pnelson
New Member
Now that the monsoons are in full force here in Oregon, I've switched into battery maintenance mode. I have a boat with two expensive Yellow Top AGM batteries and my Super Tenere just gets a random ride now and then so I want to keep it's battery in good shape. I've noticed that if I let it go for more than a couple of weeks without riding, the battery will be low, sometimes too low to start the bike. My ST is a 2013 with 15,000+ miles on it so I'm thinking a new battery may be in the cards next spring but by keeping this one charged and fresh, it will last longer and the bike will be ready to ride if the weather breaks.
I've used a Black & Decker float charger for more than 15 years so when it went finally stopped working, I looked around and was prepared to spend some money for a good charger. Forget about the float charger you see advertised in HF tools as it's really a low-voltage charger. It does not have the circuitry to actually monitor the battery voltage and switch to float mode. To avoid frying your battery you have to remember to take it off after a day or when the battery is fully charged. I wanted something I could leave on the bike and boat without thinking about it all winter.
The Battery Tender Junior is a popular float charger with good reviews and it runs for about $25. There are thousands of positive reviews for it and I'm sure it does just fine.
Amazon link >> http://amzn.to/1NPYydu
The Black & Decker float charger also has lots of good reviews and specs show it charges at up to 1.5 amps where the Battery Tender Junior is capped at .75 amps. It goes for $19 and has an SAE pigtail for attaching permanently to your battery as well as SAE cigarette adapter and SAE alligator clips. (Tip: I made a set of jumper cables with an SAE connector to plug into the pigtail and have used them several times to jump other bikes. I carry the cables under the seat on my ST.)
Amazon link >> http://amzn.to/1NPWhim
I ended up with the B&D and it's charging my Tenere right now and it's just what I was looking for, simple, cheap and easy to use.
It's important to note that these little float chargers are not meant to replace typical auto battery chargers but they do a great job of keeping batteries ready to go (charged) which helps them last longer. If you don't have one, I do suggest you get an full size auto charger with start mode and higher charging amperage for serious charging or work with semi-dead batteries. These cost more but I've found the start mode comes in handy. This is the type of charger I usually use on my bigger boat batteries. The Stanley model listed below is all digital. It will connect to your battery, analyze it and give it the charge it needs and switch to maintenance mode when it's done. It will also provide a starting charge to jump start a vehicle with a dead battery. Like I said... handy!
Amazon link >> http://amzn.to/1m2nF1Q
Battery Tender Jr. $25 on Amazon http://amzn.to/1NPYydu
Black & Decker BM3B 6V and 12V Battery Charger / Maintainer $19 on Amazon http://amzn.to/1NPWhim
Stanley BC2509 25 Amp Automatic Battery Charger $75 on Amazon http://amzn.to/1OsxXzj
SAE jumper cables under seat - very handy!
I've used a Black & Decker float charger for more than 15 years so when it went finally stopped working, I looked around and was prepared to spend some money for a good charger. Forget about the float charger you see advertised in HF tools as it's really a low-voltage charger. It does not have the circuitry to actually monitor the battery voltage and switch to float mode. To avoid frying your battery you have to remember to take it off after a day or when the battery is fully charged. I wanted something I could leave on the bike and boat without thinking about it all winter.
The Battery Tender Junior is a popular float charger with good reviews and it runs for about $25. There are thousands of positive reviews for it and I'm sure it does just fine.
Amazon link >> http://amzn.to/1NPYydu
The Black & Decker float charger also has lots of good reviews and specs show it charges at up to 1.5 amps where the Battery Tender Junior is capped at .75 amps. It goes for $19 and has an SAE pigtail for attaching permanently to your battery as well as SAE cigarette adapter and SAE alligator clips. (Tip: I made a set of jumper cables with an SAE connector to plug into the pigtail and have used them several times to jump other bikes. I carry the cables under the seat on my ST.)
Amazon link >> http://amzn.to/1NPWhim
I ended up with the B&D and it's charging my Tenere right now and it's just what I was looking for, simple, cheap and easy to use.
It's important to note that these little float chargers are not meant to replace typical auto battery chargers but they do a great job of keeping batteries ready to go (charged) which helps them last longer. If you don't have one, I do suggest you get an full size auto charger with start mode and higher charging amperage for serious charging or work with semi-dead batteries. These cost more but I've found the start mode comes in handy. This is the type of charger I usually use on my bigger boat batteries. The Stanley model listed below is all digital. It will connect to your battery, analyze it and give it the charge it needs and switch to maintenance mode when it's done. It will also provide a starting charge to jump start a vehicle with a dead battery. Like I said... handy!
Amazon link >> http://amzn.to/1m2nF1Q
Battery Tender Jr. $25 on Amazon http://amzn.to/1NPYydu
Black & Decker BM3B 6V and 12V Battery Charger / Maintainer $19 on Amazon http://amzn.to/1NPWhim
Stanley BC2509 25 Amp Automatic Battery Charger $75 on Amazon http://amzn.to/1OsxXzj
SAE jumper cables under seat - very handy!