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[skippy]

I keep all of my bikes on a Battery Tender (brand)  and i have noticed on a few bikes they are flashing not charging so I asked a indy shop owner today and he said that the battery tender  never really cut off the charge when completing the charging process causing excessive heat in the battery  thus drying out the acid inside the battery .... so i checked my 4 wheeler battery that is not sealed and it was dry as a bone and had been on the charger all winter...  ? is do you smart folks think this is true .... and is their a better battery charger on the market    ps a house in charlotte  burned down a few years back  from a battery tender on a classic car......

[Fired00d]

I have/had used a "Battery Tender" on a previous bike/battery that was a "wet cell" and noticed that it "boiled" the battery to the extent that it would boil some of the water out... however when using it ("Battery Tender") with an AGM battery I have not noticed the same results.

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

[moscooter]

 
" so i checked my 4 wheeler battery that is not sealed and it was dry as a bone and had been on the charger all winter..."

(Not sealed) means you need to "tend to" checking the level and keeping it in the "normal" range.  Just plugging in a Battery Tender is not going to resolve that issue.

I use a Battery Tender on my bike,  my streetrod and my John Deere lawn tractor.  I have experienced some "boil over" to happen with the John Deere battery......but not the others.

I also have a built-in battery charger on my Bass Boat and I only use the boat maybe twice a year.  I can count on having to refill the trolling motor battery each year as the charger will indeed boil or evaporate most all of it away.

[srnoyes]

I use Yuasa brand and haven't had any problems with it other than a broken wire which I think I caused inadvertently. They make some claims that I have read reviews and articles saying that they can't back up. They claim that their tender can bring a battery back from death but from the tests I have read about it is a tall story.

[grc]

If the tender never goes into true float mode, it will definitely overcharge and dry out the electrolyte.  Rather than just assume yours is working correctly, use a voltmeter across the battery terminals while the tender is connected and showing a solid green light that indicates float mode.  Depending on the model of the tender, the voltage should be approximately 13.2V in float mode.  When in the charging mode, the voltage will build until it reaches about 14.4V.  Some units run voltages slightly higher than what I listed; check the specs for the one you use.

Batteries that use older wet cell chemistries can outgas and dry out even when the charge rate is correct, btw.  It is always necessary to follow an electrolyte level check schedule.

Here's another source of battery tenders btw.  I haven't used one, and for all I know some of the claims about desulfating a bad battery and bringing it back to life are probably BS, but it is an alternative.
http://www.batteryminders.com/motorcycle-battery-chargers

Jerry

[RAINEY]

I use the Optimate 4 and really like it. It can also desulfinate batteries too. The model I have can be switched between Canbus and regular. I don't have a lot of information to post but if you google it you will get way better tech info than I can give.

Jason

[jamnflhxse2]

This winter bought a NOCO Genius G-7200, best smart charger I've owned to date and I own a bunch (I may have a problem) Lol!

[Texas 103]

If the tender never goes into true float mode, it will definitely overcharge and dry out the electrolyte.  Rather than just assume yours is working correctly, use a voltmeter across the battery terminals while the tender is connected and showing a solid green light that indicates float mode.  Depending on the model of the tender, the voltage should be approximately 13.2V in float mode.  When in the charging mode, the voltage will build until it reaches about 14.4V.  Some units run voltages slightly higher than what I listed; check the specs for the one you use.

Batteries that use older wet cell chemistries can outgas and dry out even when the charge rate is correct, btw.  It is always necessary to follow an electrolyte level check schedule.

Here's another source of battery tenders btw.  I haven't used one, and for all I know some of the claims about desulfating a bad battery and bringing it back to life are probably BS, but it is an alternative.
http://www.batteryminders.com/motorcycle-battery-chargers

Jerry

Just saw a battery minder mentioned Jerry, after reading the scoop on them ,seems better way to go than battery Tender, my BT is 750 ma and the red/green light flashes all the time. May not be keeping up with the " draw".?? Battery Minder is  1.5 Amp.  Northern Tool has them for $29.95. Going to grab one today.

[03Lightningrocks]

I went with the Harley branded 1.25 amp. It has the float mode. I was hesitant to use it on a regular basis and until I replace my third battery in 9 years, figured it was something the cold climate riders needed. In these parts there is rarely a reason it would be more than two or three days one cannot ride. It has always been at the back of my mind that the battery should fully charge itself while riding and won't go down in between rides.

I had some Harley points I could trade for merchandise at my local Harley dealer and figured I would get a battery tender and see if get more than three years out of this battery. I simply plug it into the quick disconnect after each ride and it does it's thing. I was surprised to find the tender always comes on for a bit(30-60 minutes) before going into float mode. This tells me either the battery is NOT recharging 100% while riding or the battery tender needs that long to figure it out.

[grc]

I went with the Harley branded 1.25 amp. It has the float mode. I was hesitant to use it on a regular basis and until I replace my third battery in 9 years, figured it was something the cold climate riders needed. In these parts there is rarely a reason it would be more than two or three days one cannot ride. It has always been at the back of my mind that the battery should fully charge itself while riding and won't go down in between rides.

I had some Harley points I could trade for merchandise at my local Harley dealer and figured I would get a battery tender and see if get more than three years out of this battery. I simply plug it into the quick disconnect after each ride and it does it's thing. I was surprised to find the tender always comes on for a bit(30-60 minutes) before going into float mode. This tells me either the battery is NOT recharging 100% while riding or the battery tender needs that long to figure it out.

Check with the folks at Deltran, but I think you'll find that even after a long ride with the battery fully charged, the BT will still go through it's complete cycle.  Mine has never just immediately gone to solid green, even after fully charging a new battery with a regular charger first.  Btw, I've always assumed it was something to do with the surface charge that exists immediately after charging, either with a charger or the bikes charging system.  When testing a battery that "surface charge" is first eliminated by applying a small load for a short time (like turning on the headlight for instance).  Perhaps that is what the BT is doing?  Like I said, ask the folks at Deltran if this behavior has you worried.

Jerry

[RGlideKid]

Maybe we ought to ask Jay Leno how he keeps all his batteries charged!

I have tenders that I alternate amongst all my toys and vehicles (especially in the colder months), but I typically don't keep them attached 100% of the time.  The main reason for this is that I only have 4 tenders, so I have to rotate them to keep my batteries charged.  I don't know if this is the best way of doing things, but it works for me.  Meanwhile, the vehicles that get used the most only get a tender attached on rare occasions. 

[grc]

True, it isn't necessary to keep the battery on the BT continuously.  You could connect the BT and when it goes to solid green disconnect it, then after a week or two do it again, etc..  It's just more convenient to keep it connected versus remembering to go out every X number of days and connect the charger, then remember to go back out and disconnect it.  That's really what a "smart" charger is all about; taking something many people would forget and automating it.  Btw, it makes a difference also if you leave the battery in the bike versus having the battery sitting in your basement.  Today's vehicles always have a current draw when the battery is installed, thus the need to either ride them often or charge the battery when unable to ride.  Take the battery out and put it in a cool dry place, and the self discharge rate of the AGM battery is very low.  If you started with a fully charged battery in good condition and just let it sit out of the bike, it would probably be just fine for several months.  Once again, it's all about convenience and how much you trust your memory to check the state of charge on a regular basis and fire up the charger when needed.

Jerry

[68 XLCH]

When i return from a day ride, i park the bike outside the garage, take a pee, change out clothes, have to back two cars out of the garage.  Generally a 45 minute process.  Drive the bike in the garage and chock stand, hook up the battery tender, the light is green in less than 10 minutes, (generally by the time i drive the cars back in the garage, the tender is green.) I think mine the larger of the two 1.25 amps?.

[spydglide]

Just had a mc battery that had been on Tender with green light on fail to crank bike.  Only 3 yrs. old and tested as 'need to replace' by the local dealership analysis machine.  This was a 1st for me so I was wondering if any of you have developed a system of occasionally removing the charger and allowing the battery to self-discharge some and then hooking it back up to the charger.  Do these batteries develop a surface-charge through 'memory' or something of that nature?  Also, the mention of a house burning down from a battery tender is alarming.....wonder if this was a isolated situation with some other factors involved or we should consider changing our habits of leaving a charger functioning when not around?  spyder

[Fired00d]

Just had a mc battery that had been on Tender with green light on fail to crank bike.  Only 3 yrs. old and tested as 'need to replace' by the local dealership analysis machine.  This was a 1st for me so I was wondering if any of you have developed a system of occasionally removing the charger and allowing the battery to self-discharge some and then hooking it back up to the charger.  Do these batteries develop a surface-charge through 'memory' or something of that nature?  Also, the mention of a house burning down from a battery tender is alarming.....wonder if this was a isolated situation with some other factors involved or we should consider changing our habits of leaving a charger functioning when not around?  spyder

Spyder had same thing happen to me last year w/a battery... thought the battery tender had went tits up and went out and purchased a new one only to have the same results with the battery (not cranking bike). Tested battery and as yours it needed to be replaced (BTW this was an H-D OEM battery only a few years old see this thread Deka (Big Crank ETX 30L) vs AGM Duracell Ultra - Longevity/Reliability). I think it was a case of a "not so good" battery and had nothing to do w/it being left/maintained on the Battery Tender. I don't think removing the Battery Tender is needed as the technology and the intent of them is they only come on when needed (automatically) removing the burden of us having to remove/replace connections. As it regards the house burning down because the Battery Tender being hooked/plugged up all the time I think that was an isolated incident of an electrical failure.... how many automatic appliances/devices do we leave plugged in 24/7 w/o failure?... One that comes to mind is my Keurig (and I'm sure many have other brand's of auto coffee makers programmed to brew their coffee every morning) it is programmed to come on every morning, get the water hot and ready for me to put a K-Cup in it and brew a cup, and stay on for a designated time before automatically turning off. That's just one example there are many other items that stay plugged up that automatically come on/off as needed... we don't remove/unplug those.

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d