I bought a battery tender trickle charger for my Super Glide. I was using it for a couple of weeks and decided it really wasn't buying me anything. So I quit using it. Two weeks later and the battery won't start the bike.

Couple of questions

1. Why the heck does the battery lose enough charge that it won't start the bike after only 2 weeks? If my truck did that I'd take it back to Ford and tell them to fix it.

2. I also have a Suzuki and it seems to hold a charge. Is the battery drain a HD thing or does the battery in my HD just need to be replaced?

 

How old is the battery?
Do you have a security system?
Did the green light on the tender come on?
Do you have a volt meter? If not buy one and test battery after it is fully charged. There are numerous threads on the forum that tells how to test battery and charging system.

 

I am a firm believer in battery tenders.

 

The AGM batteries in the HD line like a full charge and my owners manual for my 2013 recommends a smart tender connected to the bike when it's in the garage/car port/ home. Short trips on an AGM will give a surface charge, do a 100 mile/ 50 mile ride and give it a "deep" charge. Age and heat is also a bad thing for the battery. Nominal voltage of a battery at rest is 12.8V, that is fully charged. Just take a few moments to read up on the battery in your owners manual. Good luck.

 

Answers above in red...I think.

 

About how much is a new battery? Might just get a new one.

 

Welcome to the forum from Texas.

I guess you found out what it wasn't buying you... a new battery.

Trickle chargers and battery tenders are not the same. We had trickle chargers in the 80's. We have battery tenders now.

A trickle charger will constantly apply a charge to the battery regardless of the current state of the battery. It must be monitored and removed to prevent overcharging the battery. A battery tender monitors the battery and charges only when the battery voltage has dropped below a certain point. You don't have to monitor the battery tender. This prevents overcharging and damage to the battery. A battery tender can be left attached to the battery at all times. When it senses the voltage has dropped, for whatever reason, it will resume charging.

An AGM battery ranges from $90 - $120 on average.

 

After my first bikes battery bit the dust after 18 months, I keep the one on this bike hooked up all of the time.

 

I've had batteries go bad in 3 year old bikes. The problem is their made in Japan an filled with acid that starts the battery life. They sit in a warehouse in Japan. Shipped to US where they sit in another warehouse. Then installed in motorcycle that can sit longer. So a battery in a 3 year old motorcycle can actually be 5 years old. I found this true in my HD Sportster and Husqvarna.
Follow this procedure using your voltmeter before you do anything
Yuasa Batteries - FAQ's
http://www.yuasabatteries.com/faqs.php?action=1&id=30

 

Got it. Thanks. Will get a new battery tomorrow and keep the tender on during the week when I'm not riding.

Thanks all!