Optimizer

[Art]

The only battery charging I've done on my own vehicles was all down to school boy/girl errors. The likes of lights/radio left on (a favourite of her indoors) and I confess to several occasions where I've left the ignition switched on.

The advice varies from manufacturer to manufacturer if you read the documentation (who does that?) the advise is on the lines of...
Fully charge before fitting
Monthly check the level of charge is greater than 12.5v, if less fully charge the battery.
Fully charge the battery every six months especially if the daily ride is less than 20 miles.

The Motobatt Quadflex MBTZ10S looks a good buy 12v 8.6 Ah (10HR) 190 CCA £45 delivered from Tanya Batteries check out the full specifications here

[Crispy]

The Yuasa and Motobatt batteries are both made in America, which given transport and storage time from manufacture, the battery would require a full charge once bought. A quick search shows the Motobatt is cheaper, I suppose the longevity of each battery will determine its value.

A full charge every six months is worth doing to save money. A fully charged battery for me would be to leave it charging overnight on low, as I only have a Halfords 12volt charger that has fast and low charge output.

Strange things batteries. My tablet and phone advises to run battery flat then fully charge every month or so. But I recall that if you let a motorcycle battery go flat its going to require a new one 

The shortest ride I do is a trip to Morrisons a mile and a half down the road. Couple of B roads for 7-8 miles doing around 40mph in 4th at around 4,500rpm.

[Art]

Originally Posted by Crispy

The Yuasa and Motobatt batteries are both made in America...

Yuasa is a Japanese company and one of its subsidiaries is GS Yuasa Battery Manufacturing UK Ltd which is a large state of the art manufacturing facility in Ebbw Vale, Wales, UK. Production began at the site in 1982... Yuasa Europe. The Yuasa YTZ10S batteries I've seen have 'Made in Japan' printed on them!

Motobatt have their headquarters in Jacksonville US of A but the batteries are 'Made in China'

[Crispy]

Yes they call it outsourcing, it’s still a long way for a battery to travel till it reaches the garage.

A battery made in China would have to wait in the factory to be took to the docks then a 30 day trip to the UK, unloaded checked through customs, sent to a warehouse and then distributed to sellers where it sits on a shelf until its sold. So giving a new battery a full charge once bought would indeed be advisable.

[pedro]

I have a Mk1 and have always thought the standard batteries are a little small for the work they do. I also don't do hardly any riding for around 5-6 months of the year. So I've got an optimiser that I put on in that fallow period. Which means that the battery is good to go when eventually I am and thanks to that and Mr Honda, the bike usually fires first prod of the starter. I generally don't put the optimiser on when the bike is in general use.

So possibly the optimiser isn't needed. But I think it gives a bit of confidence if nothing else and can't hurt.

[Art]

A better idea would be to fully charge the battery on a cheap as chips 500 mA charger before laying it up which leaves you with around 45 hard earned to spend on go go juice come spring/summer. If you want to do it proper job style check and note the level of charge once a month.

Happy Days

[pedro]

Except unlike lots of bikes, where you simply lift the seat and there's the battery to take out with a couple of twists of a spanner, removing the CBF's battery is like open heart surgery. (My wife has told me a million times not to exaggerate, but you know what I mean).

[Art]

 

The battery can be accessed by removing a single pan head machine screw and pulling the side off but you really don't want to be going to all that trouble. I suspect you connect your overpriced battery optimizer the same way I connect my cheap as chips 300 mA charger, by means of a SAE connector routed and stored under the pillion seat or, if that's too much trouble route and cable tie it alongside the rear brake light switch connector and there it is exposed to the world.

[Shed]

Originally Posted by pedro

Except unlike lots of bikes, where you simply lift the seat and there's the battery to take out with a couple of twists of a spanner, removing the CBF's battery is like open heart surgery. (My wife has told me a million times not to exaggerate, but you know what I mean).

I'm guessing you discovered a 'crows nest' or 'spaghetti bolognese' of wiring when you took the cover off? 
You won't be the first, or last!