New Guy stuck in snow

[Hogan's Hero]

I picked up my 2003 R two weeks ago and we have had snow every day since. I, like others here, am making a return to motorcycles after an extended absence of 20 years. My last bike was a '73 65/5.

I have started my bike [red by the way] every other day or so and let it run until warm. Last night, the battery, which is new, would not turn it over fast enough to start. Any suggestions on which battery tender to get?

Another question. My brother lives in Marietta and I had planned on being there in May. How formal a deal is the beakbash?

The extended forcast is for more snow for at least the next week.. then it will be a while before the salt washes off the road. I don't know if I can stand it or not. Thanks for your help and this forum.

[ProductUser]

Welcome!

You should not start the bike unless you are going out for a ride, or you have a couple of large fans blowing on the cylindars. I would not even do the latter unless I was doing some maintenance on the bike. The oil heads are air cooled and will overheat (no good in a lot of ways).

Many of the folks that store their bike purchase a battery tender.

ProductUser
'04 Silver R

[MikeCam]

The alternator takes about 1500 rpm and 15 miles to get the battery back to where it was before you cold started it. Then charging continues, of course, for the rest of the ride. Cold starting and warm-up in the garage can do more harm than good to the engine bits...cyclerob and dean are two of the resident experts for that info.

Best to steal any sunshiny, dry road opportunity for a quickee ride of 15-25 miles whenever you can.

Bash is strictly non-formal. You need not know anyone nor receive any invite or whatnot. Just be anywhere near Marietta between 17-21 May and we'll rope you in!

Welcome.

[Boxer]

Mine is an '03 with close to 47,000 miles on it to date. During the colder weeks here in Atlanta I leave the battery tender junior attached to it and it has never faltered when starting after a couple of weeks of resting. It's the stock acid battery too. Last summer it leaked out on me after overfilling and tipping the bike over coming out of my back yard. But other than that, I've had no problems with the original battery.

I DO take the Tender off occasionally and then put it back on during the longer spells, which is nowhere near as long as your winter spells of course.

Do you have the accessory outlet on the side above the starter?...and the old style acid water battery? If so, get yourself a cheap Battery Tender Junior and a BMW plug adapter and plug that baby in.

[dano]

Hey and hello-welcome. i'm in pittsburgh--go steelers. i picked up my R last jan '05, and started really riding in april. i bought gerbing's heated gloves/jacket and have been able to ride down here at least one day a week (have only applied Battery tender plus/for gel batteries, too) once!
seems to keep everything running 'swell'. apparently, tho a n'orester may hit us this weekend, so may have to go without for a few days. all in all, if the roads are clearish and it's above 20 degrees, i'm out.
my folks are up in erie, so i ride up there in the summer, if you're around there, PM me, etc. and maybe we can ride at some point.
congrats again on a great bike!!

[R4R&R]

During the colder weeks here in Atlanta I leave the battery tender...

Bah! What does Atlanta know about cold! Sheesh, it you get frost it seems like everyone freaks out!


As for the original question, I would get a battery tender/charger and juice it up about once a week. I ride my bike daily for commuting and typically leave it alone on the weekends without any kind of supplemental charging and it starts fine come monday morning. Today it was in the mid 20's when I left and no problems.

Note:
1) My bike goes from garage to garage and the ambient temp stays around 50 in each garage, but it does spend about 30 minutes in the cold.
2) I currently have 20W50 oil in the crankcase and it still turns over fine.

Occasionally I have to park on the street in the early AM and when I go out to move my bike in, it starts fine. Yesterday was one of those days, and it was under 30 degrees.

[wncbmw]

Definately get a Battery Tender instead of starting it up and letting it run!

And definately show up in Marietta! We don't do formal. As a two-time Bash attendee, I can tell you it is really a good time to meet people in person that you only know on-line. Riding all day and telling tall tales in the evening. Go to the web page in Group Rides and sign up!