Brand and model: HD orig
Install date: 08 when new
Replacement date: Very soon
Years of service = 5?
Type of use the bike gets = Some spring, SUMMER (weekender), Fall
Tender used and how often = Schumacher Trickle Charger (Walmart)
Type of tender =
For the past two years I have been pulling the battery from the bike and leaving it in the basement. I read somewhere from an instruction sheet from another brand of bike battery that it was not a good idea to keep the battery on the trickle charger. Their instructions read, "Charge the battery once a month. Do not leave on a charger full time."
I decided to cycle the battery in the basement by discharging it using a small light bulb for a few hours and then charge the battery using the trickle charger. It worked fine until this winter when I left the bulb on the battery way too long (overnight) and the following morning the battery was DEAD! The voltage was about 6.0 volts. So...I put the charger on and after just a few minutes the charger stopped charging indicating there is an issue with the battery connection or the battery needs replacement. After several attempts to recharge the battery I realized it wasn't coming back to life. So I will wait until spring and purchase a new Deka battery since I have heard goos things about this brand. I suppose it was time for a replacement anyway.