Replacement battery ... Oddysey PC680 (anyone?)

[barcelona_r65]

Hey ... I'm really REALLY getting tired of changing my battery every 18-24 months ... has anyone replaced theirs with an Oddysey dry cell battery? ... How'd it hold up?

Any recommendations for how to not drain my battery on my short ride home at night? ... I'm getting tired of push-starting every other day!

Is there a headlight bulb that consumes less?

http://www.batterybank.net/odyssey/BMWMotorcycle.html

[Semper Gumby]

Works great.  Mine has been in my bike since September 2006.  However you will need a Odessy Battery Charger and you should use it when ever the bike is at home and parked -- especially if you have the original 280 watt alternator.

I have the 2.5 amp Deltran Waterproof connected to my bike as the standard 800Ma Waterproof or the bottom of the line 1.25 amp charger will not bring the PC680 back up to full charge if it gets discharged for some reason.

Whatever charger you buy, it must be Odessey specific.

Good luck.

[Barry]

Is there a headlight bulb that consumes less?  

All batteries have shorter lives in hot climates. Wet cell types are more affected so you might well be better off with an Oddessy.  

I don't know about lower wattage main headlight bulbs. For a daylight running light I use a 20W halogen bulb in the pilot light fitting. It's obviously not a focused beam, surprisingly bright though and saves 3 amps and you would still have a good headlight when you need it.

[Julio A.]

I have a battery here that has the same dimensions as the one used in the R65 but is used in a different application. Three of those batteries in series is used to power an electric scooter. I believe it is called a deep cycle battery. It's designed to continuously power high demand electronics while not receiving charge at all. Downside is weight. It significantly heavier than the normal battery. But who cares? It the bike that's carrying it, not me.

[Bob_Roller]

I don't know what the cost of an Odyssey battery is in your part of the world, but they have gotten a bit too pricey for me .

I would do some research to see if you can get a generic SLA/AGM type battery instead .

SLA/AGM, sealed lead acid, absorbed glass mat, in case you were wondering .

The two that I have had, were manufactured in Viet Nam and of course China, I would think they would be readily available in your area .

This is what I'm currently using in three of the bikes .

http://www.staabbattery.com/product/UB12220-V.html

[barcelona_r65]

It looks like I can get an Odyssey over here for 99€ total ...
I think my mechanic was gettin' me for 60€ for the standard "wet" battery that I've been having to change every 2-3 years on average ...

Looks like it might be worth it ...

I'm not sure I understand the "charger" comment by Semper Gumby or if I have the original 280 watt alternator ... hmmm

[Vegasrandall]

are you keeping the revs above 3K? I was having battery charging problems until someone pointed out that I had been riding like a wuss and needed to keeps my revs higher

[Barry]

I'm not sure I understand the "charger" comment by Semper Gumby

Different battery chemistry needs slightly different charge voltages. Ideally maybe even the voltage regulator should be adjusted to suit.

I think Snowbum has some info on making voltage regulators adjustable.

[barcelona_r65]

are you keeping the revs above 3K? I was having battery charging problems until someone pointed out that I had been riding like a wuss and needed to keeps my revs higher

Carlos (my mechanic) explained to me that the alternator doesn't charge until it reaches 1800rpm ... I've been conscious of my revs, brake light at traffic lights, headlight, and everything since then.

Rather than "wuss", I pride myself as the "cat that cruises along through the city on my old black beast! ... only rivalled by the posers on their dime-a-dozen-Harleys ..."  

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

I have had a Odyssey 680 in my bike for several years.

I don't know where people get the idea that the charger has to be "Odyssey specific".

These batteries ARE different from traditional wet cell batteries in that they encourage the use of HIGH amperage when charging.  I use the 10 amp setting on my auto battery charger for about 30 minutes.   Has been working like a champ all these years.

[barcelona_r65]

Ok now ... here's a twist...

Since so many of you are talking about chargers, is there something I've missed? ... I've never "charged" my bike ... Am I a numbskull or was I to assume when I bought my bike 12+ years ago that it needed to be "plugged in" at night?   :-?

I park it in a garage, and turn it off and lock it ... and that's that.
I guess that if I didn't live in the city I could park it in my home, and cover it with a blanket, and pamper it with all sorts of extras ... but I'm 100% urban and don't know if I could even swing convincing the garage owner to let me "plug my motorcycle in at night" ... I'm sure I'd at least get a crazy look out of him if I were to ask ...  

[Bob_Roller]

All depends on how the bike is ridden .

If you are in city traffic, stop lights every mile or kilometer, the engine rpm doesn't get up to where it's doing much more than providing enough power for current consumption, let alone charging the battery .

When I first got my R65, my commute to work was 5.5 miles (9km) and 13 stop lights .

If I didn't put the battery on charge, or take the bike out for an hour or two run at highway speeds on my weekend, I could only go seven days before the battery wouldn't turn the starter .

I've got an eleven mile (18km) drive to work now and nine miles (15km) are at 65 mph (105kph), no charging problems with this usage .

The R65 only gets used on weekends now, so I put a float charger on it while it's not being used .

[Barry]

I've never "charged" my bike  

For maximum life a battery has to be fully charged all the time. That can be achieved by riding regularly enough and fast enough or if not by a top up charge say every weekend. There are other variables like temperature and some battery chemistry's take neglect a lot better than others but in the end it's fully charged or a shorter life. There are no other options.  

I'm astounded that Odyssey claim their batteries last 2 years before needing a charge @ 25[ch730]C (77[ch730]F) but then they also say that standard batteries last 6-12 weeks before needing charge In my experience even with a brand new battery that's too long and with an older battery it's just nonsense.

When I'm using the bike every day I charge the car battery once a week and when I'm using the car ....

I suppose I'm a bit obsessive but my last car battery lasted 11 or 12 years and I expect at least 5 years out of a standard wet cell bike battery.

OK if I am obsessive it's because I used to look after a bank of computer back up batteries that cost £000's to replace so we used to try and get a good life out of them.

[Semper Gumby]

I don't know where people get the idea that the charger has to be "Odyssey specific". <snip>

Experience and a low battery on an early morning when the bike wouldn't start last winter.  I realized my Deltran 1.25 amp charger wasn't enough.  I had to take the cage.  Very disappointing.  I have the 2.5 amp Waterproof and now have no worries...   8-)

[Barry]

Odyssey chargers appear to be automatic 3 stage devices which is desirable and will be kind to the battery but can't be  essential otherwise an airhead alternator wouldn't charge it.

What an Odyssey seems to need according to it's specification is a slightly higher than normal charge voltage at 14.7 volts which is effectively what Rob is doing when he switches to the high current setting on his charger. A battery charger has to supply a higher voltage to drive a higher current. Automatic chargers set this at a specific value sometimes adjustable internally with a pot. In the ideal world an airhead voltage regulator could also be adjusted up a little to match Odyssey battery characteristics.