CASE STUDY | 12V DC-DC | Northbike, SE
Northbike is one of Nordics biggest Powersport dealerships, with state of the art dealerships in Sundsvall and Umeå, Sweden. They supply powersport vehicles for all four seasons including motorcycles, 4-wheelers, snowmobiles, mopeds and jet skis, along with a range of accessories, including CTEK chargers.
Northbike offers a door-to-door home delivery service within Sweden, transporting up to eight powersport vehicles at a time in bespoke trailers, towed by a monster pick up truck.
But, with the delivery trips sometimes taking up to two weeks, depending on the route taken, they had been struggling with flattened batteries on the powersport vehicles when they arrived with their customers.
Northbike CEO Tom Brander said: “When we’re out on a delivery trip, we are often on the road for several days and, as we deliver all year round, sometimes face cold nights. In these conditions, the batteries on the powersport vehicles can discharge fairly quickly, especially Harley Davidson motorbikes whose sophisticated alarm and security system is continually drawing power from the battery, even when it’s switched off. Harley Davidsons also run thicker oil than other motorcycles, and the oil can get very thick in cold weather, making them difficult to start.
“A motorbike or other powersport vehicle is something our customers buy with their hearts and, with this level of emotion invested in their new purchase, they often want to jump on and try it out as soon as it arrives. So it’s absolutely vital that the vehicles we deliver are fully charged and ready to go, on delivery. "
“We’ve been using CTEK chargers at our dealerships for some years now, to keep the bikes and powersport vehicles charged up over winter, and we’ve always been impressed with CTEK in terms of service, product quality, reliability and price. And now, working with CTEK, we’ve been able to develop the perfect solution for home deliveries, that means we can charge all our customers’ vehicles on the go.”
Tom Brander, CEO, Northbike
Northbike has invested in a powerful D250SE charger and 16 CTEK CT5 POWERSPORT battery chargers for their delivery trailers. Here’s how the set up works.
The D250SE is fitted inside the trailer and charges from the alternator on the pick-up truck that’s hauling it. The D250SE in turn charges a 12V service battery, which then powers the CT5 POWERSPORT chargers that are attached to the powersport vehicles through CTEK Comfort Connect Cables. This means that the powersport vehicles are constantly on charge throughout the journey, even when the truck is parked up, as the 12V battery in the trailer will continue to charge the powersport vehicles through the CT5 POWERSPORT chargers, even though there is no power coming into the trailer.
“Having the CTEK chargers on board with us when we’re making deliveries gives us complete peace of mind that we can deliver fully charged powersport vehicles to delight our customers,” continued Tom. “This makes a big difference to us, and to our customers too. And, since all the vehicles we supply are equipped with a CTEK Comfort Connect cable, they are ‘CTEK ready’ to charge quickly and easily - it really couldn’t be simpler. "
“We also use CTEK chargers with Comfort Connect in our workshop when we’re servicing customers’ vehicles and updating software. This means that, when the vehicles are delivered to or collected by the customer, they are ready to go with a fully charged battery. It is an absolute must for us, and ensures we can continue to offer the first class level of service that our customers expect from Northbike.”
For more about Northbike, see northbike.se
CTEK CT5 POWERSPORT
The CTEK CT5 POWERSPORT battery charger has been custom designed for powersport vehicles, offering easy-to-use, fully automatic charging for motorbikes, scooters and similar vehicles. Powersport vehicles always need to be in top condition to give the best possible performance, and the CT5 makes sure batteries are charged to capacity, so your vehicle is ready for action when you are. With dedicated programmes for 12V lead-acid and lithium* batteries, the CT5 ensures the very best performance from powersport vehicles, whether you’re on land, water, snow or ice. You can connect it directly to the battery indefinitely, if required, and it won’t over or under charge.
*12V lithium batteries (LiFePO4, Li-Fe, Li-iron, LFP).
CTEK D250SE
The CTEK D250SE is a fully automatic, 5 step charger that supplies up to 20A of power to any 12V lead-acid or lithium service battery from 40–300Ah. It can use power through its dual input from an alternator or solar panel. When the service battery is fully charged, the D250SE will automatically redirect maintenance charge power to the starter battery. The D250SE can maintain a stable output up to 20A to vehicles fitted with smart ECU controlled alternators and also has a temperature sensor for optimised charging, regardless of weather conditions.
