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Basic Battery Tender Question

clutch

clutch

Super Rookie
Joined
Aug 9, 2009
Location
palo alto, ca
Moto(s)
Ducati Hypermotard 1100s, Ducati Multistrada 1200s touring
Name
Dan
Since I got the Duc, I haven't been riding the Nightster much and when I tried to take it out yesterday, the battery was dead.

I assume I need a battery tender, but I don't know anything about them. Both my bikes have a dongle like thing that looks like you could easily plug one in, but a couple questions:

1) Are all dongle/hook up things the same? Meaning will one tender necessarily work for both bikes?

2) Is there anything specific to look for in a tender or just the cheapest one I can find?

3) Any recommendations on a good one?
 
If it looks like this...

pigtail.JPG


...any battery tender from here should work for you. :thumbup

The specific recommendations are also listed on the site depending on what your setup is.
 
The two most common motorcycle-specific tenders are Deltran's Battery Tender, and Yuasa's SmartShot.

I can't speak for the Yuasa offering, as I only have experience using the Battery Tender Plus from Deltran. Its relatively simple, plug it in, and let it sit overnight, or until the green led stays on constantly.
If you want more reading material, click here.
It'll answer most of your questions ;)

The Battery Tenders from Deltran (and probably Yuasa) come with a quick disconnect cord which consists of an O ring to your positive and negative terminals, along with the cord for the tender, which I believe can be used for other applications, but I'm sure other more experienced barfers will chime in here.
So if the dongle you have isn't the same, you'll get one in the packaging is all I'm trying to say.

To answer your second question, when looking for a tender, just make sure its motorcycle specific. If memory serves me right, motorcycle batteries don't like anything over 2 amps, but I'm just pulling that number out of my ass.
In a more plain context, don't use an auto charger on your moto :)
Oh, and assuming your battery is a 12V battery, get a 12V tender, that should be straightforward :thumbup

Oh, and when was the last time you rode your hyper?
If it was a few months since you've ridden it around, your battery might just need a full charge. But if the battery hasn't been changed in 5 years or so, it might just have expired.
 
Is there any reason to pay the extra $ for the plus? I tried to read the FAQ and its written by some serious techies.
 
I'm sure there is, but in laymans terms I think you'd be fine with the Jr.

My M900 has the plus and my M696 has the Jr. and they both work just fine. I think the Plus model is a bit stronger but other than that I dunno.
 
clutch said:
Is there any reason to pay the extra $ for the plus? I tried to read the FAQ and its written by some serious techies.
Click to expand...
The Jr doesn't have lights to tell you when the battery is fully charged, and I think it charges at a slightly lower rate than the Plus. I have one of each and normally only use the Plus to hook up to whichever bike needs the battery topped off.

I kept my 888 connected to the Battery Tender Plus for most of the five years that I've owned it. The battery finally died about a month ago, but I don't know how old the battery was when I bought the bike.

I believe that every motorcycle owner should have a Battery Tender.
 
Kornholio said:
The Jr. has one light on it now, Scott.
Click to expand...
My Jr has one light on it, but it's on if it's plugged into the wall outlet and not the bike, and it's on if it's connected to the bike and not plugged in. I don't notice a change between a battery that needs charging and a fully charged battery.
 
I agree... get one with the light so you know when it's ready.
:thumbup
 
ScottRNelson said:
My Jr has one light on it, but it's on if it's plugged into the wall outlet and not the bike, and it's on if it's connected to the bike and not plugged in. I don't notice a change between a battery that needs charging and a fully charged battery.
Click to expand...

My Jr. is red when not plugged into a bike and then red when it's charging the battery. It turns green when the battery is full.
 
I warned you there was a lot of reading material ;)
Differences are explained here :nerd

The plus also has a temperature compensation thingie.. :laughing
And 2 leds are easier to read than one multicolored one :)
And.. and.. it charges at 1.25 amps instead of 0.75 amps. so slightly faster. But most of the time you'll be leaving it on overnight so that's not such a big deal probably.

But honestly, you'll probably be fine with just the Jr, if money's tight or for whatever reasons.
 
Just out of curiousity, I checked out the tender on the Ducati site. $175 and looks like its probably not even as good as the Deltran.:facepalm

Thanks for the input all. I'll try out the Jr. Most of the time just going to leave it plugged in overnight so don't care too much about the light or the speed.
 
I know, I know...and have a $200 screw to prove it.
 
Just make sure the charger has automatic shut off . So then you can plug it in and forget about it . if not a regular charger will overcharge .
 
jake318 said:
Just make sure the charger has automatic shut off . So then you can plug it in and forget about it . if not a regular charger will overcharge .
Click to expand...

Not just auto shut off but also continual monitoring of the charge and the ability to turn back on again as needed.

Just get the top of the line Battery Tender and be done with it.
 
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