Doubts with battery charge

[RVG RT1]

Battery problem

I'm sorry by the delay but I needed some time to verify my experiencies.

So after some months I can say my problem, was that I was traveling too short and was losing more battery than it could charge. In this case it worked: "ride more time" :thumbup: Thanks.

Just my 2 cents, now that you know that the battery is holding a full charge after a long ride, pick up a battery tender you can plug in every night when you get home and that will keep your battery fully charged all the time. I have used them for many years and have had battery's last up 10 years but you must keep it plugged in all the time at home. :thumbup:

 

[fatenhappy]

:agree: A nice 200 mile ride each day... :cheers: :2thumbs:

Not by any means a personal attack but …. 90,000 comments in 8 years has me wondering … Do you ever actually make any constructive suggestions to help others or are they only ever just passing comments?

 

[Easy Rider]

but you must keep it plugged in all the time at home. :thumbup:

Actually you don't need to do that.

Having it plugged in for 12 hours once every week should be plenty.
And if the battery is fairly new, once every month should be fine.

Plugging it in EVERY day will pretty much ensure that it starts in the warmth and convenience of your garage, the first time every day.
Once the battery passes the end of it's useful life, it probably will STILL start the first time.

Then you ride out somewhere that is not home. You have lunch and it won't start when you get back to the parking lot.

IF.....you can live with that possibility AND you aren't likely to remember to plug in a tender after the Y has been sitting for a week or more.....then fine.

Having the tender on it every day is NOT necessary. If it IS......then your battery is already bad.

 

[Easy Rider]

Not by any means a personal attack but ….

He is trying his best.
Sometimes informative, usually entertaining and seldom disruptive.
Give the guy a break, please.

 

[fatenhappy]

He is trying his best.
Sometimes informative, usually entertaining and seldom disruptive.
Give the guy a break, please.

Mate as I originally said I am just asking … that must be some type of all time record … I just find those statistic astonishing is all!

 

[Easy Rider]

Mate as I originally said I am just asking … that must be some type of all time record … I just find those statistic astonishing is all!

Your first post came across as a snide remark and not a serious question......at least for me.
Go back and read it again.

 

[RVG RT1]

MCALVA battery problem

Actually you don't need to do that.

Having it plugged in for 12 hours once every week should be plenty.
And if the battery is fairly new, once every month should be fine.

Plugging it in EVERY day will pretty much ensure that it starts in the warmth and convenience of your garage, the first time every day.
Once the battery passes the end of it's useful life, it probably will STILL start the first time.

Then you ride out somewhere that is not home. You have lunch and it won't start when you get back to the parking lot.

IF.....you can live with that possibility AND you aren't likely to remember to plug in a tender after the Y has been sitting for a week or more.....then fine.

Having the tender on it every day is NOT necessary. If it IS......then your battery is already bad.

The quote you showed from my post was for MCALVA'S battery problem so I guess I should have been more specific of who it was meant for.

As for keeping the tender on when you are not going for nice ride every day is to prevent the slow drain that is caused by the electronics that never shut down completely and recharging after 2-4 weeks will cause a sulfating action that will eventually cause an end of useful life.

As for useful life, I replaced the battery in my Gold Wing after 7 years and for the last 2 years it has been hooked up to a solar panel and opening my electric double gate and after 3 days of no meaningful sun light it still opened the gate and held over 12 volts and that is why I will always plug in my tender's on my diesel truck ( 2 battery's), SUV and Gold Wing and Spyder. :bdh:

 

[canamjhb]

Different schools of thought about tenders. I tend to agree with Easy Rider. Always having the battery on a tender makes sure your Spyder will start and get you out of the garage. Happened to me. It was a Goldwing but same thing applies. I started a trip, left home with no problems. Rode about 350 miles in 80-85 degree temp. Stopped at a motel for the night. Next morning battery was so dead that I thought someone had stolen it. I had to pull the plastic off to make sure it was still there. Had bike towed to a dealer who installed a new battery and checked the charging system (which was OK). Maybe the battery was toast when I started my trip......?

 

[Easy Rider]

As for keeping the tender on when you are not going for nice ride every day is to prevent the slow drain that is caused by the electronics that never shut down completely and recharging after 2-4 weeks will cause a sulfating action that will eventually cause an end of useful life.

Two things wrong with that:
The parasitic drain from any "stock" Spyder equipment is tiny, TINY and over several weeks is insignificant......to a healthy battery.
Second, AGM batteries like used in Spyders do NOT sulfate to any significant degree unless abused REALLY badly.

I quite assure you that a healthy battery in a Spyder that is fully charged will NOT go down enough in 4 weeks to cause any damage or loss of longevity. It just won't.

NOW......if it does show significant voltage loss over 4 weeks, you need to check further because there is some unusual parasitic draw OR the battery is getting weak from old age.

P.S. If you have never been caught out on the road with a dead battery because your constant tender habit fooled you into thinking your battery was good when it really was NOT........I hope that never happens to you. But it has to me and I don't intend for it to happen again.