Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums Accessories Battery Tender

How should I install this, for a quick plug in? Side cover? I don't want to remove the seat to plug it in.

David, I keep my pigtail tucked up under the right side cover.
When I had an airbox, I connected the leads to the battery and ran the cable up over the top.

I stick the connector end behind the plastic cover above the battery box. Pull it out and plug in. I have small jumper cables, a DC light, and aux. socket, and an air compressor that also fits the connector.

John, the jumpers either came with my Slime compressor kit or the Battery Tender Plus kit.

Or install the Triumph accessory socket and use the dedicated plug.....the wiring for the socket is already in place in the loom.

The SAE connector on mine is zip-tied to the left frame tube, so I can reach it when the bike is parked in the Sportchock while in the garage.

i have an sae connector tucked above the battery cover for my heated vest. I was surprised to find that it hooked right up to the 'tender. i also found out there are things like cell phone chargers that will fit it.

I ran my pigtail out of the cover on the left side near the battery. I plug my BT into it when parked, and use the same cord to run my heated gear in the winter. I also have an Argus Battery Bug monitor mounted in the same general area.

You know, I've never looked into these battery tenders and do plead ignorance. So, what are they exactly? I mean, do they plug into AC power and act as a trickle charger? Is that what they are all about?

Okay so I don't know everything... but if anyone has a music theory question I would be happy to answer it.

Yep, a battery tender is a trickle charger/conditioner gizmo that plugs into the AC. Great for keeping the health of your motorcycle (or car, boat, etc) optimal when not riding - esp. if you keep it parked for extended periods like winter, etc.

In my opinion they are worth having one. More than once I've jacked my battery by leaving the parking lights on or something silly. I can't testify that I've extended my battery life with mine, but I do ride daily, but it's a good peace of mind (along with a batter meter on the bike) to know what's up with my battery.

I have tender wires on all 4 of our motorcycles, 2 of our sleds... They are great. V.

I agree.
I recomend the "Battery Tender" brand.I have used one for years and also believe it extends the life of the battery.They just plug into the wall.They are smart chargers and dont fry your battery like a regular trickle charger can.You just plug it in and forget it.

Go for the Battery Tender "Plus". It has an additional stage and will stop charging when not needed. It also comes with some additional adaptors which are handy.

Yuasa also makes a good "smart" charger for about $30, and additional battery wires are only $8.50 - http://www.fasteddysports.com/?page_id=3&product_id=501

Excellent source for battery information

http://batterytender.com/faqs.php

"3. How can I tell if my battery needs to be replaced?

Referring back to the discussion of how you can calculate the charge level of your battery, we know that about 1.5 volts represent the full range of charge on a 12-volt battery. Now it is possible to over discharge a battery, well beyond its intended design. It is possible to take the battery voltage on a 12-volt battery down to 3 or 4 volts under load. That would constitute a severe over-discharge. Many lead acid batteries will not respond kindly to such abuse. Although if this only happens a few times, the battery voltage may recover to 8 or 9 volts without recharging. There is also a good chance that the battery can be restored to full health provided that it is recharged with a few hours of experiencing the severe over-discharge.
Now we said that 11.4 volts represents 0% state of charge. So the battery is sitting at a negative state of charge relative to its normal use. We usually don’t talk about negative state of charge, but rather that the battery was discharged 120% to 150% of rated capacity. Without knowledge of very recent severe over-discharge conditions, we could make a judgment about the condition of the battery by a voltage measurement. If the battery voltage on a 12-volt battery is only 8 or 9 volts, when measured in a rest state, then there is a very good chance, in fact a very, very good chance that battery is defective. At the very least it is safe to say that the battery has been severely over-discharged."

+1 on the "Plus model.... the standard one just didn't look robust enough for me to leave plugged in all the time.

For anyone interested in a battery monitor for their bike to help tell when the battery is dying see here:

http://www.argusanalyzers.com/battery-monitors/applications/motorcycle-powersports.html

This little guy has saved my hide a couple of times already on in the past year on two different bikes (AZ heat is horrible on battery life and condition).

I have a C-Tek charger that I plug directly into my bike when I get home. I find it's a good setup provided I don't forget to unplug before riding.

Have done that a couple of times which simply meant re-wiring the powerlet plug.

here's there online store for interest

Fyi, I've run my battery flat several times now when tuning the air/fuel ratio, as I would keep stalling my bike in the process and having to restart etc. After a while the battery says, righto, enough is enough. I'm taking my bat and going home sort of thing. I just plug the charger in for half an hour to get enough charge to start again and finish the tuning and then put it on charge overnight. All fixed.

Not sure how detrimental this has had on my battery which is why I like the idea of the analyser posted above.

You can see in the first picture how the icons show battery level only half charged or so. Well even when I ride home from anywhere it says this but after an hour (not sure actually) the full battery icon on the right illuminates.

Henry (have you eaten all the twisties - sorry "in joke".

You should find all the info you need from this thread from a while back. It answered all my questions

That was a bit of a cheesey joke

Thanks for the info.