Trickle charge...Charge...You really need to measure the battery level and Only...ONLY put in what it requires based on the battery capacity vs it's current state of Charge. 1AH of charge will increase the Charge by....Yea One amp hour...Now all ya need to know is the state of charge...kinda easy...If it don't need it...Don't do it...Yes it is a PITA but...Your battery will last at least twice as long...

 

At one time you were right.
However most of them (if not all) stop charging when the battery reaches 100% charged and then stop until the battery discharges a certain amount then they bring the battery up to 100% again over and over and over depending on how long you leave it hooked up.
Due to factors in my life that are beyond my control I don't get to ride much and at times I have left mine on the trickle charger for months.
The battery is 4 years old and still going strong.

 

I use a medium quality battery and use a j&p cycle smart charger, during the winter months, few days on ,few weeks off. My batteries last minimum four years, battery never comes out of the bike nor does it get overcharged, best $42 ever spent. Battery I use is Drag Specialties.

 

Good that you have a Quality Tender...as a Trickle charger charges on...no Matter the state of charge..

 

AGM is lead/acid, however with some clever high tech stuff added. I just bought a new one for my Buell, which came with the battery 'fluid' in a clever dispenser that I had to add to the battery, to fill and activate it. I then sealed it, never to be reopened. As the battery leans right over when installed I had to leave it upright for at least a day, so the fluid could complete its conversion to jelly.

There seems to have been a significant increase in battery performance in recent years, partly with the introduction of the AGM type (absorbed gell matt). As usual, it is worth searching for 'AGM' on Wiki, which gives a good description of this type of battery.

 

Are you running lithium?
How do you like it?

 

I am curious on the Lithium battery as well. I use a Battery Tender over the winter. Thinking of grabbing a Battery Tender Lithium battery for $142/360cca or $200/480cca (ouch), these seem to be all the rage for any type of recharging battery lately. Last year I replaced the stock Harley battery with an AGM type battery. This year tho it just doesn't seem to be holding up like I thought it would. If I don't run the bike for a week or so she has a tough time starting. Voltage is well below 12v (according to my dash volt meter, which I think is inaccurate) before hitting the starter, and down to 10v when turning over. I have not yet verified that against my Fluke meter as the battery is not that easy to get to quickly. When cruising my dash volt meter barely hits 13v. I am fairly confident the charging system is original, and pretty weak. The dash volt meter dips down to 10v even just when the blinker is on. I love my tunes too, so have that cranked when cruising as well. So I think it's safe to assume my battery isn't ever getting a full charge when riding. I also had my eye on an AC-Delco ($64) lead acid battery thinking this is what the original battery is. Would there be a benefit going this way vs. Lithium? So come on guys, let's talk batteries. Looking for more suggestions and opinions here.

 

Deputy, I recommend you get to your battery asap! Just because it isn't easy means you need to act faster, not slower. Your problem could be as simple as loose or dirty contacts on your main battery cables, which can significantly reduce the battery power getting to your starter. Dismantle your main cables at both ends, clean and refit.

 

No they are clean and tight I just put it all back together recently when I installed the new bars and extended the wiring through them. It's only been a few weeks since then. The behavior on the dash volt gauge is the same as it has been since I bought the bike. Just seems a bit aggressive, for the dash gauge to drop with every flash of the blinker. I do however agree with you and need to verify the voltages on gauge against my meter at battery, assuming the dash gauge may well be off a volt or two. Also have a sneaky suspicion that the connections through the charging system and main fuse wiring probably isn't the greatest and might well have some corrosion in them. I have been reading a lot of threads here by you and the rest of the regulars on charging system checks and what not. Coming up with a game plan. I have a load tester as well and plan to check the battery to see if is worth it's weight in gold or not. I had the stator connector come loose recently and ran the bike for a few hours here and there cruising around one evening without realizing it. Next morning it would not start due to being drained. I had tightened up that connection and also have a retainer to install to keep that from happening again. Kind of just hoping that the dash gauge is reading lower than actual voltage, cuz even at a good throttle the highest it reads is 13v. I will get in there and double check connections at starter as well, but I think it goes deeper than that.

 

Sounds like a good plan! Dr H's Sticky is well worth consulting on checking your charging circuit. Unfortunately those ole bikes of ours are quite capable of coming up with their own unique ways of messing us around!