Before venturing out on the road for the first time after an enforced lay-up, there are five essential pre-ride checks to make, often referred to by the acronym POWER:
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- Petrol – check the gauge or the tank to make sure you have enough fuel for your journey
- Oil – check the sight glass or dipstick to make sure the engine oil level is correct
- Water – if your bike is water cooled, check the level in the reservoir or radiator
- Electrics – make sure your battery is fully charged and the lights, indicators and horn are all working
- Rubber – check your tyres are the correct pressure, tread depth is legal and there is no damage (from tears, punctures or perishing)
Most of these steps involve a simple, visual check, but making sure a battery is fully charged and working as it should is a little more complicated.
Fortunately OptiMate offer a range of monitors that make it easy to keep an eye on the condition of a bike’s 12v battery while it is parked for an extended time and chargers that will keep it in peak condition.
Unlike app-based monitors, OptiMate produces plug-and-play devices, designed to draw almost zero power from the bike’s battery. Charge level is indicated on an easy-to-read LED display panel, and when the motorcycle is started, the OptiMate monitor confirms whether the vehicle charging system is delivering the correct charge voltage. The O-125 monitor pictured sells at £19.99 inc VAT.
OptiMate’s battery chargers also feature easy-to-understand status indicators, and automatically monitor, charge and maintain batteries. They are fully automated – no input is required once connected – and the range covers most battery types found on motorcycles:
OptiMate1 Duo (RRP £39.99 inc VAT) is ideal for charging and maintaining batteries under four years-old, automatically recognising whether they are lead acid or Lithium Ion.
OptiMate3 Global (£59.99) is designed with a wide range input (100-240V, 50-60Hz) that works with mains electricity around the world. It diagnoses, charges, tests and maintains all types of 12V lead-acid batteriesand will even recover sulphated batteries with almost zero charge remaining.
OptiMate 4 (£72.99) features all the proven functions that earned OptiMate the recommendation of virtually every major motorcycle manufacturer, plus unique keyless connectivity for CanBUS-equipped bikes;
OptiMate Lithium 0.8A (£62.99) is specifically designed to safely monitor and maintain lithium batteries, and will reset the internal BMS (Battery Management System) so that charging can begin.
Find out more about the OptiMate range of chargers and monitors at www.optimate1.com.
