Waffling over battery tender

[Adirondack Jack]

It's 42 deg. F here and I decided to crank the FZ over. Absolutely no hesitation before ignition. You gotta love fuel injection. That's only the second time I've started it since Dec. No battery tender on the original battery ('07) and there was no loss of cranking power. I low revved it up to temp over a few minutes and the urge to ride was getting to me. Unfortunately the driveway outside the garage bay has 12" of wet, slushy snow on it. Ah well. It'll be a few weeks for sure. I'm feeling like it doesn't take much effort to keep the battery charged over a few months of idle time. Am I missing some point about having a tender on my battery?

 

[kpaul]

From what I understand, it's not entirely about whether or not it turns over. Even if the battery doesn't deplete, you're still putting a lot of strain on the charging system, which is designed to maintain the bike's charge as opposed to fully recharging the battery. This could have longterm impact, which may or may not interest you depending on how long you plan to keep the bike. Leaving it at a low charge for a long time can also negatively impact the battery. For overall reliability of the charging system and the battery, using a tender when you're not riding on a regular basis is the way to go.

This is just what I'm told, it makes sense to me but some of the more technical forum members might have a better idea. I'm able to ride every few days during the winter (rainy seattle weather dries up often enough to get a ride in, especially this year) so I don't have much hands-on experience with it.

 

[tuningfork]

Its generally not a good idea to start the bike over the winter like that, you'll get a lot of moisture and fuel buildup in the exhaust, oil, etc. Count me as +1 on using the Tender to keep the battery topped off. :thumbup:

 

[Adirondack Jack]

Thanks for the info, kpaul. I guess in my mind a battery tender comes in to play more during long periods of inactivity instead of daily charging. At higher rpms (not idle) I would expect the stator to keep the battery topped off, so lots of riding = lots of sufficient charging. I'm just wondering from my own personal experience with cold weather if it's a worthwhile investment. It's not like they are expensive. I'm just waffling. Of course there's always the scenario where the battery is reaching it's life expectancy and it needs constant care. I'll never get to that point. If it's suspect...it's replaced!

 

[Adirondack Jack]

Its generally not a good idea to start the bike over the winter like that, you'll get a lot of moisture and fuel buildup in the exhaust, oil, etc. Count me as +1 on using the Tender to keep the battery topped off. :thumbup:

Yeah-Good point about cold weather start-ups- But I do run it up to temp (like 165) and make sure the exhaust is cleared up, oil is hot, and pipes are hot before I hit the kill switch. That's about all it takes to run the condensation out. I also use fuel stabilizer for the winter (Stabil-green container). :thumbup:

 

[zigzagg321]

I look at a tender as cheap insurance for my battery and charging system. Mine stays on all winter long.

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Using the battery tender will also extend the battery life of your battery (and pay for itself). A full charge will crank over the engine faster and provide more power for the electrics.

Except for my daily driver (KLR), all my bike's/truck/boat has a tender on it (as does my spare FJR battery). Got 9 years out of my original SUV battery (using the tender)...

 

[Red Wazp]

But I do run it up to temp (like 165) and make sure the exhaust is cleared up, oil is hot, and pipes are hot before I hit the kill switch. That's about all it takes to run the condensation out. I also use fuel stabilizer for the winter (Stabil-green container). :thumbup:

I have this mental picture of you in full gear sitting on it, twisting the throttle, with a fan blowing on your face- just waiting for the snow to melt.:Flash:
Might as well enjoy some quality FZ6 time, eh?

Get the battery tender JR. Cheap and work just fine.

 

[grouzer]

Glade Song...."Plug it in Plug it in".