About how many miles keeps a battery charged?

[Stig / Major Tom]

Winter coming to the MidWest USA-
if I'm riding 10 miles a day at 30 MPH with a 7 month old 163cc scoot on a 10>20 degree/F day.....will my battery stay charged? Does the pre-ride warm-up period amount to much for battery charging?

Or should I be battery tending it at night. If so, what would be the best kind to buy?

What weight gear oil should I switch to for the winter?
 Thanks, Stig

[Haarek]

It all depends on how many amps your alternator produces at a given rpm and on the size of your battery. I would simply measure the alternator output/look it up and calculate it, using one of the many battery charging calculators that exist online, to find out how long it will take to fully charge your battery. Remember to account for other consumers like lights. I don't have the workshop manual for your ride so I don't know what the output of your alternator is. It would be strange if you would have to charge your battery every night, but if you are afraid the charge is insufficient it wouldn't hurt to trickle charge it in the weekends. Running on idle doesn't produce many amps so you shouldn't depend on that for charging. Most alternators are designed to provide charging at the average working rpm. My first scooter didn't even manage to give 12v in idle. 

[MaryK]

1.  Do NOT expect the battery to be charging at idle RPM.  It may actually be discharging.
2.  5 to 10 miles is not enough to get the engine & oil warm enough to drive off the water vapor that collects in the engine when cold.

You probably need a 20 minute ride to keep everything in shape.  Otherwise use a battery tender and try a 10 min ride when weather permits.  Also make sure the air pressure in the tires is correct.


scoot safely

[Stig / Major Tom]

1.  Do NOT expect the battery to be charging at idle RPM.  It may actually be discharging.
2.  5 to 10 miles is not enough to get the engine & oil warm enough to drive off the water vapor that collects in the engine when cold.

You probably need a 20 minute ride to keep everything in shape.  Otherwise use a battery tender and try a 10 min ride when weather permits.  Also make sure the air pressure in the tires is correct.


scoot safely

Good point MaryK,
I once had a thermostat fail open on a VW Jetta - never letting the engine get very hot on this short drive to work in the winter. By spring, when I got around to replacing it - the engine oil had collected so much water it looked like coffee with cream. Not good for the engine.
I will let the scoot warm up good, then try hard to get in some extra riding on the way to work - depending on how bleedin' cold it is!
Which reminds me----- engine block warmers. I have a small one still in the box.