Running bike while plugged into battery tender
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Tourer
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 379
Likes: 102
From: Illinois
Running bike while plugged into battery tender
Hi All. So I have a rattle in the rear of the bike, it goes away when I push on the saddle bag so it's pointing me to the saddle bag supports to start. Rattle sounds like it's coming from inside the fender. Just had rear tire replaced so if dealer took off supports to remove tire, maybe they didn't tighten them. Well anyway I'll have to run the bike in order to hear it and since I won't be going for rides in-between those starts and stops, the battery won't get charged.
So my question is can I run the bike while on the tender so the battery stays charged?
Any advice/experience is appreciated.
So my question is can I run the bike while on the tender so the battery stays charged?
Any advice/experience is appreciated.
Road Captain
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 545
Likes: 8
From: antelope valley ca.
About 8 years ago I had a 68 bronco I kept on the battery tender, one day I just fired it up to circulate the fuel and the battery tender smoked, so that could happen, don't run the chance, just disconnect it before firing it up.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 6,080
Likes: 1,957
From: Somewhere on the Bourbon trail
Me thinks you should be okay either way, plugged in or not.
Your charging system specs says it produces so many amps (watts @13V) at 2000 rpm. The excess amps should charge the battery.
Your charging system specs says it produces so many amps (watts @13V) at 2000 rpm. The excess amps should charge the battery.
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Club Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 21,730
Likes: 22,820
From: North Carolina
I was told by my dealer that I can have the electrics on and listen to the boom and play with the settings with the tender attached and on, bike engine off.
I don't think it would be good to run the engine with it contected. Like most have said you will not use up that much battery energy. Unplug it to be safe,
I don't think it would be good to run the engine with it contected. Like most have said you will not use up that much battery energy. Unplug it to be safe,
Road Captain
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 698
Likes: 50
Ive always kept the battery tender on all year round, including summer months cause there have been many times when I havent been able to ride for several consecutive days. However, Ive been told by many mechanics and parts counter people not to attempt starting the bike while its still plugged into the tender. Just my $.02....