Anyone know who makes the best cold weather battery? I'm tired of buying new
ones every year, the only way a battery survives longer is to remove the
battery after every use during the winter. Just for an example, I went
riding 2 weeks ago and was planning on going again this weekend, but left
the battery installed this time. I figured 2 weeks couldn't kill a freshly
charged battery, but figured wrong. It was normally in the teens to twenties
with 2 nights dropping to the negative teens. I've got car batteries that
don't have this problem so there is hopefully an ATV battery that can handle
a little cold too.

try keeping it on a charger when it dip down that low I use to do this in
Montana and was ok....pain in the assssssssss
"Alaskan" gci.net> wrote in message
news:13qkmk34ec7jt54@corp.supernews.com...

john wrote:

That works pretty good. I have a cigarette lighter wired into my quad, I
use it to power up my GPS while I ride. If you put something like that
in, you could wire a small trickle charger to it and not have to screw
around with the seat or anything. Just a thought.

BTW, where in Alaska?

Anchorage.

The son took off with the charger a couple weeks ago and didn't get it back
until tonight after a little gripe session. Still, you'ld think someone out
there would make a battery designed to handle the cold a little better.
Don't want to imagine the hassle they have up near Fairbanks in the -40
region.

"GTD" duuuh.net> wrote in message
news:13qktl58g2kprf3@corp.supernews.com...

I think all lead acid batteries react to cold the same - its a function of
the electrolyte chemistry, which is essentially the same in all of them.
Discharged batteries freeze sooner than fully charged ( -40 F or so). I use
a small "smart" charger which has a max charge rate of 1.5 amps. It will
taper the rate, then stop and wait for the battery voltage to fall again
before starting to charge again. As others do, I have a "cigarette ighter"
power socket wired in which I use for the charger. I mad an adapter using
Radio Shack parts.

If the temps get below -40F, I would bring the battery (or the whole bike)
into a warmer area. I have seen little electric blankets for batteries, but
I have not used one..

My liquid cooled ATV has a block heater in the radiator hose. I plug it in
about an hour before I want to use it at temperatures below about 10F.
Between that and the battery charger, it will start easily on full choke at
temperatures below 0F.

"Alaskan" gci.net> wrote in message
news:13qlgrjpev8c069@corp.supernews.com...

What kind of atv, just out of curiosity?

I've got 2 Honda Ranchers, and live in "Western Mountains" region of Maine.
I replaced the original battery in the 2001 2wd last spring. I've still got
the original battery in the 2003 4x4. They are very rarely in a heated
garage and always start. This time of year it's pretty cool here too...It's
been a heat wave lately: we had a hi temp over 30 2 days in a row. Normal
for this time of year is around -5 at night and 20 during the day. Presently
they are in my woodshed, which is completely open to the East and West, and
walled in on the North and South.

I just crank full on the choke, pump the primer about three times and tap
the starter once. As long as I let them sit and fast idle for 15 minutes
before I try to move them (typical cold-blooded Hondas) they'll run, start
and stop all day long - or until they sit for more than 3 or 4 hours. If
that happens I start all over again with the primer, choke, etc. I just
moved the wife's machine (the 2wd) for the first time in a month last week
and it fired right up.

Jeff, I think you're lucky. I take pretty good care of the batteries in 4
ATVs ( 3 Arctic Cats, 1 Yamaha) , and rarely get more than 3 years life from
one. I even take them out of the ATVs (except 1 ATV with tracks) during the
winter months and store them in the basement. They even get the occasional
trickle charge. I think the Yuasa (sp?) are as good as any other. ATV
batteries are probably made more with shock resistance in mind rather than
cranking power. My street motorcycles (2) also seem to have short battery
lives too.

In all cases, I use a very low amperage trickle charger (1.5 A max) which
can also function as a battery tender. Those batteries that have removable
caps get checked and watered as necessary. When out of service for a while,
batteries are disconnected and as mentioned, removed in cold weather.

My ATVs are all carb (as opposed to EFI) machines, and all have priming
levers. The winter machine (tracks) has a block heater. It will start like
its summer if the heater is left on for an hour.

"Jeff Ireland" gwi.net> wrote in message
news:J8Jqj.6858$Qj3.3344@trndny07...

Couple 06' 400 Actic Cats and an older Suzuki 160 for the daughter.

They are never in a heated garage except during repairs. Which seems to be
after every other ride or so. Them mountains can tear some equipment up.
Anyway, it's definitely the batteries, the relay clicks and thats it, if I
swap out the battery with a spare I do keep in the garage, they start right
up. Except the old Suzuki, it starts right up every time for some reason,
maybe I need to find some more $50 wheelers for myself and my wife.

"Jeff Ireland" gwi.net> wrote in message
news:J8Jqj.6858$Qj3.3344@trndny07...

When I had to go get a new battery for my four wheeler they told me
that if I put it on two amps for 12 hours that it doubles the life of
one. Mine before the charging was supposed to last 3 to 4 years now
after they put it on 2 amps it is suppose to last about 6 to 8 years.
I have had it for about a year now and it still going strong. Next
time you have to buy one ask them to do that for you.

As someone else suggested in this thread, the life of the battery depends on
the initial charging of the battery when new and what amperage is used to
charge it. Any ATV or motorcycle battery should not be charged with more
than 2.0 amps at any point in its life. They sell specific ATV "battery
tender" chargers which normally trickle charge at 1.5 to 2.0 amps.
Unfortunately, in my neck of the woods, they are way overpriced at nearly
double the cost of a normal, full function automotive battery charger. You
can find automotive battery chargers that trickle charge as low as 2.0 amps,
and I have also seen different brands of chargers that look and function
just the same as the "battery tender" products, but not necessarily designed
for ATV batteries. Here in NS, Canada, where one winter can be a whole
different season from the last, I usually pull my ATV out of the shed two or
three times a season, just to let it sit and see some sunlight. For the
last few years, it has not been driven at all. Knowing that the battery
needs charging once in a while, my solution was to pick up a small solar
panel that has two alligator clips from Canadian Tire and on warm, sunny
days (winter included), leave the ATV outside with the battery trickle
charging from the solar panel. Or, if I am not going to be home, I can
leave the ATV in the shed and the cord on the solar panel is long enough
that I can hang it outside and it can charge for as long as it likes. My ...