Hi
I bought an electric bike to keep at my holiday home abroad as I don't drive not realizing that I couldn't just leave the battery for months without charging it. Does anyone know how long you can leave a battery without it deteriorating, or have any tips?

Hi antrad , the instructions I got with my previous battery which was a polymer , said they should be discharged once a month and kept fully charged when not in use . There were times when I just didn't ride it for a couple of months so it did sit in the garage during that time . I always unplug the battery when its not in use , and keep a full charge up even if I just go a short distance . It always makes me feel good when it goes for a long ride and gets a good charge afterwards .
rick

You don't say whether it's lead acid or lithium, but assuming it's lithium, there are several items on the web with guidance on storage procedures. I'm attaching one file I had saved plus here's a pointer to a thread on Endless Sphere on the topic.
Endless-sphere.com ? View topic - Storage voltage for LiFePo4 cell?

Bottom line - for long term storage of Lithium -- somewhere between 40-60% SOC and a cool place.

Thanks to both. It's Lithium. The instructions say to charge it after three months even if it hasn't been used in that time, but I may have to leave it longer than that.

Make a friend abroad; alternatively, commute with or ship your battery and charger.
Love will find a way.