Battery alternative

[K9F]

EllenGtrGrl,

If your garage has lighting it has electric. Battery tenders draw very little current. If you can source an electrician who knows what he's doing you could 'tap' a convenient supply from a convenient lamp run it through it's own small protection device and run a tender, especially if you have your own designated parking slot/area. If done discretely enough no one would be any the wiser.

 

[EllenGtrGrl]

EllenGtrGrl,

If your garage has lighting it has electric. Battery tenders draw very little current. If you can source an electrician who knows what he's doing you could 'tap' a convenient supply from a convenient lamp run it through it's own small protection device and run a tender, especially if you have your own designated parking slot/area. If done discretely enough no one would be any the wiser.

Unfotunately, I live in an apartment building, with underground parking (it's under the building, and accessible by a ramp to ground level), that has not electrical outlets.

 

[K9F]

Hi EllenGtrGrl,

I am an electrician and my post may have confused you? To be clear I wasn't actually on about electrical outlets themselves, you don't necessarily need an outlet to run a small electrical service such as a battery tender. I was on about taking/adapting your own supply and protecting it safely with it's own separate lower rated isolator from a convenient electric light. I assume your underground garage is lit? If it is lit you can possibly run a tender without the need for outlets with the services of a qualified electrician perhaps?

 

[Max Kool]

I bet the underground garage is shared with all co-tennants. No one wants you to change the building electrics and hook up a tender...

(could even be a penalty for that)

 

[K9F]

Hi Max, there could indeed be a penalty or other occupiers that would take affront as I assume there will be a communal charge levied for public services such as cleaning of the areas and electric bill etc. hence my word ‘discretely’ in my OP. Also being unaware of your own electrical rules and regulations over your side of the pond am not sure if it’s legally feasible?

I owned a flat that came with a garage in a block of 9 garages out back, no outlets but lighting. I did a little investigative digging about. The main lighting consumer was protected by an original 16 amp cartridge fuse and the lighting had been upgraded to LED reducing the current draw significantly in comparison to the original incandescent lamps so the spare capacity was available. I tapped off a supply direct from the light supply in my garage through a 3 amp protected fused spur and ran a tender for the bike and was able to charge tools etc. myself in situ in the garage. What may appear to be an insurmountable issue often has a very simple solution. Just putting it out there as a possible option?

Alternatively EllenGtrGrl could just upsticks and move and place ‘a garage with an outlet’ as her top priority? That too would be a successful resolution! 😂

 

[donlycan]

It makes me chuckle the expense and effort people go to in order to shave a few pounds off here and there. Fully understandable if you are doing track days or drag days. The cost of a Lithium Ion battery coupled together with a suitable tender amounts to quite a lot realistically. As an electrical engineer who keeps both bikes in a garage on a tender (Optimate 3 for the FTR) both my bikes fire on the button irrespective of ambient temperatures and I get great longevity from the standard batteries.
If I ever found myself doing track days or timing runs a few laxatives and I reckon I could sh1t 3 pounds no teeth or bones to cut timings down!

There are no Yuasa AGM batteries available at this time!

 

[K9F]

^^ Very few tires either apparently!