battery question - again !

[tlippy]

Installed a new battery. Came home and put it on BMW trickle charger. Light turned solid green = full charge.
Went for a 100 mile ride. Stopped 4 times. Got home and put on trickle. Took 4 hours to turn solid green. That means to me that something is wrong with my charging system. Your experience?

 

[exavid]

It might mean your trickle charger doesn't show a full charge until a certain amount of time has passed. I had a BMW charger I used on my old K1100LT. It could show a full charge when in use but if you disconnected it and then reconnected it the thing would go back to showing less than a full charge. Don't sweat the small stuff. You shouldn't even need a charger on the battery unless the bike has been sitting for a couple weeks or more. I don't use one on my GT for most of the year since I rarely go more than a few days between rides. I don't actually use a battery charger on my bike's battery but a 'battery tender' which is a bit different. I don't use that except for a run of bad weather in the winter or if I'm going on a trip and will be away for a couple weeks.

 

[JaimeC]

Ever since I got the Zero, I swap the Battery Tender between the K1200LT and the C650GT on a weekly basis because (unless I have a weekend trip planned) they just sit in the garage.

 

[tlippy]

Don't sweat the small stuff.

I rode for 2 years doing exactly what you're doing - never a problem. But when I had a problem it was BIG ! I just want to get a handle on what my battery is doing. Next I'm going to insert a voltmeter into the ends of the battery tender while attached to the battery to see when I'm charging.