Pre hibernation battery charge/maintainer options

[Bfromla]

Hopefully just some helpful info before winter hibernation hits. Trickle chargers are not good for long term use, & maintainers will not bring a battery up to full voltage. There are some good charger/maintainer combinations that simply do whatever you may need :yes: before starting a battery project. It's a good idea to add star washers to connections help keep things secure



First up: The ever popular Battery Tender Jr found at Battery’s Plus



It's a good maintainer for long term use, some will use it year-round; how long it actually extends battery life, I :dontknow:

Next, there's combination units - I found this at a dealer:



It's the same name brand as my :spyder2: battery. :thumbup:

I found this at Autozone:



Found this one at HF:



*NOTE* :lecturef_smilie: All of these can use pigtails added to the battery connections. However, they might not have same polarity! :gaah: So DOUBLE CHECK! nojoke


Personally, I have & use both the Schumacher & a Viking; I really like the display & automatic features on Schumacher. There are others, these are just few to start the thread. :thumbup:

 

[carbonation]

https://www.amazon.com/NOCO-GENIUS2-Fully-Automatic-Temperature-Compensation/dp/B07W6B987F/ref=pd_lpo_469_t_1/137-0492176-9091110?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07W6B987F&pd_rd_r=053a81be-16ab-4c65-8633-76e003d120aa&pd_rd_w=yGzVu&pd_rd_wg=nbAv6&pf_rd_p=7b36d496-f366-4631-94d3-61b87b52511b&pf_rd_r=AT3PNNJ4E82ZTAWJ215N&psc=1&refRID=AT3PNNJ4E82ZTAWJ215N
NOCO for the win.

 

[tibadoe]

My votes for
BatteryMINDer - https://www.batteryminders.com &
NOCO - https://no.co/products/charging/multipurpose

I have used the BatteryMINDer for years with no issues - nice units. Have used the NOCO jump starter packs and impressed with their quality. Next up the maintainer/desulfator from NOCO.

 

[Time2ride]

I have a HYPERIONeoso6o6oi battery charger that I used to charge lithium polymer cells for remote controlled helicopters and cars. The charger automatically reduces amperage to fully charge the battery as it approaches full capacity. You can not leave it charging all winter like a battery tender, but connecting the charger once a month is not too difficult

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

" B " , thanks for posting about using " Star Washers ". .... I have been advocating this for about 8 yrs. now :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup: ......... Mike hyea:

 

[acdcking12]

What about me living in Kansas and ride year around? I don't need any of this. I keep riding.

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

What about me living in Kansas and ride year around? I don't need any of this. I keep riding.

:hun:... :agree: ... then Obviously this wouldn't apply to you :dontknow: ............. good luck .... Mike :thumbup:

 

[Bfromla]

What about me living in Kansas and ride year around? I don't need any of this. I keep riding.

Yr round ryding here too, but I still attempt a rotation between the bikes & mowers, as they all will need charging/maintainer. Not to mention the family members who will need “assistance”! :roflblack:

 

[Mikey]

What about me living in Kansas and ride year around? I don't need any of this. I keep riding.

Show off!!!!:roflblack:

 

[Mazo EMS2]

I have excellent luck with the "Battery Tender Jrs" on everything I store. I have 4 or 5 of them now I think....

 

[Possible]

I've got a Battery Tender to connect to two batteries. I usually swap out some during the winter as we have
several batteries that sit most of the winter.

 

[BeRight]

I plug my NOCO charger/maintainer after every ride - just a habit from many years of motorcycle riding.

Used a few different brands over the years - I just made sure they had maintainer mode and matched battery type - my 2020 RT uses an AGM battery.

 

[WilcoJunoHotel]

I plug my NOCO charger/maintainer after every ride - just a habit from many years of motorcycle riding.

Where do you have the connector situated on your '20 Spyder RT? I am thinking of hanging mine off the radiator hose or the wire bundle just above the rad hose - left side. Close to the battery and I can still get to it without having to do a mini-yoga session.

 

[Deanna777]

I have been using Battery Tender brand for years, and I haven't had any problems.


Add to the list of things to do: change the oil, filter, rings, etc. before putting your Spyder into hibernation.



I also hope that the winter season is a very short one. And for those of you who have sleds, it's time to get those prepped. I know I don't have much down time between Spyder riding season and Sled season.

Deanna

 

[BeRight]

Where do you have the connector situated on your '20 Spyder RT? I am thinking of hanging mine off the radiator hose or the wire bundle just above the rad hose - left side. Close to the battery and I can still get to it without having to do a mini-yoga session.

To my surprise Dealer installed it - left side - hangin down behind shock area - it is zip tied above on a small ledge. several inches behind shock area

 

[WilcoJunoHotel]

Thanks.

I put mine on yesterday - zip tied it to the fan shroud. Didn't have to remove any tupperware - just fished it through by hand.

 

[bushrat]

Decision time... helpful advice welcome! This is a very timely post for me to read. Thanks for starting it, B.

Question:

I have a 2017 F3L. This will be the first winter I have not ridden it year-round. Unable/unlikely to get to FL this year, so I am about to store it in a cold shed in Ontario, out of the weather, but the ambient temps may drop to close to -40° F/C on occasion, and my Spyder will sit pretty much unattended for 5 months. The original battery has always worked fine, and I usually don't go more than a week or two w/o riding; it has always fired up readily. I plan to have my Spyder serviced (31,000 km, oil change, new rear tire, etc) before putting it away in late Oct; so it will be ready to go for May 2021. I'm told I should get a trickle charger, and I have looked at the "Battery Tender JR" mentioned above. However, for the same money, or near abouts, I could get a NOCO Genius 2, onboard mount, hard wired charger which seems to have several additional features - i.e., charger, maintainer, etc. What are the pros/cons? Am I right in thinking that the convenience of the onboard, hard-wired NOCO will make for a simpler hook-up - just plug it in/unplug - without having to fiddle with accessing the battery to apply clamps?
Any and all advice appreciated.

 

[Bfromla]

Decision time... helpful advice welcome! This is a very timely post for me to read. Thanks for starting it, B.

Question:

I have a 2017 F3L. This will be the first winter I have not ridden it year-round. Unable/unlikely to get to FL this year, so I am about to store it in a cold shed in Ontario, out of the weather, but the ambient temps may drop to close to -40° F/C on occasion, and my Spyder will sit pretty much unattended for 5 months. The original battery has always worked fine, and I usually don't go more than a week or two w/o riding; it has always fired up readily. I plan to have my Spyder serviced (31,000 km, oil change, new rear tire, etc) before putting it away in late Oct; so it will be ready to go for May 2021. I'm told I should get a trickle charger, and I have looked at the "Battery Tender JR" mentioned above. However, for the same money, or near abouts, I could get a NOCO Genius 2, onboard mount, hard wired charger which seems to have several additional features - i.e., charger, maintainer, etc. What are the pros/cons? Am I right in thinking that the convenience of the onboard, hard-wired NOCO will make for a simpler hook-up - just plug it in/unplug - without having to fiddle with accessing the battery to apply clamps?
Any and all advice appreciated.

View attachment 185177

That's where the pigtail comes into play



If it's fused (3A minimal) on the positive side preferably, then it is a simple connection whenever you're ready. The rings (eyes) go to the battery post & the connection can be tucked somewhere easily accessible when not in use. Again, check the polarity -



as not all are the same. This one has a dust cap for when it's not in use.

Sorry, I have no experience with NOCO, but I do see the plug cord is considerably longer to have to tuck it away & not bend the prongs when it's not in use.

 

[Possible]

The Battery Tender Jr. is a known quantity, can you say the same for the NOCO? The Battery Tender Jr. comes with fused ring ends that you bolt to the battery posts, and it's a simple plug and unplug to connect/disconnect to the Battery Tender charger when you want to use it.

 

[bigbadbrucie]

I lived in northern BC for 50+ years, and we also hit 40 to 45 below F. For 3 week stretches. I always used the Battery Tender Jr. on my different bikes. I also used a pigtail and plugged in when parked and did nothing until Spring. Always started right up. Can’t recommend the NOCO....never heard of it. For my money, tried and true...ALWAYS!
Your bike, your money.