How a Battery Tender dramatically improves your odds

[TheAxeman]

My bikes newest farkle? A shiny new toggle switch instead of a real ignition after suffering the dreaded failure on my way back from the Green Mountains Ride last weekend. I was actually getting pretty good at remembering to turn it off until I was up in Lenox, MA again this weekend and left it on at the hotel. Michelle and I hop on the bike so I can take her out for her birthday steak and NADA, NOTHING, NO JUICE WHATSOEVER!. After uttering a string of newly learned curse words and getting a stone cold stare from her <_< I suddenly remembered that I had actually brought along a battery charger. Like any good HD rider would do, I wheeled the bike up to the hotel room door, 1/2 hour on the charger, and everything was right with the world again.... :yahoo: . She got her steak and I got my dessert . The moral of the story is, always be prepared.

 

[snikr]

Battery Tenders are our friends.

Tom

 

[mdisher]

Next best move: Note who carries a Battery Tender with them and park near them

 

[Geezer]

Axe, is this the second time your ignition switch failed?

 

[TheAxeman]

Axe, is this the second time your ignition switch failed?

Yes, I'm afraid so Greg. The first one lasted about 13,500 miles and the second one crapped out at 19,500. I should just buy them by the dozen and get the quantity discount. :lol:

 

[keithaba]

Wouldn't push starting it also have worked? Cause I'm kinda running out of room with the air pump, tire patch, flashlight, tools, verlcro, zip ties, duct tape, plastic bags, and rubber bands......

 

[Colin24]

Wouldn't push starting it also have worked?

In the good old days of carbs push starting was a no brainer. But with modern EFI bikes, maybe. In the old days you only needed enough juice to fire the sparkplugs. Which could easily be acheived with a good bump start. On a modern EFI bike you need enough electricity to power the computer (and keep it powered), run the fuel pump, fire the injectors and the spark plugs. So it depends on how dead the battery actually is.

So if the battery is partially dead. (Engine will turn over 1/2 revolution before battery dies) then you can probably bump start. (If your lucky). If its totally dead. (No dash lights no nothing) then you are likely screwed since you can't get the engine to turn fast enough to generate enough electrical power for all the components.

And yes, If you could find a long and steep enough hill that you can coast downhill at 20-30 mph for a little while then you could probably start an EFI bike with a completely dead battery. And even then you would need to keep the engine spinning at a high enough RPM to generate enough juice to recharge the battery so that when the RPM's drop back to idle, it will keep running and not just stall.

Don't necessarily need a battery tender. If your lucky and have someone around with booster cables you can hook the bike up to car and boost it from there. (Good rule of thumb is to ensure the car is not running). Even just hooking the cables up with both vehicles off you can "charge" the weaker battery from the stronger one if you wait a while. Handy if the bike battery is stone-cold dead.

Hope this helps (YMMV)

- Colin

 

[TheAxeman]

Wouldn't push starting it also have worked? Cause I'm kinda running out of room with the air pump, tire patch, flashlight, tools, verlcro, zip ties, duct tape, plastic bags, and rubber bands......

Actually push starting it definitely would have worked. It would have made for a Kodak moment also with Michelle pushing me in her heeled pumps and mini skirt. Unfortunately, it would have also given the inquisitive Harley bunch that were quaffing down cheap beer in their lawn chairs something to laugh about.

 

[big ears]

I fully understand that.

 

[SkooterG]

My name is Greg, and I have push started an FJR...............

 

[TheAxeman]

Actually, I seem to remember one time at the Rhody Rally pushing GEEZER's bike to get it started and then 30 seconds later GEEZER having to push my bike. Never leave the ignition on after comparing GPS notes.

 

[Spook]

These bikes have no reserves when it comes to their charge. just a few minutes if you forget to turn off the bike and you are screwed. I but on an external socket with a 50 amp fused link and built a set of jumpers to plug in to it since it is such a pain in the ass to get to the battery. Had to use it the other day when I stopped to talk to my brother for a few minutes.

 

[petey]

Never leave the ignition on after comparing GPS notes.

That's why one should wire the GPS directly to the battery. :glare: The GPS by itself wouldn't kill the battery, but caring a charger is not a bad idea.

 

[TheAxeman]

Never leave the ignition on after comparing GPS notes.

That's why one should wire the GPS directly to the battery. :glare: The GPS by itself wouldn't kill the battery, but caring a charger is not a bad idea.

Thats the real irony of the whole thing, it is wired directly. And I have to disagree with you. I can tell you from experience that leaving the GPS on for hours at a time on anything less than a fresh battery will in fact kill it. I'll leave mine on for awhile while I grab a quick bite of lunch but thats it. Maybe results will vary per GPS manufacturer but I can't really see any reason they would.

 

[Spook]

has any one tried an after market battery that holds up better?

 

[ionbeam]

...A shiny new toggle switch instead of a real ignition...I was actually getting pretty good at remembering to turn it off until...NADA, NOTHING, NO JUICE WHATSOEVER!...The moral of the story is...

... to add a power ON indicator LED?

 

[wfooshee]

Key buzzer!!!!!

Either stand down, key on, BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

How fun would that have been at the NAFO parking lot, huh?

 

[OldBoy123]

Im thinking of getting a small 150mA Solar Charger that plugs in to my Cigarette lighter port on my FJR.

Im hoping it will work as a Battery Tender. It can fit in one of the side bags. Thats if I ever want to bring it along.

Has anyone used a Solar Charger on there motorcycle?

 

[S76]

I'm pretty sure there isn't any power to the aux socket on the FJR with the key off. You would have to wire it directly to the battery, or leave the key on which would definetly take more juice than your making.

Im thinking of getting a small 150mA Solar Charger that plugs in to my Cigarette lighter port on my FJR.Im hoping it will work as a Battery Tender. It can fit in one of the side bags. Thats if I ever want to bring it along.

Has anyone used a Solar Charger on there motorcycle?