Condo dweller needs help with garage issues

[SeattlePaul]

Hello,

I am trying to find a way to keep my MZ RT125 in my new building. Since I don't
ride daily, especially in the winter, a maintenance charger is a necessity.
There may be a way to wire my parking stall for one, but there is strong
objection from one of the condo board members who is an architect, and has
designed electric vehicle charging systems. He says there is not adequate
ventilation on the bottom floor where I park, and is worried about the precedent
it would set, with other residents also asking for electrical outlets. So here
are my questions:

1. Does anyone run a maintenance charger in a shared garage, and, if so, how
have you dealt with wiring and off-gassing issues?

2. Is there any kind of quick-disconnect terminal I could install in the wiring
harness, that would allow me to quickly pull the battery to take it upstairs
with me? That would avoid the issues with the garage (and create new ones, but
that's another story). It would have to handle the current for the starter--I
don't know of anything that hefty that's readily available.

I hope there is a way to keep it, even though it has to be parked in the dungeon.

Thanks,

Paul in Seattle

[DAVID THOMPSON]

harbor freight sell a solar charger to trickle it.... if the place has sun light coming in a window
use that //
battery should not put off enough fumes to be a problem
dave
http://www.harborfreight.com/automotive ... 41144.html

and dont tell them you found a way
because most condo owners dont like any thing a biker or a ham radio operator have in mind to do...
thats why i would live in a card board box before i bought a condo

[djsbriscoe]

The optimate chargers come with a cable that you connect to the battery. The other end of the cable connects to a plug which you connect to the chargers wires when you need it. A pair of stand offs could be screwed into the battery terminal and the charger extension cable terminals above could be clamped under the stand offs. All you would need to do would unscrew the battery wiring and unclip the rubber strap. Alternatively you could insert bullet terminals into the battery wiring.
The battery does not gas enough to be of any danger.

[angustoyou]

Do you really need it?

A healthy fully charged battery should be fine standing for up to a month or so between uses. Unless you have an alarm or something draining it?

Mines only ever used weekly at the most, and has no problems.

[SeattlePaul]

harbor freight sell a solar charger to trickle it.... if the place has sun light coming in a window

Nope, it's in the dungeon, 3 floors below ground.

most condo owners dont like any thing a biker or a ham radio operator have in mind to do...

To be fair, I only got flak from one person; an architect who knows about electric charging systems. He claims to have found that electric cars can't be charged in a garage; unfortunately I let on that I might get an electric vehicle in the near future. It is apples to oranges, really, because the batteries are so much smaller in the cycle. He's really concerned about fire hazards, and worried that other residents will also want to start running wires everywhere if they accomodate me.

that's why i would live in a card board box before i bought a condo

I wanted to live in a walkable neighborhood, close to transit connections, and near to the people I spend my time with. The idea was to make motor vehicle ownership optional, so I thought I wouldn't mind if the building wasn't motorcycle-friendly. Now I find myself fighting to keep my bike, and the option of an EV.

[SeattlePaul]

Do you really need it?

A healthy fully charged battery should be fine standing for up to a month or so between uses. Unless you have an alarm or something draining it?

Mines only ever used weekly at the most, and has no problems.

Maybe my charging system has a problem. I often have to roll it down a hill, if it hasn't been on a charger for awhile. The other week I rode it twenty miles, parked for 8 hours, and had to roll start it. Last night I charged it, rode around, and after stalling a bunch of times (it's very tempermental until it's thoroughly warm), it wouldn't crank. Luckily I was going down hill, so I was able to get it started. But, Friday, it started right up after sitting a week.

[SeattlePaul]

A pair of stand offs could be screwed into the battery terminal and the charger extension cable terminals above could be clamped under the stand offs. All you would need to do would unscrew the battery wiring and unclip the rubber strap. Alternatively you could insert bullet terminals into the battery wiring.
The battery does not gas enough to be of any danger.

Wow, that's helpful. I already have some angle brackets screwed onto the terminals as adapters, because the terminals don't quite match the bike's wiring. I could just move the charger terminals so they stay on when I remove the bike's wires. Installation time was 15 minutes this morning, with all the fiddly wires to deal with. Your suggestion would cut the fiddly factor down quite a bit.

Are there bullet terminals big enough for that main power cable? Haven't seen any; where should I look?

[djsbriscoe]

Yes the starter cable would be a problem as bullet terminals would not fit. Maybe thumb screws of some kind would be better (the type used for computer casings) for the starter cable wire and earth wire or any other cable with a ring terminal. A quick search on google should find something.

[comanche91]

Replace your lead/acid battery with a sealed AHM unit. Their gas emissions are negligible and they last a lot longer between charges.

[DAVID THOMPSON]

a lot of ham radio guys in the usa use
http://www.andersonpower.com

there called power pole connectors
and a good amateur radio store should have them
or know who does
there in various sizes
i am thinking at least 75 amp

http://www.abc-comm.com/
only listing i can find in Seattle WA
from the looks of the web page they may have service staff that can fix u up
proper

dave