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Battery Tender

5K views 15 replies 10 participants last post by  dadsafrantic 
#1 ·
Winter is approaching & this will be my first winter with my 2018 650Versys LT.
I previously lived in cold, cold Alberta & had Vstroms, I would put gas stabilizer into the gas tank & remove the battery & bring it indoors to charge each month until spring time.
I now live in a more temperate climate in BC & wondered about installing a battery tender for the next few months when it is unlikely I will be out on the roads.

I have acquired a "Super Smart Battery Tender" from a friend who has told me that this unit can be direclty connected to the battery & left plugged in for weeks on end.

The tender has a LED to indicate status as follows: not charging battery, charging battery, battery >80% charged & monitoring charged battery.
I can buy a 2 wire harness with insulated & un-iinsulated bullet connections to connect to the +/- terminals of the battery but just wondered if other people had comments on this.

Also I'm planning to start the bike on a regular basis rather than use the stabilizer, wondered if other people had comments on this.
Attached pictures show tender connections & LED status infomration.
 

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#2 · (Edited)
#4 ·
Also I'm planning to start the bike on a regular basis rather than use the stabilizer, wondered if other people had comments on this.
If you don't plan to ride the bike when you start it, don't start it at all. All that will do is allow condensation to build up, but not burn off. Just put some Seafoam in the fuel and let it sit. And if you go for the occasional ride, the seafoam won't hurt a thing, just add more if you have to refill the tank.
 
#5 ·
been using a tender JR on my bikes for years. when you have 10 bikes and the 3 main ones you ride dont have kick start you make sure the battery is always ready to go.
 
#9 ·
I have a cheap 1 amp charger that gets hooked up every 2 months for 6 hours. I had a smart charger and gave to my son. Many don't understand how these work, one thing I can caution on, do not leave connected to the battery without having your 120VAC connected. Most of these smart chargers go through a cycle similar to a deep cycle marine battery, part of the cycle it uses a LED to discharge the battery, this is to prevent sulfation https://www.crownbattery.com/news/sulfation-and-battery-maintenance. Since I have a long history of batteries, made my own smart chargers over 30 years ago, many may be puzzled why I of all people would have a cheap charger, I included the link, note what they say about storing in a warm environment, my garage never goes below freezing, average winter temp. is around 40 to 50'F , yes I was brought up using F but we converted, so some is 'C some 'F same with measurement , I use feet not centimeters . OK back to topic,my battery is fully charged and like I said I charge it about every 2 months for 6 hours at a maximum of 1 amp, my batteries last about 5 to 6 years, keep in mind I have a series regulator which can drastically reduce the life of the AGM battery.

I mentioned making smart chargers over 30 years ago, I dealt with nickel cadmium, NI-MH nickel metal hydride batteries and also the newest lithium multi cell , I was also involved with lift truck batteries . The key is having a charger that is designed for motorcycle batteries and following proper procedure. I did a post on AGM batteries and tied that with the shunt and series regulator. Looking at the cost of a battery , is roughly the cost of a series regulator.





As to starting the bike, I use stabilizer, I have had cases where I already had it in the fuel and the weather warmed up then went for a ride, so by late November I will be running stabilizer . Others have said it, unless you plan on riding for a minimum 15 minutes after reaching full temperature, not a good idea, as condensation will occur.
 
#10 ·
my batteries last about 5 to 6 years, keep in mind I have a series regulator which can drastically reduce the life of the AGM battery.

Why??? :confused:


I did a post on AGM batteries and tied that with the shunt and series regulator. Looking at the cost of a battery , is roughly the cost of a series regulator.
Do you have a link to this post? My memory functions ... but it forgets. :eek:


Thank you
 
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#11 ·
...I now live in a more temperate climate in BC & wondered about installing a battery tender for the next few months when it is unlikely I will be out on the roads....
I remove the batteries from my vehicles, then set them up on the workbench w/ a 'battery tender' hooked up THROUGH a 'timer', set to come ON for 15 minutes in 24 hours. That's because some years ago the battery from my KLR got run dry and ruined by being attached 24-7.

...Also I'm planning to start the bike on a regular basis rather than use the stabilizer, wondered if other people had comments on this....
As others have posted - NOT a good idea!

THAT will cause more harm than good.

:goodluck:
 
#14 ·
so my batteries usually last 5+ years. i have the luxury of not having weather bad enough to put me in a car for commuting. my normal commute is 40ish miles each way. this has been a magic spot for never running a battery down or needing a valve adjustment in the last 3 bikes.
 
#15 ·
...this has been a magic spot for never running a battery down or needing a valve adjustment in the last 3 bikes....
Suggest you DO check your valves on the Versys. Initially I believe they come from the factory set close to minimum clearance. They will tighten so a lot of us set our valves to the maximum clearance - then they tend to stay w/in the required 'range' for quite awhile.

:goodluck:
 
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