Probably the simplest piece of motorcycle maintenance possible is to use a battery charger for any period when a bike is not in regular use – whether it is a retail customer keeping their pride and joy snug in a garage or a dealership making sure showroom stock is fresh and ready to go during the quieter winter months. Without regular use, a battery will lose charge and could fairly rapidly become damaged through a build up of sulphate crystals, reducing capacity.
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CTEK’s £69.99 SRP CT5 Powersports has got three smart charging and maintenance programs, and can be left connected to the battery without risk of damage, so it can be a “fit and forget” solution. The charging and maintenance programs cover standard lead-acid batteries, including AGM type, as well as the latest lightweight lithium batteries, plus there is a reconditioning program which will try to recover deeply-discharged lead-acid batteries.
We tried the CT5 on a rarely-used Ducati Monster. It comes with crocodile clips for a temporary connection, or more permanent eyelet fixings with a fly lead for better accessibility. As the battery on the Monster is hidden under the fuel tank we fitted the fly lead to make future access easier, but we were lucky that it reached a convenient location, as it is not particularly long.
Connecting the charger resulted in the “Check” light illuminating while it performed tests to ensure the battery was fit for purpose, then the “Charge” light came on and it was time to leave it to do its thing. A few hours later and the “Care” light was shining brightly, telling us that the battery was ready to go and would be topped up over the coming months without having to lift a finger.
Trying the CT5 on a very old lead acid battery resulted in a few minutes of the CT5 running its check cycle before showing an error light indicating that the battery was sulphated beyond redemption, a diagnosis confirmed by another brand of charger that also refused to have anything to do with it. However, it had no issues recovering a battery deliberately run flat with a test lamp, bringing it back from just under 10V to a far healthier 12.6V overnight.
Overall, it’s a simple to use charger, ideal for winterising a motorcycle, jetski or quad (it could even do a smaller car battery if you are prepared to wait, as the max output is 2.3A). With plenty of built-in safety (anti-reverse polarity, non-sparking, short circuit protection) and the added flexibility of working with the latest lithium battery technology, it should be a relatively easy sell to the majority of motorcyclists.
Saxon Brands; 01488 689400; [email protected]