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[dahsen]

 

...if you don't mind...

I have to buy a battery tender for the new family member...  I already have one for the other one that seems to do a good job, but I would appreciate some advice... Are there good ones, bad ones ?  Cheaper is the best ? You get what you pay for?

So, to stay in the subject, if you have a good battery life, what tender do you use ?

Dah

[krypto2011]

I have one from Napa (can't remember the brand name) and a Harley one. They are probably both made in China but they both work good!!

[smkymtnboy]

   buy\purchase a good one! the cheap ones may burn your house down!! NO JOKE!

[MrSurly]

Accept no substitute! Deltran--- they make the HD branded unit as well.
http://batterytender.com

[Pete7539]

Accept no substitute! Deltran--- they make the HD branded unit as well.
http://batterytender.com

Thought so. They're identical in appearance. Other than the sticker on the plug and the sticker on the price tag lol.

But to dahsen, that's the one to get. Google battery tender jr or amazon it, flea bay, etc... Definitely not breaking the bank, but if you get the one with HD sticker of approval you can forget lunch.

[cahdbiker]

dahsen, I have purchased three " Deltran Battery Tender Plus" from Competition Accessories and I paid approx. $39.95 each plus shipping. They also have good prices for helmets etc. although they are not Harley specific. Their email is CompetitionAccessories.com or you can call them at 800-543-3535.CAHDBIKER

...if you don't mind...

I have to buy a battery tender for the new family member...  I already have one for the other one that seems to do a good job, but I would appreciate some advice... Are there good ones, bad ones ?  Cheaper is the best ? You get what you pay for?

So, to stay in the subject, if you have a good battery life, what tender do you use ?

Dah

[Skillet]

I am over five years on my Road King and never used a tender. Getting mileage helps if the winters aren't too harsh. Depends on usage.

[2k]

Gary I have a question for you. If they made a chrome battery you would have one right.     

I hope Gary can't find a chrome one........He wouldn't install it and would be push starting b4 long

[screem]

Heat is a problem where i live, for 6 months out of the year the stays at 90-95+ up into the hundreds. I normally only get 3 years out of a Battery. There is a ton of battery stores locally, I buy Deka battteries for $89.00 , i intermittanly use the battery tender. My SERG tends to sit for 2 to 3 weeks at time, so if i know i am going to use for a weekend, i throw it on the tender a couple days ahead. My softail battery died threeweeks ago, went to my discount battry place and bought a Deka for it, as i was getting ready to pay for it, the clerk mentioned that he had just taken some batteries back from a local Power Sports dealer, they rotate the deleaers stock once a year, taking back any unsold batteries. He offered me the battery for $39.00 with a full warrenty on it...i took it and also one that fits the SERG as well...charged them both, installed and the bikes a are jumping to life once again...$78.oo bucks cash...for both..

[grc]

I have a sneaking suspicion that things have changed for the worse in the battery business, at least for the consumers.  My location has been the same for 20 years now, so any change in my battery life isn't due to location or climate.  Be it motorcycles or automobiles over these last 20 years, I used to get between 5 and 6 years out of a battery.  But the last two motorcycle batteries only lasted 3 years, and the last automotive batteries in two different vehicles also only lasted 3 years.  It's starting to make me think the "cost cutting gone wild" folks aren't just working for Harley, but also for the battery suppliers.

Jerry

[dlaws01]

Knock on wood, I'm still on my original battery in my 08 springer.   

[dahsen]

Knock on wood, I'm still on my original battery in my 08 springer.   

What a great bike...  What a shame moco stopped producing it !

Springers were a big hit in province of Quebec.  We were shocked to read the sad news.  I've been told that we were good buyers, but.... Not enough of us.....

Sad.....   

[cahdbiker]

GRC, do you think it is a good idea to throw a charge on a new battery before installation? I have never done it because the dealers always say the battery is ready to go and fully charged, but I remember as a kid when my Father would purchase a new battery for one of his cars the shop would always make sure it was fully charged before they installed it. That goes back many years, to the 60's, and of course the batteries required maintenance. I use a battery tender on my 09, but I am still going to swap out the battery after 3 years from now on just for piece of mind. The original one lasted from Aug 08, until May of 2012. Thanks in advance for any input.CAHDBIKER

I have a sneaking suspicion that things have changed for the worse in the battery business, at least for the consumers.  My location has been the same for 20 years now, so any change in my battery life isn't due to location or climate.  Be it motorcycles or automobiles over these last 20 years, I used to get between 5 and 6 years out of a battery.  But the last two motorcycle batteries only lasted 3 years, and the last automotive batteries in two different vehicles also only lasted 3 years.  It's starting to make me think the "cost cutting gone wild" folks aren't just working for Harley, but also for the battery suppliers.

Jerry

[grc]

GRC, do you think it is a good idea to throw a charge on a new battery before installation? I have never done it because the dealers always say the battery is ready to go and fully charged, but I remember as a kid when my Father would purchase a new battery for one of his cars the shop would always make sure it was fully charged before they installed it. That goes back many years, to the 60's, and of course the batteries required maintenance. I use a battery tender on my 09, but I am still going to swap out the battery after 3 years from now on just for piece of mind. The original one lasted from Aug 08, until May of 2012. Thanks in advance for any input.CAHDBIKER

I always check the actual manufacturing date on the battery when I buy one and insist on one that isn't more than a couple months old, and while in theory I should be able to just install it and go I still put it on a charger before I install it.  Old habits die hard I guess.  The new batteries have a totally different chemistry from the old stuff of our youth, and the self discharge rate when sitting in storage is much lower.  So as long as the battery is freshly minted, it's not really necessary to charge it before installation.  Btw, when the batteries are installed on the assembly line, be it Harleys or automobiles, they aren't charged first.  The battery build dates are monitored and the inventory rotated to make sure fresh batteries are in use, at least in the auto business, and older inventory is either charged or returned to the vendor to be checked and charged.

Jerry

[ChopperPilot]

I replace my car and motorcycle batteries every 4 years and sometimes that is stretching it in the cold weather. No use pushing it to get yourself stuck at the wrong place at the wrong time.