Seven Year Itch
Cheers to Mike Aust for going out and getting that new KTM so he can do what we all love to do. Ride! I myself just purchased a new KTM 530 XCW-R as well as a TT-R 50 for my 5 year-old son after a seven year hiatus from riding which has been a passion of mine since I was seven years old. The time off the bike was triggered by a nasty endo down a large dune at Oceano Dunes on my then dream bike, a CR 500. The wreck resulted in my third broken collarbone, a broken helmet complete with concussed melon, and a blunt puncture to the back of my thigh where the handle bar had bashed through the skin but, amazingly enough, not my leathers. While I eventually healed, the damage to my bike was beyond my financial capacity at the time.A wife, two kids and a real job later, I have returned to the saddle (cautiously) to revive my passion for riding and share the experience with my son. My question is (yes, I actually have one) how do I keep the battery in my bike from discharging after a week of not starting it? The bike is equipped with a kick starter (sans compression release) but, my real concern is that the battery-life will be severely shortened if constantly discharged. Can I put a 2 amp trickle charge on it to keep it fresh? Since the bike is so new, it charges up fine after riding for a while but, I am over kick starting this thing (ever) and the electric start was one of the reasons I did not hesitate to buy a 500+ cc bike with no compression release! While I would love to ride often enough to prevent the battery from discharging, I have yet to win the lottery or get a job with DR to make this possible leaving me kicking this thing over once a week whether I am riding or not. What to do?
Chris BaeWe have a story on this that will answer most of your questions. It is in the May 2008 issue, but basically you need a smart charger like the Battery Tender or Optimate. We like the Optimate from Motion Pro. It comes with a quick connect you attach to battery permanently. You can just plug it in after a ride. Check out the Doctor Dirt battery story for more information.
Karel Kramer
Cheers to Mike Aust for going out and getting that new KTM so he can do what we all love to do. Ride! I myself just purchased a new KTM 530 XCW-R as well as a TT-R 50 for my 5 year-old son after a seven year hiatus from riding which has been a passion of mine since I was seven years old. The time off the bike was triggered by a nasty endo down a large dune at Oceano Dunes on my then dream bike, a CR 500. The wreck resulted in my third broken collarbone, a broken helmet complete with concussed melon, and a blunt puncture to the back of my thigh where the handle bar had bashed through the skin but, amazingly enough, not my leathers. While I eventually healed, the damage to my bike was beyond my financial capacity at the time.A wife, two kids and a real job later, I have returned to the saddle (cautiously) to revive my passion for riding and share the experience with my son. My question is (yes, I actually have one) how do I keep the battery in my bike from discharging after a week of not starting it? The bike is equipped with a kick starter (sans compression release) but, my real concern is that the battery-life will be severely shortened if constantly discharged. Can I put a 2 amp trickle charge on it to keep it fresh? Since the bike is so new, it charges up fine after riding for a while but, I am over kick starting this thing (ever) and the electric start was one of the reasons I did not hesitate to buy a 500+ cc bike with no compression release! While I would love to ride often enough to prevent the battery from discharging, I have yet to win the lottery or get a job with DR to make this possible leaving me kicking this thing over once a week whether I am riding or not. What to do?
Chris BaeWe have a story on this that will answer most of your questions. It is in the May 2008 issue, but basically you need a smart charger like the Battery Tender or Optimate. We like the Optimate from Motion Pro. It comes with a quick connect you attach to battery permanently. You can just plug it in after a ride. Check out the Doctor Dirt battery story for more information.
Karel Kramer
