Kenneth_Moore

I like the Harley Davidson Battery Tender. It's the type that has the transformer built into the plug body, and comes with a wire and plug that you mount on the battery and bike. It's (obviously) built for m/c batteries, will charge and then maintain the battery indefinitely, and has indicator LEDs to let you know the battery state. If I recall correctly, it's under $30.

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longride

$100 bucks? The dealers here have their 'winter storage program' where they charge anywhere from $50 to $100 bucks a month! Hell, for that I can get about 6 more bikes in my garage and make a killing. To be fair, the local Harley stealer will store you bike for free IF you spend 3 grand on parts or accessories. Some deal eh?

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vermicious

My bike never really goes more than a couple of weeks without being ridden. I don't ride in the snow (any more) and I don't ride when there's ice on the road but pretty much everything else is doable to me.

Assuming you're absolutely unable to ride for an extended period of time (injury, living in an area where severe weather is common at least part of the year) is there any reason you couldn't just put the bike on a rear wheel stand and run it through the lower gears for about 20 minutes once a week?

sarnali2

Are you kidding? it's cold out in the garage !!!!!

The longest my bikes sit is maybe two or three weeks at it time if it's monsoon or freezing. The rest of the time, even if I don't commute on them I go for an hour ride a couple of times a week to keep my head straight. Anyone can stay warm for a short period.

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mattingram2

Your best bet is to get a CTEK. It utilizes a Pulse Charge which will not overcharge or cook your battery. Once it is up to charge, it shuts off completley until the battery requires more. Multiple models avaliable-0.8 amp or 3.3 amp work perfect for bikes. 3.3 amp model also has a "snowflake" or cold storage mode designed for winter storage. CTEK SWEDEN AB - The smartest battery chargers in the world

chickenman_26

Depending on the bike and on whether it has much parasitic drain, three weeks of non-use could be enough to cause a significant discharge. This is less of a problem in cold weather, because self-discharge is slower than in warm weather. But the idea of using the bike as a battery charger has several drawbacks. The first would be the danger of the rear wheel contacting the ground and then running the bike through the garage wall - less of an issue with a race stand, I agree. Still, because of the way a vehicle's voltage regulator operates, it would take maybe a half hour to replace the amp-hours you'd suck out just getting the bike started. And that assumes you keep the revs well above idle. Don't forget the moisture in the crankcase and exhaust system that condenses in cool weather. It takes at least a half hour of operation after full warmup to burn all of that out. Then there's the issue of energy usage - yours and the bike's. With gas near $4 a gallon, a small battery maintainer is likely far less wasteful of energy than a 100 horsepower battery maintainer. Finally, there's the issue of remembering to charge and when the last charge was applied. Because you can leave a maintainer hooked up for months with no fear of damage, it's just less of a hassle all around to plug it in and then forget about it until the next time you ride.

CM

pushrod

___Dredged up OLD THREAD Alert___

"is there any reason you couldn't just put the bike on a rear wheel stand and run it through the lower gears for about 20 minutes once a week?"

Not to mention all the nasty exhaust fumes.

From the bike, that is.

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vermicious

Well I have a garage door that OPENS

longride

Bad idea running the bike that little. Condensation will form in the oil and will not have a chance to be burned out. I'd stick with the 30 buck battery tender. Set it and forget it.

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