Leaving Battery Hooked-Up to Tender
Road Master
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 758
Likes: 0
From: O'fallon,MO
RE: Leaving Battery Hooked-Up to Tender
I am on my 2nd HD in three years and I have never put it on a charger. Granted I have probably not gone more than two weeks without riding, however I have never had a problem. Also I don't just start it up and let it run either. If I start it I am going to ride.......I don't even own a trickle charger....I just have a regular charger for my lawn mower battery. That has not been needed this year since I bought a Die Hard this past winter.
Interesting Note: On page 36 of the October Issue of American Iron the top right picture indicates that " a trickle charger will cook a battery after a while" Hmmm what do ya think of that?
b
Interesting Note: On page 36 of the October Issue of American Iron the top right picture indicates that " a trickle charger will cook a battery after a while" Hmmm what do ya think of that?
b
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 390
Likes: 0
From: Grand Rapids MI
RE: Leaving Battery Hooked-Up to Tender
Almost 10 years on mine plugged in every day and she starts and runs like new. I wouldn't use a nything but a requlated charger. The quick chargers or standard chargers will cook your battery if you leave them on. They are only designed for a fast recharge and will not float the battery once it is at full charge.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 8,961
Likes: 263
From: Conroe Texas
RE: Leaving Battery Hooked-Up to Tender
I jusk had a battery die on me during install of a Tmax, with the multiple cycles of initialization. Did not know it was dead enough to interupt the starting cycles until the bike would not crank hard enough to start, held me up quite a long time, tech from Zippers found the problem in the Tmax program running off the ECU at the time. The bike is only 8 months old, had to run to get a new battery to finish install. Also picked up a super smart tender that I plan to through on once a month. Was thinking though, it might be best to pleg the tender in to a surge protected cord to avoid problems with lightning strikes causing problems to the bikes electrical system, my house ha been hit twice this yearcausing more than a couple thousand in damage so maybe I am getting a little paranoid. Also wonder if my original battery is covered under warranty?
Cruiser
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 246
Likes: 0
From: Currently in San Antonio
RE: Leaving Battery Hooked-Up to Tender
If the bike cannot hold a charge for a couple for weeks you might want to look in ot replacing your battery. A tender is designed for months of storage, not days. Enjoy your vacation.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,893
Likes: 2
From: USA
RE: Leaving Battery Hooked-Up to Tender
ORIGINAL: jmacdonald5
Give me a break Ram...I just came back from Italy..Aug 3-14...with the alarm on, no tender...bike fired up in less than 2 seconds when I took it out...if you have "check engine" lights comming on AFTER you are already started(so the battery must have been strong enough to start in the beginning), then you have other problems, (as in stator,regulator,etc)...for cripes sake..my Super Duty can sit for a month and you can't even tell any difference in the battery strength...a new Harley battery can sit for a month and the bike should fire no problem....gheesh..[8D]
Give me a break Ram...I just came back from Italy..Aug 3-14...with the alarm on, no tender...bike fired up in less than 2 seconds when I took it out...if you have "check engine" lights comming on AFTER you are already started(so the battery must have been strong enough to start in the beginning), then you have other problems, (as in stator,regulator,etc)...for cripes sake..my Super Duty can sit for a month and you can't even tell any difference in the battery strength...a new Harley battery can sit for a month and the bike should fire no problem....gheesh..[8D]
I failed to mention that I keepin mind my garage is in a bit more warmer location then your at.
My bikewas sitting in 85 to 95* (some times even higher)heat continiouslyfor that time frame in my garage. I'd bump in toit every once in a while getting around it overthe past several weeks leading up to that time, causing the sirin and lights to flash on and off. Yes its that crowed in my garage.
Was most likely the cause of the battery chargerunning down some. I was able to start the bike again. But not able totop off thecharge while riding it on a hot day being it was such a short ride and stopping for traffic and all. You know its hot when your not in a traffic jam (stopped and cars backed up for miles), just normal driving and the cylinder fan kicks on!
And on top of all this I still have yet to check my voltage regulator to see if its covered on the recall which has since been issued.
I have lowered the temps in the garage with a thermostaticly controled gable vent fan in the access to the attic, so its not going to getquite that hot in the garage now.
Glad that yours runs fine with out one. I'm still going to run mine.
Thanks again.
Tourer
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 469
Likes: 0
From: Motown
RE: Leaving Battery Hooked-Up to Tender
ORIGINAL: Ram
Before having mine on tender, not to long after gettting my bike (NEW).I had let it sit in the garage with the alarm on for almost 2 weeks.
I took the bikeout of the garage and started it right up and rode for almost 12 miles in urban traffic, then the check engine light started coming on.
I realized that the battery had gone down quite a bit and the charge of my 12 mile ride was sucked up with all the lights on, fan cutting on from being hot out, and running the radio all the time.
I'm sure that the light would not have come on if it was Hi-way miles, but I don't live by an over pass eiher and was just out joy riding running errands that day.
Went out bought the tender from Sears and put it on. Mine sits for up to 3 weeks at a time on the tender, never had a lick of problems since.
Say what you will about those running a tender. I know in my case its working and Idont' want to roast my battery from failing to keep it charged and not letting it charge back up again to a normal state.
Before having mine on tender, not to long after gettting my bike (NEW).I had let it sit in the garage with the alarm on for almost 2 weeks.
I took the bikeout of the garage and started it right up and rode for almost 12 miles in urban traffic, then the check engine light started coming on.
I realized that the battery had gone down quite a bit and the charge of my 12 mile ride was sucked up with all the lights on, fan cutting on from being hot out, and running the radio all the time.
I'm sure that the light would not have come on if it was Hi-way miles, but I don't live by an over pass eiher and was just out joy riding running errands that day.
Went out bought the tender from Sears and put it on. Mine sits for up to 3 weeks at a time on the tender, never had a lick of problems since.
Say what you will about those running a tender. I know in my case its working and Idont' want to roast my battery from failing to keep it charged and not letting it charge back up again to a normal state.
Not trying to be contrary here, but the security system will go into 'storage mode' when the bike is left sitting with no ignition cycle. In storage mode the system shuts itself off until you turn on the ignition switch, at which time the security system re-activates itself. You then must hit the key fob to disarm it. If you hit the fob when the bike is in storage mode without turning on the ignition, nothing happens and the bike remains 'off'.
The length of time, in days, that the bike 'waits' before going into storage mode is set in your security system options. The delay can be set for 10, 20, or 60 days. You can also set it to 'infinite' in which case the bike will never enter storage mode. Not sure which setting is the factory default, but maybe yours is set to infinite.
Regardless, the owner's manual states:
"If the security system is set to infinite, the system will not go into storeage mode. In this case, the customer must use a trickle charger to keep the battery from discharging after 60 days of storage."
So, it seems that the bike should be OK for up to 60 days, at least on a healthy bike with a good battery. Of course leaving the bike on a battery tender full time can't harm the bike but for me it's merely an unnecessary hassle.
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