Undependable - when is a lemon a lemon

[MouthPiece]

I haven't ever used my battery tender. However, I do live in Flarda and we can ride year round. Mine is a 2010 RT-S (January 2010) and I would note that I did purchased a new battery when a wiring harness (under warranty) was intalled back last April/May.

Chris

 

[draboo]

Our old PE200 spent the winter in the UP of MI. with no tender. Temps got down below 0 deg F and below freezing for many days. I came home for Xmas and it fired right up in 20 deg weather. Never had a problem with the battery in our RS or our RT(except for loose cables on the RT). For any dealer to even remotely hint that it is the owners fault for not using a tender is ludicrous, even more so in southern climates.

I do agree if it is in storage for long periods, a tender is a good idea. I just never bothered with one.

 

[ijon1]

Mike, I am sorry for your trouble....it is not necessary. However, you can get a pigtail that plugs into your battery tender and into your outlet in your trunk. I plug mine in when I get off BR1 and open my trunk to get my junk...plug him in until next time. JMHO

:spyder2:

I agree with George. Simple to plug in and not mess with the wiring to upset your baby.

 

[FloridaLimited]

Battery

Hi Folks,

I have a 2011 Limited and live in FL. I went on vacation for 2 months and had no problem with battery drain.

 

[sealfloorboards]

This may be a dumb question but here goes. I'm putting my 2011 in Storage for a few months. If the battery dies, can I just recharge it before using? If i must use a battery tender or damage my new battery, do I have to go to a dealer or can I get one at NAPA? How much do they cost? Thanks guys for your help.

 

[Mr. White]

I agree that I probably don't need to hook up BR1 to a battery tender. I know it is a bad habit. I know that my electric bill is out of control. I know that I may have a fetish for battery tenders. I know that hooking up my Kubota, riding mower, motorhome (2, engine and box) Motor Trike, ATV, van (not used often) and occasionally to my truck and wife's car is unnecessary. However.....

I went to a psychiatrist! I still plug in all of my battery tenders, but it does not bother me....:roflblack::roflblack::roflblack:

p.s. I also own a great deal of Deltron Battery Tender stock....hyea:

:spyder2:

 

[boborgera]

This may be a dumb question but here goes. I'm putting my 2011 in Storage for a few months. If the battery dies, can I just recharge it before using? If i must use a battery tender or damage my new battery, do I have to go to a dealer or can I get one at NAPA? How much do they cost? Thanks guys for your help.

For about 20 dollars or so you can get a tender [float type] Plug it in and forget it Much better than coming back to a dead battery and trying to start your Spyder. You can buy a tender in many places ; NAPA, Sears, Motorcycle Shops, ETC ETC .

 

[camper1]

Would someone please clarify: He was having issues hooking up the battery tender to the battery. I thought I'd read where you can buy the adapter for your battery tender and plug it into your 12 volt plug in the trunk. You say battery terminals to me and I go into a panic.
I'm about to find this out for myself as mine's been sitting in the garage for a month while I'm working in NJ.

 

[boborgera]

Would someone please clarify: He was having issues hooking up the battery tender to the battery. I thought I'd read where you can buy the adapter for your battery tender and plug it into your 12 volt plug in the trunk. You say battery terminals to me and I go into a panic.
I'm about to find this out for myself as mine's been sitting in the garage for a month while I'm working in NJ.

Yes you can, Get an adapter for the 12v plug most tenders come with one, Just make sure the plug in your trunk is live with the engine off and key out.

 

[Gordy]

my rts sat from the 11th of november until the end of april without a battery tender in temps down to -35c and started rite up.It is easyer on batterys to sit in the cold than in a heated building, sitting on cement is a no no

 

[sealfloorboards]

For about 20 dollars or so you can get a tender [float type] Plug it in and forget it Much better than coming back to a dead battery and trying to start your Spyder. You can buy a tender in many places ; NAPA, Sears, Motorcycle Shops, ETC ETC .

Thanks for the help. I assume I clip it to the two terminals under the seat. Boy do I feel dumb sometimes:yikes:

 

[ThreeFeet]

I got the one that the crew at Cowtown put a pig tail under the seat so I could plug into the socket in the garage. Seems that thing has a fairly permenant attachment to the battery as it's under the bolt and tightened down really tight!!to the battery. I used the tender on my RS all the time I was ryding around on the RT. When it came time for me to sell the RS I disconected and she fired up right away and this is on a 2 yr old battery. ( Seems motorcycle batteries only last about 2 yrsDARN) Haven't had the tender on the RT yet but winter is COMING!!! Will also ryde for longer time this year than I have in the past. Got Warmer clothes now!!! Good luck on your battery problem. BTW would like BRP to get the AC fixed on my RT for ryding in heat of summer. :roflblack::roflblack:

 

[NancysToy]

This may be a dumb question but here goes. I'm putting my 2011 in Storage for a few months. If the battery dies, can I just recharge it before using? If i must use a battery tender or damage my new battery, do I have to go to a dealer or can I get one at NAPA? How much do they cost? Thanks guys for your help.

A battery that sits long enough will slowly become discharged. A low battery can freeze, which will weaken or destroy it. Keeping it on a motorcycle type charger/maintainer is as cheap or cheaper than replacing the battery. Battery Tender is a trademark. There are other good chargers, including Accumate, Optimate, and Xtreme. Buying from a motorcycle dealer will help you get the correct type. Be sure the charger is suitable for AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) batteries. For the RT you can purchase an adapter that will plug in to the power outlet in your rear trunk. Some chargers include this adapter with the charger. Other options for all Spyders include an SAE pigtail that can be attached to the battery (be sure to secure it so it can't be shorted out or crushed), or alligator clips attached to the jumper terminals under the seat. Virtually all chargers come with the alligator clips, and most include the pigtail.

 

[bruiser]

That is pure, plain baloney! The RT doesn't come with a Battery Tender because it doesn't require a battery tender for normal use. Your usage is minimal, but certainly within the realm of normal. The battery should hold a charge for a month or more in warm weather. The tech needs to remove or disconnect your battery, then charge it. If the disconnected battery holds a charge until morning, and passes a load test, then you have a short somewhere. These can be hard to track down...and a new wiring harness may be in order. If the battery doesn't hold or pass a load test, it needs to be repalced. If your technician is not capable of dealing with this, perhaps you need to visit another dealer. I hope Carlo contacts you, or you contact him. I'm sure this can be resolved.

I agree with Scotty. This is basic mechanics folks. The kind of stuff a computer may not show. That's the problem with a lot of techs nowdays. They can't figure anything out if the computer doesn't show it and they don't know what to do about it. Get back to the basics for crying out loud.

 

[Mr. White]

This may be a dumb question but here goes. I'm putting my 2011 in Storage for a few months. If the battery dies, can I just recharge it before using? If i must use a battery tender or damage my new battery, do I have to go to a dealer or can I get one at NAPA? How much do they cost? Thanks guys for your help.

You don't say what model you have. If it is a RT, go to powerlet.com. They have adapters you can plug into the trunk outlet as Scotty talks about. When I park BR1 in the barn for the night, I open the trunk, get my quart of Everclear out and plug in my battery tender....BR1 is ready to go the next day or month.... :roflblack:

:spyder2:

 

[NancysToy]

If hooking your Spyder up to the power company teat so as to allow it nurse on electrons until next you need it makes you happy then do it.

Necessary?
No.

:agree: I hook up in the winter, though, to keep the AGM batteries from becoming degraded in the unheated garage. This is partly a leftover habit from the days of wet lead-acid batteries, which discharge more readily, and sulphate (or even freeze and crack) when left installed and off a charger. Continuous charging also ruins them, so removal and periodic charging in the house extends their life. It should be noted that BRP's recommendation for long term storage is to charge the battery once a month. This indicates that the battery should last at least that long without charging, but they do expect some discharge during storage. Of course the battery is out of warranty after 60 days, so failure to charge during storage will not affect the warranty.

 

[Bob Denman]

If hooking your Spyder up to the power company teat so as to allow it nurse on electrons until next you need it makes you happy then do it.

Necessary?
No.

:agree:....And very nicely said! :clap::thumbup::roflblack:

 

[Mr. White]

QUOTE=Rattigan_Roger;378374]If hooking your Spyder up to the power company teat so as to allow it nurse on electrons until next you need it makes you happy then do it.

Necessary?
No.[/QUOTE]

Roger and Bob, hooking up to the power company line is no problem. I run a long extension cord to my neighbor's 110v outlet and plug in my battery chargers. :roflblack:

I also have a long pipe hooked to his well which fills my 3,300 gallon holding tank. hyea:

He has a large gasoline tank for his many vehicles. I sneak over and get 5 or 10 gallons as needed. :clap:

The last time I checked, I am getting 68 mpg on BR1......

:spyder2:

 

[MikeinGA]

I always put my battery tender on, at home, when the bike is not being used. It makes the battery last longer and with all the hi-teck stuff on the Canam's it will make them last longer also. When I come home from a ride I put the battery tender on and check in about 3 to 4 hours. If it not at full charge there maybe a problem with the battery or charging system and I check to see what the problem is. That's IMHO.


Mike

 

[lasermic]

Issue seems to be resovled

The wife has had it back for the remainder of the summer and has had NO problems. We love the spyder and are growing confident that it will be OK for long trips come next summer. I really appreciate this forum - lotsa great people!