And batteries these days hold a charge a very long time. Like years. So maybe put it on the charger once a month for a few hours if you want. A lot of times, if the bike will sit a while, I'll disconnect the negative battery lead (leaving the battery in the bike) just to ensure there's no parasitic drain.

[Wayne Orwig]

Only start it up if you are prepared to ride 20 miles or so to get the engine up to 60C otherwise don't bother.

This. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


Unless you WANT to collect moisture in the exhaust and oil. And you WANT to rinse the cylinders down with cold condensed fuel.
So yah, if you want to damage things, go for it.

If you want to preserve it better, keep it dry and put the battery on a good charger about once a month.

[willowstreetguzziguy]

All sound like good advice! I will take it. THANKS MUCH!

[Testarossa]

As I understand it, modern lead acid batteries do best when they're electrically pulsed now and then to forestall sulfation. I put a 2 amp charge on each battery for a few hours once a month over the winter and that seems to work well. You could probably do the same thing with a trickle charger on a timer to pop on for an hour a day. If anyone can offer a better-informed solution I'm open to be educated.

[Ncdan]

Hear in NC I'm usually able to take at least a 30-40 minute ride at least once a week or every other week at least. This alone keeps the battery charged and in good shape. I normally get around 5 years per battery.

[Wayne Orwig]

As I understand it, modern lead acid batteries do best when they're electrically pulsed now and then to forestall sulfation. I put a 2 amp charge on each battery for a few hours once a month over the winter and that seems to work well. You could probably do the same thing with a trickle charger on a timer to pop on for an hour a day. If anyone can offer a better-informed solution I'm open to be educated.

I use a thing called a BatteryMinder. It claims for reduce sulfation. I rotate it around the garage on various batteries. I can't say it really works, but my original EV battery lasted 11 years. As did my car battery.

[Sheepdog]

I do as Wayne has explained. My bikes, tractors, scooter, and 4-wheeler have CTEK pigtails and all get a periodic fillup with the charger. My batteries hold up remarkably well with the last two bike batteries lasting 9 and 11 years. My CTEK charger does have an anti-sulphation step in the “smart” charging protocol. Since batteries “age” by slowly dissolving the plates, the eventual sediment buildup shorts out the plates well before they are nearly depleted. Anything that retards sulphation is almost sure to improve life.

The other thing that will make your battery last longer is a dry storage area that remains a consistent temperature. Batteries suffer in extreme temps...hot or cold. I have a temperature/humidity controlled shop that I use to store my bikes...it makes a difference.