I hear different things from different people so here's the question...Is it good to tender the battery when not in use or not. Would like to hear from experienced riders on this.

 

I know I'll jinx myself but I'm still running the factory battery on my 02. I keep a Battery Tender Jr on it when ever I'm not riding it.

 

yes yes yes, if you can tender all the time!

 

We have three harley's in the garage. My sportster, my brothers streetbob, and Dads ultra classic electra glide. Dad tenders his batt. when the temps get below zero. My brother and I just make sure that we start ours at least once a week, and let them warm up a bit. Never had any problems here, and it gets -25 degress at times.

 

I'll add that if you scour the net, you can find a tender junior for $20.

 

Tender it. "Starting the bike and letting it warm up" does nothing for the battery or the engine, except introduce condensation. Unless you plan on riding it until it's at operating temperature (hot), leave it off and plugged in until spring. Sta-bil in the tank, some steel wool in the pipes, and a dryer sheet here and there to keep fuzzy critters away is all it really needs.

 

+1 - Unless your can ride it for at least a 1/2 hour, don't start it, you'll do more harm than good. Get a Battery Tender.

 

I keep my Ultra on a Battery Tender Jr when not in use. Keeping it on the charger will extend the battery life by not allowing it to discharge/charge all the time. Its much better than just starting it up every so often. A Deltran battery tender Jr is about $25 on-line

 

I'll just add Make sure your using a Tender and not just a Trickle Charger or other charger. There is a big difference and I think this causes some of the confusion on when things go bad.

I have no electric where I keep mine and Use a Solar Tender made for Boats

 

It takes 20 min at steady cruising speeds to fully recharge the battery after starting. Just firing it up and letting it idle will not do the trick. You are just asking for trouble with doing it this way.

I use the battery tender if the bike is going to sit more than a few days. I will put it on right after a ride if the temps are really low.