Battery wrecked by Optimate?

stolzy

stolzy

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March 08 I bought an Odyssey battery from Motorworks. Last few weeks it has been showing signs of fatigue, poor starting even when fully charged, frequent crashes of the RID and my Optimate shows a faulty battery after repeated attempts to desulphate.

Called Motorworks and they suggest that the Optimate has killed the battery - the Optimate is not recommended for Odyssey batteries apparently:nenau

They've offered to examine the battery and consider a warranty claim, but that doesn't help me much - it'll cost £30-50 each way to ship the battery and I'll still need another for the period its away. Guess I'll just have to junk this very expensive 2-year old battery - not lasted any longer than a cheap battery from Lidl.

Is it widely known that you can't use an Optimate on an Odyssey?
 
Motorworks will of course blame the charger.. its not a brand they sell. They are however perfectly fine for these batteries. Optimate say so specifically in all their advertising... as well as the instructions that come with the unit.

Odyssey batteries are just AGM.. nothing special about them at all.. apart from the inflated price. Could be you simply got a faulty one to start with.. it happens.
 
car accessory shops used to have a battery tester, just connected both terminals and measured the amps, as I recall from err 30 years ago.
 
ELIMINATOR said:
car accessory shops used to have a battery tester, just connected both terminals and measured the amps, as I recall from err 30 years ago.
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Yip, any exhaust, tyre etc centre will tell you. Won't be the Optimate though, me thinks.:augie
 
sounds like its ability to deliver amps is the problem ,you need to get it
" boil tested "
for this the battery needs to be fully charged and the boil tester basically rapidly discharges the battery and if any cells boil there faulty

just using a multi meter(or the posh version that the Muppet's in halfords think does everything) will not show up the battery's ability to deliver amps
 
You measure the CCA of a battery. A proper battery tester draws a large current and measures the battery amps as it draws it.

I've a snap on battery tester, basically a small heating element in a hand held unit with a gauge that measures the avaliable current before and then shows the current drawn while the element glows red hot, and then measures the battery after the element turns off ( i said it was basic):D. Then you can plot the state of your battery.
 
I put an Odyssey battery on my R100RT and it only lasted 18 months and wouldn't bother with them again because of the expense, promises and subsequent disappointment.:mad:
 
DitchWater said:
I put an Odyssey battery on my R100RT and it only lasted 18 months and wouldn't bother with them again because of the expense, promises and subsequent disappointment.:mad:
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I've been posting about Odyssey batteries for the last 18 months. :augie



Save your money.
 
Which battery to buy then?

Hi

The battery in my 03 1150 is knackered and I was looking for a replacement so am interested in this thread. I am back in the UK for a few weeks and considering buying a battery here to take back to Austria. I think there will be just enough room in the car to take it back, just! Has anyone any thoughts on the best value for money. Best places to buy etc?

Thanks

John
 
stolzy said:
Motorworks says they'll 'test it' how could I test it myself to save all the hassle.
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I also have a couple of Odyssey batteries, and have also had similar problems - dig out an old spotlamp, connect it up to the battery, and let it discharge (but not so low that the light goes out).

Connect it up to a decent car battery charger, and poke some amps into it.

They need charging at a MINIMUM of 6 amps, according to the Odyssey blurb, and an Optimate charger is only capable of giving the battery a surface charge - no where near enough capacity to actually start the bike.

Once it is fully charged they say that a battery not connected will stay charged for about 1 year - and the colder temp it's stored at, the better.

Mike
 
Yamaha1 said:
I also have a couple of Odyssey batteries, and have also had similar problems - dig out an old spotlamp, connect it up to the battery, and let it discharge (but not so low that the light goes out).

Connect it up to a decent car battery charger, and poke some amps into it.

They need charging at a MINIMUM of 6 amps, according to the Odyssey blurb, and an Optimate charger is only capable of giving the battery a surface charge - no where near enough capacity to actually start the bike.

Once it is fully charged they say that a battery not connected will stay charged for about 1 year - and the colder temp it's stored at, the better.

Mike
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Worth a try. thanks
 
The Grey One said:
Hi

The battery in my 03 1150 is knackered and I was looking for a replacement so am interested in this thread. I am back in the UK for a few weeks and considering buying a battery here to take back to Austria. I think there will be just enough room in the car to take it back, just! Has anyone any thoughts on the best value for money. Best places to buy etc?

Thanks

John
Click to expand...

I got nigh on six years from the original battery on my GS1150 (always kept on Optimate charger when not in use). I just replaced it with the varta equivalent from local battery shop, cost about £60.
 
The Grey One said:
Hi

The battery in my 03 1150 is knackered and I was looking for a replacement so am interested in this thread. I am back in the UK for a few weeks and considering buying a battery here to take back to Austria. I think there will be just enough room in the car to take it back, just! Has anyone any thoughts on the best value for money. Best places to buy etc?

Thanks

John
Click to expand...

Just bought a Varta, recommended by my fettler. Only just installed it, so no long term experience, but discounts should be available on the more widely available batteries
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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