Did I ruin my battery?

Duggo · 07-09-2019, 09:39 PM

I'm learning all the time.

A motorcycle battery isn't supposed to be charged with a car charger?

My auto charger is 10A. I just read that moto batteries should be charged at 7.5A max.
It's now on 2A Manual trickle.

Is that really a deal breaker? I know I charged the battery out of the box with the same 10A car charger and it didn't burn the house down.

It's out there charging and it's pretty hot. Won't burn my hand, but it's not comfortable.

Am I retarded or do most people let it slide?

Did I ruin the battery already?

I guess I was planning on upgrading my Bashan 250 battery anyway.

Sochin · 07-09-2019, 11:41 PM

2 -5 amp is definitely better, you might have shortened the life of the battery at worst.

duck9191 · 07-09-2019, 11:47 PM

As long as you don't boil the water out you should be fine. They are small batteries, they can't shed much heat.

kingofqueenz · 07-10-2019, 08:46 AM

To be clear, some auto battery chargers come with adjustable AMP charge settings.
I have a HUSKY from Home Depot that can be set to 2AMP 6AMP or 10 AMP.

For the small batteries I always do a 2AMP trickle for several hours.

King

**JerryHawk250** · 07-10-2019, 09:02 AM

The biggest mistake most people make with a new battery is improper activation. (This does not apply to AGM or sealed lead acid batteries) Once you add the acid to the battery you should let the battery sit for 90 minutes to 2 hours before putting to charge. On the initial charge the battery should be slow charged 1 to 2 amps. There are activation direction that come with the battery. Most of my atv and motorcycle batteries last 2-3 years. My stock Hawk battery lasted a little over 2 years. My daughters UTV is over 2 1/2 years old and still strong. The last ATV battery was just over 3 years old before I changed it. Just follow the instructions that come with the battery and should last a long time.
As others stated 2 amps is all you need to charge these small batteries.

GronkFries · 07-10-2019, 09:04 AM

Keep anything being charged out of the sun. 2A max is best but if you were charging a near full battery the charger wouldn't be pushing the whole 10A, only takes what it needs so you should be good.

In the future get a battery tender and a day of patience topping it off, your battery will last for years.

Weldangrind · 07-10-2019, 10:23 AM

To expand on GronkFries' post, also keep the battery away from sparks or cigarettes while it is charging. It would end very badly.

Biker_Andy · 07-10-2019, 11:19 AM

Your battery should be perfectly fine...

The charger amperage (10 Amps) does not dictate how much current flows, its only the maximum possible output. A new battery with a bottle of supplied acid will not be completely dead and won't draw nearly the full 10 Amps, it will actually be nearly fully charged. If you had a previously used battery that was empty and you filled it with distilled water then it would draw the full 10 amps, could damage it, melt, fire ect.

07-09-2019, 09:39 PM	#1
Duggo Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Colorado Posts: 47	Did I ruin my battery? I'm learning all the time. A motorcycle battery isn't supposed to be charged with a car charger? My auto charger is 10A. I just read that moto batteries should be charged at 7.5A max. It's now on 2A Manual trickle. Is that really a deal breaker? I know I charged the battery out of the box with the same 10A car charger and it didn't burn the house down. It's out there charging and it's pretty hot. Won't burn my hand, but it's not comfortable. Am I retarded or do most people let it slide? Did I ruin the battery already? I guess I was planning on upgrading my Bashan 250 battery anyway. Last edited by Duggo; 07-09-2019 at 11:04 PM.
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07-09-2019, 11:41 PM	#2
Sochin Join Date: Jul 2017 Location: Montucky Posts: 209	2 -5 amp is definitely better, you might have shortened the life of the battery at worst. __________________ 1983 Honda Xl600R 2016 Ducati Multistrada 1200S DVT
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07-09-2019, 11:47 PM	#3
duck9191 Join Date: May 2019 Location: Port Huron, Michigan Posts: 637	As long as you don't boil the water out you should be fine. They are small batteries, they can't shed much heat. __________________ 2020 Triumph Tiger 900 rally. 2018 Bashan Storm 250. pz30b, digital cluster + gear indicator, unifilter and car customs full exhaust. 2019 Taotao 110b boulder atv. The "arm breaker" lol 2007 Honda VTX 1300R. 1974 Suzuki tm125, work in progress 2001 Suzuki Drz 400s.
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07-10-2019, 09:02 AM	#5
JerryHawk250 Moderator Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Houma, La. Posts: 11,585	The biggest mistake most people make with a new battery is improper activation. (This does not apply to AGM or sealed lead acid batteries) Once you add the acid to the battery you should let the battery sit for 90 minutes to 2 hours before putting to charge. On the initial charge the battery should be slow charged 1 to 2 amps. There are activation direction that come with the battery. Most of my atv and motorcycle batteries last 2-3 years. My stock Hawk battery lasted a little over 2 years. My daughters UTV is over 2 1/2 years old and still strong. The last ATV battery was just over 3 years old before I changed it. Just follow the instructions that come with the battery and should last a long time. As others stated 2 amps is all you need to charge these small batteries. __________________ 2023 Lifan Lycan 250 Chopper 2023 Venom Evader 2022 Lifan KPX250 2020 Kawasaki Vulcan S (Sold) 2004 Honda ST 1300 2016 Black Hawk 250 (sold) Keihin PE30 carb,125 main,38 slow.Pod filter,ported & decked head 10:1 CR,Direct Ignition Coil,15/40Sprockets,NGK DPR8EIX-9,De-Cat,Dual Oil Cooler,Digital Cluster 2016 Cazador180 XL 2014 Coolster150 JerryHawk250.com My YouTube Channel Last edited by JerryHawk250; 07-10-2019 at 09:37 AM.
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07-10-2019, 10:23 AM	#7
Weldangrind Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Sardis, BC, Canada Posts: 25,977	To expand on GronkFries' post, also keep the battery away from sparks or cigarettes while it is charging. It would end very badly. __________________ Weldangrind "I figure I'm well-prepared for coping with a bike that comes from the factory with unresolved issues and that rewards the self-reliant owner." - Buccaneer
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07-10-2019, 08:46 AM	#4
kingofqueenz Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Strong Island New Yawk Posts: 464	To be clear, some auto battery chargers come with adjustable AMP charge settings. I have a HUSKY from Home Depot that can be set to 2AMP 6AMP or 10 AMP. For the small batteries I always do a 2AMP trickle for several hours. King
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07-10-2019, 09:04 AM	#6
GronkFries Join Date: May 2019 Location: Maine Posts: 111	Keep anything being charged out of the sun. 2A max is best but if you were charging a near full battery the charger wouldn't be pushing the whole 10A, only takes what it needs so you should be good. In the future get a battery tender and a day of patience topping it off, your battery will last for years.
	2

07-10-2019, 11:19 AM	#8
Biker_Andy Join Date: Oct 2016 Posts: 347	Your battery should be perfectly fine... The charger amperage (10 Amps) does not dictate how much current flows, its only the maximum possible output. A new battery with a bottle of supplied acid will not be completely dead and won't draw nearly the full 10 Amps, it will actually be nearly fully charged. If you had a previously used battery that was empty and you filled it with distilled water then it would draw the full 10 amps, could damage it, melt, fire ect. __________________ Electrician & Electronics Tech 2014 Honda CB500XA 2016 CSC TT250 1976 Honda CJ360T 2022 Honda Navi
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