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[Buy early]

Uncovered the 3 bikes tonight (Wide Glide, Deuce, and Suzuki Blvd) and the 2 HD batteries were dead even tho all 3 spent the winter on 3 battery tenders. Suzuki started fine, neither HD would even light the dash light. Batteries probably 3-4 years old. Unplug the tenders and plug them back in, light is red for a minute then flashing green (charging) then goes solid green (maintenance mode) after about 5 minutes. Hard to believe there are two bad tenders or two bad bateries, both on the Harleys.

Any options other than new ones?

[Twolanerider]

Any options other than new ones?

After setting down for that long no other options I'd trust Mark.

[Cosmic Charlie]

I have some cheap no name Walmart battery tenders ($19), and if you unplug the wall AC while the the DC battery is still attached, the battery tender will eventually kill the battery, even says so on the owners manual ...

that's probably NOT your problem

Real Bel-Tran Battery Tenders do not do that ... most other don't as well


sounds like you need 2 batteries - they can be tested - bring them to where your going to buy the new ones - the tests are FREE

Good Luck

[Chains]

3-4 years is great on a Harley battery, buy two new ones and enjoy spring.

[wolverine]

Yea the battery tender killed my springers battery. It was weak last year put it to sleep for the winter and put the tender on it, Left it on all winter. Dead cell in battery this spring.Live and learn. Next winter I will charge then unplug for a few weeks

[GaLonghair]

Any bad storms in your area? Electrical surges can fry battery tenders (so that they no longer charge) and the lights on them will do strange things, depending on the brand and model. Good thing is that they seem to not affect the electical system on the bikes or cars to which they are attached. If multiple units are hit some will burnup while others will not....have no idea why!

[spydglide]

This is disturbing news........I thought the battery tenders were the answer to over-wintering a battery and getting long-life out of the batteries if not in regular use.  Oh well, another myth 'busted'.  spyder

[harleydave]

Alarms drain batterys

[spydglide]

Alarms drain batterys

sure, if there's no 'tender' hooked-up to offset the drain.  But, that wasn't the case in this situation was it?  spyder

[Onewheat]

The original battery in my "other bike" lasted 9 years on a Battery Tender.  So far, the replacement has been in there 10 years (knock wood) and it is hooked to a Batter Tender unless I am out riding.  I swear by those things.

[Jcarl08]

After three year I purchase another battery and sat the original one on a block of wood in the garage it is still reading 11.7. That was a 1½ years ago.  I purchased a tender for my CVO, and stuck with an old habit, get a new one every three years to avoid the drain days.  That was a big mistake.  That tenders truly works.  I plug up if the bike sits more than 2 days.  Sorry Wolverine and GaLonghair about your tender’s lack of performances.  I am down here in Houston, Texas so what do I know about very cool weather.  My HD tender has work for me as long as 3 months a period when I could not ride.  Now the surge stuff is another issue.  The last storm surge that I experience took out the air conditioner and one unprotected computer. So thanks for the FYI now I will put a surge protector on that device.

[tazmun]

The original battery in my "other bike" lasted 9 years on a Battery Tender.  So far, the replacement has been in there 10 years (knock wood) and it is hooked to a Batter Tender unless I am out riding.  I swear by those things.

I totally agree, I do the same. I have them on everything I have that has a battery.
I also have them connected all the time when I'm not riding, cutting the lawn.
Every battery lasts at least 6 years, at which time I change them out, "just because".
I only buy the Deltran Battery Plus model, have 5 of them and the oldest one is a 1996.
They have lived thru electrical storms, etc with no affect on the units or the items
they are plugged into, as a matter a fact the 96 is used on the 06 SE Ultra, which
still has the original battery in it.

[spydglide]

I totally agree, I do the same. I have them on everything I have that has a battery.
I also have them connected all the time when I'm not riding, cutting the lawn.
Every battery lasts at least 6 years, at which time I change them out, "just because".
I only buy the Deltran Battery Plus model, have 5 of them and the oldest one is a 1996.
They have lived thru electrical storms, etc with no affect on the units or the items
they are plugged into, as a matter a fact the 96 is used on the 06 SE Ultra, which
still has the original battery in it.

Wow, Tazmun, you could do a commercial for them.  har.  spyder

[shindo]

I replaced my HD battery after 8 years just because I thought it was time. I have a tender but the wife would always unplug it, so my maintenance was iffy, it was still going strong when I replaced it.

[tazmun]

Wow, Tazmun, you could do a commercial for them.  har.  spyder

Why do you think I have soooooo many, just kidding!
I really do believe they work, so that's why I use them.