CTEK 3300 - "the smartest battery charger in the world"

Batteries are a leading cause of failure in motorcycles, receiving less attention than they should because they are often difficult to reach.  There is a solution, and it is easy. Attach a reliable “smart” charger to your motorcycle battery anytime you are not riding or cleaning your bike. All chargers are not created equal though, so Cycle Matters reviewed a charger that is unique, very capable, reliable, and “smart.”

A “smart” charger relies on feedback from the battery to determine when to charge and in what amount.

When your batteries are fully charged, the smart charger will stop charging. If your battery starts to get too hot, the smart charger will sense the heat and turn itself off until the battery cools again. 

The CTEK Multi US 3300 (CTEK 3300) is a “smart” charger that can handle many vehicles including: motorcycles, cars, lawnmowers, quads, jet skis, snowmobiles, scooters, and farm tractors. But lets talk about motorcycles.

There are various types of battery chargers currently available, most predominantly smart chargers and trickle chargers. However, smart chargers present a much safer and efficient way maintaining and prolonging the life of the battery.

Once a battery has reached its optimum charge levels, a trickle charger will simply send in a level of charge, for a certain amount of time, and then switch itself off, continually repeating the process until it is removed from the battery. This way of battery charging can potentially over charge the battery causing it to dry out, or even start to gas, and ultimately kill the battery. 

The CTEK 3300 offers outstanding recharging performance in a compact format.  A unique cold temperature mode enables faster recharging even in the coldest winter conditions.  

The CTEK 3300, “the smartest battery charger in the world” according to the CTEK Power Inc., uses a four-step charge process: Desulfation, Bulk Charge, Absorption and Pulse.  This charger is virtually the only charger needed to keep 12V lead-acid batteries charged up and ready for anything. Compact, lightweight and portable, CTEK also protects users against sparks, short circuits and reverse polarity.

About CTEK Power Inc. The company designs and develops a unique series of high-tech battery chargers for all types of lead-acid batteries for both private and professional use. The cornerstone in CTEK's successful business concept that allows the development of this new category of battery charger is the extensive knowledge of batteries and electronics. These new battery chargers satisfy not only today’s high demands on battery care, but also take the increasing needs of the growing group of new users into consideration. Safety, simplicity, and flexibility are key words and requirements that apply to all the products and solutions currently developed and sold by CTEK. Since CTEK began manufacturing battery chargers, close to three million CTEK chargers have been sold in 60 countries throughout the world. CTEK is also a reliable OEM supplier to many of the world's most prestigious car and motorcycle manufacturers.

• MODEL: CTEK Multi US 3300
• Input Voltage: 100–120VAC, 50–60Hz
• Output Voltage: 14.4V/0.8A, 14.4V/3.3A, 14.7V/3.3A
• Charging Current: 3.3A
• Ripple:            50mV rms, 0.13A
• Ambient Temperature: -20°C to +50°C, output power is reduced automatically at higher temperatures.           
• Charger Type: Four step, fully automatic switch mode with pulse maintenance.
• Batteris: 12V lead-acid batteries (Wet, MF, AGM, Calcium/Calcium and GEL)
• Battery Size: 1.2 -120Ah
• Dimensions: L= 6.50 inches X W= .40 inches X H= 1.50 inches
• Insulation: IP 65
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.

With a maintenance-free battery, you have nothing to do except keep it clean, and make sure the terminals and connections are in good shape, and charge it. If the lights are dim or you have trouble starting your bike, connect a CTEK 3300 to the battery. It is helpful to “smart” charge your battery anytime your motorcycle is not in use. Make these suggestions a part of your regular bike maintenance, and they will dramatically extend the life of your battery.  

If you have a conventional battery, you will also have to check for corrosion, fluid level, sediment, sulfation and mossing within the chambers. Just a reminder: always use protective glasses and gloves, and perform maintenance on the battery in a well-ventilated area.  Then, once you have ensured that the battery exhaust tube is open and serviceable, firmly replace the battery caps and test the battery with either a hydrometer or voltmeter. With a conventional battery, the main issue is fumes. A buildup of hydrogen and oxygen in the battery or in the charging area can create an explosive hazard. Therefore, the first thing is to loosen the battery vent caps, and ventilate the charging area. No one should smoke and sparks and open flames must be put out as they could ignite the fume from the charging process.

The CTEK 3300 is the only charger needed to keep 12V lead-acid battery charged up and ready for anything. The CTEK 3300 will refurbish even deeply drained batteries using an intelligent, patent-pending desulfation technology.   You can connect the charger and forget about it, because it will charge and maintain your motorcycle’s battery without harm to the battery, the motorcycle, or sensitive electronics.   For added safety, the CTEK 3300’s technology guards against sparks, short circuits and reverse polarity.

• Attach the quick connector wires provided by CTEK to the battery using eyelet terminals designed to fit the battery cable connector bolts.   This quick connector allows the user to connect the CTEK 3300 to the battery without the need to actually reach the battery.
  • Connect the positive charger lead to positive battery post
  • Connect the negative charger lead to negative battery post
• Connect the CTEK 3300 to the quick connector – Comfort Connect male to Comfort Connect female or vice versa. Either way works!!.
• Plug in or otherwise activate the charger by connecting an AC power outlet.
• Unplug or otherwise deactivate the charger before removing the battery from the charger.

Starting the charging process by inserting the plug into the AC power outlet

• Set the CTEK to the correct charge mode using the Mode button on the CTEK 3300.
• Either the charge indicator or maintenance charge indicator (fully charged) will light  up.
• If voltage drops, the charger sends a pulse to the battery.
• The CTEK 3300 may be connected for months at a time.

The CTEK 3300 operates in a four step fully automatic cycle. It starts charging with an almost constant current (0.8A or 3.3A) until maximum voltage (14.4V or 14.7V) is reached. At this point, the charger switches to constant voltage, and the current supply to the battery is gradually reduced. If the current drops to 0.4A, the charger switches to pulse maintenance. If the battery is charged and the terminal voltage of the battery falls to 12.9V, the charger automatically starts again at the first step of the charge characteristic. The CTEK 3300 measures both voltage and current in order to determine if the charging process is finished or whether a new charging cycle must be started.

The CTEK 3300 moves into a pulse maintenance mode once the battery is fully charged. Rather than sending in a charge and estimating the battery’s needs, a CTEK charger will stay in constant communication with the battery, reacting and charging only when it is needed. In pulse maintenance mode, the battery will be allowed to naturally self-discharge to a certain level before being fully charged once again. Not only does this form of battery charging avoid the risk of overcharging, but as the battery is being exercised, as it would be during normal use, the lifespan of the battery is extended considerably.

Cycle Matters editors believe the CTEK 3300 to be an excellent value at $74.99, because it will charge, exercise, and maintain your battery to maximize the life of the battery. It comes with a set of battery cables with battery terminal clips and a set of battery cables with eyelet terminals.

Modern motorcycles have a lot of sensitive electronic equipment that is dependent upon a proper functioning battery to perform at its best. The CTEK 3300 “smart” charger creates the optimum electronics environment, beginning with the battery, for your motorcycle to start and operate properly.

Traditional battery chargers are generally unsuitable to perform battery maintenance as they treat all batteries in the same way and just provide a steady, but unregulated current to the battery. This can easily lead to over, or under, charging of the battery, and thereby, decrease its lifespan. Conversely, CTEK makes battery maintenance a quick, simple, and extremely effective process. The CTEK 3300 constantly reads and communicates with the battery, charging only to its direct needs, and therefore, avoiding any possibility of incorrectly charging the battery, and by ensuring the battery is conditioned, as well as charged, extending its life significantly.

All battery chargers must carry the CE mark in the EU. For your own safety, demand a third parties testing and approval of the equipment. CTEK battery chargers are tested and approved by Intertec SEMKO AB and UL.

We asked CTEK personnel to tell us how long to expect a CTEK 3300 to function. Without hesitation, the response was that this charger’s “warranty is five years, but the will last much longer than that if used properly.”   So, basically, that means the charger casing should not be compromised, and that doing so will invalidate the warranty. 

Click here for information on CTEK Power Inc.