One-year review
In-depth testing after months and miles
Oxford Oximiser 3x £89.99 www.oxfordproducts.com
I’VE USED THIS battery charger for the past four years to try to preserve the battery life of my little-ridden classic Yamaha R1. The problem is I own a 20-year-old bike with a 20-year-old alarm that flattens the battery in a couple of weeks of no use. But the Oximiser has stopped all that.
More than just a charger, the Oximiser monitors a battery’s condition, adding charge as and when it needs it to maintain optimum battery condition. During this process, it lets you know the current voltage and charging rate in amps. It also senses and reads the state of the battery and adjusts to suit. As such, it is perfect for keeping the battery going on bikes that are laid up for the winter, but can also charge anything with a lithium or lead-acid battery.
What makes this Oximiser useful is the convenience. Included is the usual jump-lead-type clips or a cable and plug that attaches directly to the battery’s terminals. I chose this route and when not on charge, it tucks behind the left-hand panel, meaning plugging the R1 back into life support is simple and easy after every ride.
The charger is easy to use, and though the case feels a little plasticy, it is tough and can be mounted on the wall, though I’ve never bothered. During my time with it, it has never let me down, though it did fail to recover a heavily-discharged battery for my S1000R (Oxford claims it can recover batteries run-down to 8v, but no lower), even though my local BMW dealer’s charger could do the job.
Aside from that, it’s proved a worthwhile addition to the garage and decent value. The full retail price is £89.99 RRP but if you shop around a bit, you might be able to get one for not much more than £55.