Battery tender

[CanAmChris]

My Sportster already had a connector when I bought it so I just got an HD tender ($50 or so) and put the connector on the Spyder. It is made to be used in the rain if needed and I don't have a garage so it works great for me.

That reminds me. I havn't used it in a month or so. Time do some to tending.

 

[Questions]

Clarification please ...

As a new Spyder owner. I am confused at to which battery tender I should buy. The JR. or the PLUS????

I see many Spyder owners do fine with the JR but someone also says the RT (which I own) needs the PLUS model.

Some clarification would be great. Thanks.

Newbie...but not for long.:yes:

 

[Some Guy]

I have the Battery Tender JR which worked perfectly until last week. I'm not faulting the product, I'm just wondering if keeping it hooked up to my "psycho car" caused it to fail. It now always shows the battery is hooked up but not charged...days later...which I know is wrong since I rode 650 miles yesterday.

In defense of the quality...I've had the BT for 3+ years and I can't remember how many times I accidentally pulled it from the plug and had it hit the concrete. (it's failure is most likely someone else's fault...not Some Guy! :roflblack: )

Battery Tender is a great product. This time I went to my dealer (who is awesome) and bought an Optimate because of the anti-sulfate mode. I've read lots of good reviews...I just hope those people weren't psycho!!!

 

[SPYD3R]

HARBOR FREIGHT

HARBOR FREIGHT
http://www.harborfreight.com/automatic-battery-float-charger-42292.html
$8.00

 

[Some Guy]

HARBOR FREIGHT
http://www.harborfreight.com/automatic-battery-float-charger-42292.html
$8.00

Don't get me wrong...I do buy some stuff from Harbor Freight; but when it comes to the sensitive electronics of the Spyder, I won't chance it.

Some of their stuff works really well...but..."Limp Mode" is a deterrent for buying cheap electronics.

 

[NancysToy]

As a new Spyder owner. I am confused at to which battery tender I should buy. The JR. or the PLUS????

I see many Spyder owners do fine with the JR but someone also says the RT (which I own) needs the PLUS model.

Some clarification would be great. Thanks.

Newbie...but not for long.:yes:

You can use either, but the Jr is a little small for a large AGM battery at 0.75 amps. The 1.25 amp Plus would be a better choice. I also prefer the conventional plug on the Plus, rather than the plu-in transformer on the JR. I use several Juniors, but only on smaller motorcycle batteries. JMHO

 

[DrewNJ]

We also run jrs on many 4tec seadoo batteries which are considerably larger than what is in the spyder. Jr vs. plus has nothing to do with the size of the battery. The plus will "charge" a battery faster than the jr if you needed it to.
I have honestly never seen the red light on a jr for more than about 15 minutes when hooked to the spyder and never more than 30 min on the doo batteries.
I have a friend who uses a jr on his drag car battery. He said after a day at the track and the jr hooked up it is always green by the next morning and stays green til the next outing.
Once charged they both maintain the battery the same.

Really it comes down to buying what puts a smile on your face at the end of the day.
Personally, since I use a tender with the battery in the machine leaving the battery cables hooked up, I feel most comfortable with lower output and staying with a name brand product...
Doug


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[NancysToy]

We also run jrs on many 4tec seadoo batteries which are considerably larger than what is in the spyder. Jr vs. plus has nothing to do with the size of the battery. The plus will "charge" a battery faster than the jr if you needed it to.
I have honestly never seen the red light on a jr for more than about 15 minutes when hooked to the spyder and never more than 30 min on the doo batteries.
I have a friend who uses a jr on his drag car battery. He said after a day at the track and the jr hooked up it is always green by the next morning and stays green til the next outing.
Once charged they both maintain the battery the same.

Really it comes down to buying what puts a smile on your face at the end of the day.
Personally, since I use a tender with the battery in the machine leaving the battery cables hooked up, I feel most comfortable with lower output and staying with a name brand product...
Doug


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Some large AGM batteries will see reduced life if charged at too low a rate, due to sulfation. Whether or not the Spyder battery is one of them, I can't say. I prefer not to risk it. The larger chargers are the rate recommended, so that's what I prefer to use. Your results may vary. I agree, as I said earlier, with the use of a name brand motorcycle maintainer. As you said, use what puts a smile on your face.

 

[boborgera]

Any one rated at 1.5 amp, And most important has an float feature [maintainer]
There all good, But like Gas everyone has their favorite brand.

Bump,

 

[Bob Denman]

Short rydes... :gaah: So THAT'S what is causing all of the red in my life... :shocked:
A lot of days I will just about get into 3rd gear, and then be downshifting for the stop at the Post Office. The trip home isn't any longer...

 

[Knarfoh]

Don't get me wrong...I do buy some stuff from Harbor Freight; but when it comes to the sensitive electronics of the Spyder, I won't chance it. Some of their stuff works really well...but..."Limp Mode" is a deterrent for buying cheap electronics.

Trying to use a float charger to charge a battery, then maintain it - is the mistake most people make with these devices. Unless the unit you purchase is intended to charge and maintain (i.e. initialization, bulk charge, absorption mode and float mode) then you need to use a separate charger to bring your battery up to FULL charge, then you plug this device in and it works well in my opinion. Plug it in to a discharged battery and you are asking for trouble. Not just this unit, but similar units that are ONLY designed to maintain the charge - not act as a charger.

So for that boat or jet ski you haven't operated in a month - give it a boost with your regular battery charger, then attach this device. Hopefully, you operate your Spyder regularly and can just plug this in and it will work well.

 

[Fire Joe]

You can use either, but the Jr is a little small for a large AGM battery at 0.75 amps. The 1.25 amp Plus would be a better choice. I also prefer the conventional plug on the Plus, rather than the plu-in transformer on the JR. I use several Juniors, but only on smaller motorcycle batteries. JMHO

Scotty, does the Plus have the same pigtail connection as the Jr? I ask because right now I am using the Jr and already have the pigtail wired to my battery. Wondering if I get the Plus can I leave the pigtail connected and use it with the Plus.

 

[NancysToy]

Scotty, does the Plus have the same pigtail connection as the Jr? I ask because right now I am using the Jr and already have the pigtail wired to my battery. Wondering if I get the Plus can I leave the pigtail connected and use it with the Plus.

As I recall, yes, it has the SAE connector.