I have been removing the battery when I connect it to the Battery Tender for long periods of inactivity (Like the Kawasaki manual says to). Is it alright to keep it in the bike with the alligator clips attached?
Has anyone used that 'Quick Connect' attachment? It sounds like a good idea but I've heard conflicting instructions as to where to connect the negative clip; should it go on the negative terminal of the battery or should I ground it on the frame?
Any advice would be welcome...
Ok my dad has used the battery tender for years with no problem with the battery still on the bike. Also you want to attach the quick connector to the battery on both ends, if you attach the negative connector to the frame the tender may not charge correctly.
I've used the tenders for about 10 yrs, and never removed the battery, and always used the pigtails. It just makes life soooo much easier. Like Spence said, always connect the pigtail leads directly to the battery.
I do this too. After fuel stabilizer and fogging oil, just hook it up and forget about it until spring. I do move it forward a couple feet or back a couple feet to prevent flat spots on the tires.
From some of the reading I've done... "They" say that it can almost double the life of the battery... I just bought my tender last Sept. and have had it on a new bike from the git go... I hope "They" are right....
Keep the Chrome side up...
We've got too many batteries here! Have six batteries sitting on the bench (bikes, lawn tractor, etc.) in the basement and only three tenders. I move them around once a week and the tenders always read the batteries as fully charged.
I use the float chargers from Harbor Freight, 2 for my boat and 3 more for spare batteries in the garage. The chargers are only $5 and been working for 3 years now. None for the bike since it never sits.
I would like to bump this up, with an add on question.
At what point do you hook up your bike, 3 days no riding, 3 weeks no riding, 3 months. I know the stator is there to charge when you ride, but say its raining for 3 days straight, on what day should you hook up?
Arkansas, Personally, I hook it up every time I put the bike in the garage. The way I understand it is that the more fully charged the battery is, the healthier it is for it. When the battery is fully charged, the tender just floats the voltage and only actually charges when the battery is not at peak voltage. You don't have to worry about an overcharge if it is a battery "Tender"... A regular battery charger, isn't meant for long term connection, like a tender is...
Mine is a "Deltran Battery Tender Plus" I've only had it for a year, so I can't say how long it will increase battery life, but I read somewhere that it will close to double it... Besides never having to worry about the bike starting after sitting a while... Mine sat all winter and turned over like I had ridden it yesterday, so I'm sold...
Thats interesting.. I only use mine during the winter or if I wont be riding it for a while.. (a month) I have 3 streetbikes so the Intruder and R6 are on the tenders since getting the Vulcan.. My concern would be that charging it all the time if you ride every couple days wouldnt be good because like a cordless phone or cell phone battery, if you charge it when its FULL, it will tend to get a memory and expect that much charge at that voltage.. Then when its really just barely below proper voltage it would EXPECT to get charged and act dead.. Happens all the time with phones.. Next time test your voltage on your dead cordless.. Its probalby about 1-2 volts lower than it should be but its dead.. Meaning the life of the battery would be about 2-3 years.. My R6 is going on 5 only using it during the winter when it sits.. And for the guy rolling it around.. Get a stand, lift it up.. $65 at sears..
In the colder months I hook it up everytime I finish riding. Now that it's warmer I'll get to it every few days but that's only because I'm a lazy man at heart. Ggreen is right, hook it up every day; your battery will be better for it. (It certainly won't hurt it.)
I did the same thing the day I picked up the bike I bought a tender at fleet and farm for 20 bucks rather than the 50 they wanted at the stealer ship and if I won't be riding for more than 2 days I plug it in, when I plug it in it is already green but I figure it won't hurt and that's also what 3 of the dealerships in the area say to do. It has been 2 years with the battery and no problems and it runs my speaker system and my neon lights at full potential when the bike is not running.
Schon,
Most bike batteries are of the lead / acid type... Cell phone batteries are of the Lithium Ion type... Two completely different animals... From what I've read, it is best to keep a lead / acid type battery fully charged... And I think newer Lithium / Ion batteries don't really have memories like Nickel Cadmium batteries used to....
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