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Battery Tender

7.5K views 7 replies 3 participants last post by  earlthepearl  
#1 ·
I've been thinking about getting a battery tender.. i ride my bike year round and have no intention of stopping anytime soon (i also ride almost every day). Do i need one? Or will the battery be fine.. my trips are usually between 1.5-7 miles, so they're not that long.

How often should i connect it to the tender if i do get one?
 
#3 ·
The most common reason for a battery to be discharged is from taking a lot of short, low-rpm trips. It takes about 10-20 minutes of running over 3-4k rpm to recharge the battery from a start. If you go take a bunch of 5 minute trips down the road (start, run 5 minutes, stop, start, run 5, stop, start, run 5, etc.) you can wear down the charge on your battery quickly. If you take longer trips, charging should be covered. Not riding the bike for a long period is the most common way to kill a battery, so you should use a battery charger to help maintain it, especially if you have a lead-acid type battery. I put my bike on the charger once a month to help give it a good and thorough charge.


Battery chargers are relatively inexpensive. You can get a good one for under $25. It's better to have one and not need it, than need it and not have it. Sort of a cheap insurance policy, just in case. Also having a cheap multimeter is a good way to check your voltage and for other electrical task.

See this thread for more info;
Motorcycle Battery & Battery Charging Tips
 
#2 ·
If ur able to ride most everyday. I'd say don't bother.
Battery tender is mostly good for us who have to put our bikes up for months because of a thing called.....
WINTER SUCKS!!!!
I'd think 5 or more miles of riding would be enough to charge ur battery each trip if it is starting right up each time.
Maybe once in a bit ride it a bit further.....say a 20 mile trip to be sure....if possible...