battery optimiser/maintainers

[neat street]

Hi All
I have an Oxford maaintainer that I use for the 750 and this is serving me well, left on for over 5 years and still maintineing my yellow brick battery, I have since brought another one (later type) and this has gone defunked in 2 years .... can any of you recomend one that can be used on cars bikes and has 6v and 12v options?
thank you in advance

[Spitfire]

I recently bought one from the AA, that is a charger and maintainer and does 6v and 12v, seems to work fine.
My Honda at the moment is on an Optimate.

Cheers

Dennis

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

I bought an Aldi version, it packed up after a couple of years as the mode selection button failed.
I have the Merc one made by C-Tech, it's a low output 12 v only, it's still working after 21 years, it's left connected all winter.

For my bikes and general use I have the later C-Tech MXS 5, it's about 5 or 6 years old. I used the connector link on my bikes so it's a lift the seat up and plug in.

Other brands are available, C-Tech works on all lead acid  variants, including Gell, AGM etc.

[Jan B]

Very happy with the CTek in conjunction with the yellow brick battery over here.

[Johnwebley]

I have a 20year old Optimate,

Gets used every couple of months during winter, it's wall mounted

Works OK

And an Aldi version,

I use that if the car needs topping up

Again Works OK,about 6 years old



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[Rozabikes Tim]

CTek here but no 6v option on mine.

[neat street]

Thank you all for your help, looks like the Cteck and Optimate are the winners, I will need to buy another two (one for the mini and one for a Kawasaki but this one is 6v). :-)

[Johnny4428]

I have an Optimate 2 which I have had for a few years, works well. Had an Oxford one that failed after a couple of years which resulted in a knackered yellow brick! 😡

[K2-K6]

Thank you all for your help, looks like the Cteck and Optimate are the winners, I will need to buy another two (one for the mini and one for a Kawasaki but this one is 6v). :-)

As an alternative (different use and simple) as supplement etc, this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/172324102119 type ive used for years reliably, very slow trickle, maintains or slowly charges fine, only one switch for 12/6 volt select. 

The discount code listed on site works too in reduction of cost.

I'm not suggesting as replacement for those good smart chargers above,, but a good and very simple accompanying item that'll do both volts.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

I used a trickle charger like that back in the 1990s on my Yamaha, I did have to check the acid levels more often. If money is tight a cheap option.
Smart Chargers are pretty clever being  multifunctional, some have a recovery function for lightly sulphonated batteries as well as pulse maintainance electronics that monitor voltage.

[K2-K6]

I used a trickle charger like that back in the 1990s on my Yamaha, I did have to check the acid levels more often. If money is tight a cheap option.
Smart Chargers are pretty clever being  multifunctional, some have a recovery function for lightly sulphonated batteries as well as pulse maintainable electronics that monitor voltage.

I should have put more details Ted as its this particular one thats useful and not its general likeness /type.

Charging @ 0.85amp for 6v & 0.8amp for 12v, it being particularly "trickle" in design characteristic.  Essentially it doesn't heat the battery enough to change liquid level. 
Not sensitive to volts, just the switch to select, no reset needed for power down and up again. Can leave it days charging without detriment. 

[Johnwebley]

Just an update,

Both bikes have yellow brick batteries

Neither have been run,or charged since the middle of December,

Both bikes started on the button,

A few coughs and spluttering

But soon running on all pots

I believe the yellow bricks thrive on neglect,

Ok,a 12hr trickle charge could help, but don't leave them connected for longer



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[Skoti]

Thank you all for your help, looks like the Cteck and Optimate are the winners, I will need to buy another two (one for the mini and one for a Kawasaki but this one is 6v). :-)

As an alternative (different use and simple) as supplement etc, this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/172324102119 type ive used for years reliably, very slow trickle, maintains or slowly charges fine, only one switch for 12/6 volt select. 

The discount code listed on site works too in reduction of cost.



I'm not suggesting as replacement for those good smart chargers above,, but a good and very simple accompanying item that'll do both volts.

Aye,

using one very similar to that ebay charger, along with a simple 13amp plug with a built in timer set to charge for 2 hours a day.
With several batteries removed from the bikes and wired together it seems to work fine for me during the winter months.

Also got a modern Aldi conditioner type charger but it struggles to recover completely flat lead acid batteries, where as the ebay one can often manage it.