My bike is sometimes not super keen to start when the temp drops towards 1-3c...it lives under cover on the drive and I don't have access to a garage...any nifty ideas to keep it warm that don't set it on fire??
How old's the battery? If you can I'd think about fitting a battery tender, keeping the tender inside the house and extending the low voltage leads if necessary and fitting a SAE connector to the bike so you can just plug the tender in
Unfortunately, my bike lives on the rear patio; I keep it under a fitted Oxford Stormex cover and then under a Ridehide, but when it’s cold I do try and leave my Optimate hooked up as often as I can. Unfortunately, it means keeping one of the kitchen windows slightly open, which both annoys my other half and creates a security risk if there’s nobody home. I therefore have to pick my moments.
I've used paraffin fuelled car sump heaters during bad Winters in the past but I wouldn't use one under a bike cover as they produce a lot of condensation. Without power your heating options are limited. With a healthy battery the bike should fire up easily in the coldest weather. I'd look at fixing up a secure permanent connection for the battery tender.
Thanks for the replies! Should've said, the bike is kept connected to an optimate. The battery is about a year old, maybe a bit more but has always been connected to the optimate. When it struggles, it just ticks a few times (4-5) and then fires into life (most of the time). In the really extreme temps (minus's) it really struggles.
Any reason for not getting an external power point fitted? I had a double socket put in several years ago and it has made life so much easier. No more having to have extension leads trailing out of windows or doors. Fortunately my bikes live in the garage, so I don't have the problem you do, but I'd say an external power source was pretty essential for all those times you need to plug in.
If the bike lives outside, even under a cover, any sort of heating isn't really going to do much anyway, other than burn money. The all weather covers will keep the thing dry but offer no real insulation against temperature IMO.
As has been said an external socket would help here then if your garden is secure. You could put the optimate in a plastic bag to protect it from the elements (I did similar to my daughters car with a car charger/monitor when she left it here for 6 months when se was away travelling)
@learningtofly Just be careful which socket you pick as the flap cover is what gives it the IP rating for water/dust. Mine won't allow me to plug in the christmas lights as the combined plug/transformer goes upwards not downwards and so won't fit in the aperture, consequently requiring a short extension which nullifies the whole waterproof concept. Ensure there's an rcd in the system either at the consumer unit or direct inline
Side point, mine has a lithium battery - very light, very reliable, the only drawback that they don't like the cold but if you engage ignition for a minute before turning over this usually enough to get it to kick in (sometimes after 2-3 goes). If it's REALLY cold I'm in the car!
As others have said, install an outside power point (mine only cost me about £50, so it's not expensive), and keep that optimate on permanently (I can't believe you have the kitchen window open all winter). Heating under a cover is pointless, even an infra-red heater (which heats objects not air, so can be used outside) won't be any good as it'll melt your cover! I know you said the battery is "about a year old". It's amazing how quickly time flies, so consider a new battery as well. If you really want to heat the bike a bit, my dad used to use something which worked like a heated blanket (I think he bought something specifically designed for outside use), on his 1950's car. He laid it over the engine for half an hour or more. Maybe something like that could work, but please be careful if you consider this and try to find something as a standard bed blanket is designed for indoor use and I wouldn't want you to get electrocuted. (I've done a quick google search and only coming up with expensive items in the US, so you might need to do more research yourself - https://heatauthority.com/collections/engine-automotive-heaters )
I found that putting a big bath towel under the cover helps absorb moisture; just make sure to keep removing the cover and drying the towel out every few days
Instead of using a battery tender that needs constant power, just run a charger to it every few weeks, or on the weekend when your around and can stand having the window open a crack. My experience is that if you want to do something that gets negative browny points (but is still essential) get up a couple of hours earlier than the offendee and tidy up before they are the wiser. Top it off with a cup of tea in bed, or breakfast, or some other daily routine thing that takes no effort but gets complained about like it's a capitol offence.
Forgot to add I’ve used an Oxford solariser; a solar bike charger that has helped keep the battery charged when in storage and no external power
Though if the bike is on the drive this light and portable item may be too much of a temptation for the local toerags.
Yes, if all the kitchen window comments are directed at me, this is exactly what I do. I only charge the bike when it’s been left standing for a while (not too long and certainly less than every couple of weeks), or when I want to go out for a ride and I have a chance to give it some charge prior to going out on it. There is no way I’d have the kitchen window open all winter, especially now with the price of utilities being so high!
