How long do you have to ride to fully charge your battery?

 

at least 30 mins

 

Depends on wether you are talking about a dead battery or a fully charged. If you start with a fully charged battery and start it normally. How long do you have to ride to get it back to fully charged? I've heard all kinds of things like above 2k rpm for 30 minutes etc. I use my batter tender every few weeks, when I think of it. Now the last few weeks I didn't use it on my 97 1200 but have been riding it locally. About 2 mi to the store and back. So it ran probably with warm up about 5 or 6 minutes each way. I did this a few times over the past couple of weeks. Last night I decided to put the tender on it and what I saw was the tender charge light come on for about 30 seconds then said fully charged. So I figure that it probably only takes about 5 minutes in town riding to replace the charge used in starting.

Now if your batter is dead and you had to jump it to start it I'd agree with about 30 or more minutes to charge it back up to full.

I know there are probably experts here that will flame what I just said but in my case, riding my bike with my battery, that is what I observed. Your results will vary.

If you have a digital volt meter you can test this yourself. Take a fully charged battery and measure the voltage with no load. It should be about 13.2 vdc. Start it up and run it around the block or just take a 5 minute ride. Then measure the voltage again after you shut it off and let it sit for a minute. See for yourself what your battery does with your 5 minute ride. If it's below 13 volts then try riding it for 10 minutes the next time. I think you will be suprised how little you have to ride it to replace the charge taken out by one normal start.

Now if it real cold and you have to crank it for 10 seconds or so, naturally it will take longer to replace that charge. My bike "normally" starts in 3 seconds or less cranking.

Once again this is what I saw and your mileage may vary. Your starter may not be in as good of shape, your carb may need adjusting, your engine has more compression than mine etc. etc.

I think the point I'm trying to make is conduct the test yourself on your bike with your battery and see what it takes... The worst that can happen is you go on a couple of nice rides in the name of scientific testing.... Hey now your a scientist!

 

The short rides can keep the battery fully charged, but beware of long perids of just short rides. The battery might be keeping a charge with only short rides, but plan on getting in a longer (at least a half hour) ride every week or two.

After a series of short runs in cold weather, condensation can build up in the crankcase. It's worse than a lot of people think -- water combines with other chemicals and actually makes the oil mildly acidic. Imagine what that can do to the insides if left in an engine all winter.

If your weather patterns won't allow the occaisonal long ride, you might be better off leaving the bike on a battery tender and taking the cage to the quickie mart.

 

I've been told, on average, that it takes appro. a 20 min. ride to replace the voltage lost from starting the bike. This takes into account that the average battery will not be 100%new and neither will the bike. This also takes into account that the wireing on your scoot may not be 100% either. This was told to be by my "wrench", he's been working on scooters all his life so I tend to take his word. I hope this helps.