Trickle Chargers -yes or no?

[grendl]

I have often heard about trickle chargers and how they save your battery over the winter.
I have to admit,I have never used one and have had no issues with my batteries being charged enough to start my bikes.
I live in Colorado, so not much more than a month or so will go by without it being nice enough to ride,my bikes are in a completely enclosed garage that is not heated. When there are continuous days that will be warm start to show up(another couple of months,I will charge them up and ride all season with no problems.
Batteries generally last about 3+ years.
Should I be concerned about leaving a trickle charge on those weeks to a month that I am not riding them?
For those using trickle chargers,how long do your batteries generally last?

[DaWadd]

If it's made for a motorcycle battery you can leave it on as long as you like. My battery gets stored for 5-6 months so I just put it on once a month for a few days to keep it topped up.

[F6B1911]

Living in Michigan, my bike generally is idle for quite a few months during the winter.
Learned over the years that there are different types of trickle chargers.
My trickle charger is plugged into a timer that only runs an hour a day, I've had a BMW battery go for 6 years this way.
I also like to start the bike at least once a month.
This is my first winter with the F6B on trickle charge. .... Damn, I need to move south!!

[sshake1905]

I live near Boise, ID...which... except for Lewiston, ID (at only 750 ft above sea level).. has the most mild winters in the state....and I can count the days since the middle of Nov that the daytime high reached 40 F.....it is cold here

Anyway.....most .75 to 1.25 amp trickle chargers work great for me....I am using one on my 2013 F6B this winter mainly because I didn't want to remove the seat to take the battery out of the bike....we all know how much fun it can be to put a Mustang seat back on the F6B....but I don't leave the electricity on it constantly.....just plugged it in every 3 or 4 weeks and it took less than an hour to fully charge....

I have a 2007 VTX1300c I bought new....since it is very easy to take the battery out of it during the winter months...I do....take indoors in basement to store.....put the trinkle charger on it once a month or so....that battery is the original battery that came with the bike....* years old and going strong.... if you can, IMO....take out over winter months, store indoors, and charge every month..if it is not easy to remove...put the trickle charger on it in the garage....Shaker

[opas ride]

I live near Boise, ID...which... except for Lewiston, ID (at only 750 ft above sea level).. has the most mild winters in the state....and I can count the days since the middle of Nov that the daytime high reached 40 F.....it is cold here

Anyway.....most .75 to 1.25 amp trickle chargers work great for me....I am using one on my 2013 F6B this winter mainly because I didn't want to remove the seat to take the battery out of the bike....we all know how much fun it can be to put a Mustang seat back on the F6B....but I don't leave the electricity on it constantly.....just plugged it in every 3 or 4 weeks and it took less than an hour to fully charge....

I have a 2007 VTX1300c I bought new....since it is very easy to take the battery out of it during the winter months...I do....take indoors in basement to store.....put the trinkle charger on it once a month or so....that battery is the original battery that came with the bike....* years old and going strong.... if you can, IMO....take out over winter months, store indoors, and charge every month..if it is not easy to remove...put the trickle charger on it in the garage....Shaker

Order the newer style longer aftermarket seat bolts from Value Accessories and your install/re-install issues with the Mustang will no longer be a hassle...On the charger deal, I use a Deltran Battery Tender Jr., leave it plugged in all winter in Michigan, ususally 4 months or so and so far no issues..Starts right up in Spring and good to go!!

[opas ride]

I have often heard about trickle chargers and how they save your battery over the winter.
I have to admit,I have never used one and have had no issues with my batteries being charged enough to start my bikes.
I live in Colorado, so not much more than a month or so will go by without it being nice enough to ride,my bikes are in a completely enclosed garage that is not heated. When there are continuous days that will be warm start to show up(another couple of months,I will charge them up and ride all season with no problems.
Batteries generally last about 3+ years.
Should I be concerned about leaving a trickle charge on those weeks to a month that I am not riding them?
For those using trickle chargers,how long do your batteries generally last?

I have been told there is a difference between trickle chargers and battery tenders...I have used the Deltran Battery Tender Jr. on my bikes for years keeping them hooked up during the entire winter which can be 3, 4, and 5 months here in Michigan. Never had any issues with batteries and some had over 6 years service on them when I traded/sold the bike....

[BACA]

I use Battery Tender Juniors on my F6B, my Rincon Quad, my John Deere Lawn Mower and before my F6B my Gold Wing............we have about 5-6 months of rainy wet and cold (not Minnesota cold - but cold) weather so the vehicles are stored most of the winter. I have never had a problem and the battery in my Quad lasted 8 years before it went bad. Yep I'm sold on the Battery Tender. My Two Cents!!


Ride Safe, but Often

[bigbird]

As stated, there are trickle chargers and there are battery maintainers.
You don't want a trickle charger that just keeps pumping out a trickle current of about 0.5A - 0.75A indefinitely.

A battery maintainer will monitor the battery and only provide a top off charge as needed. As soon as the battery is topped up, it will stop charging until the battery's voltage falls below a predetermined threshold, at which point the charger will start up and top off the battery automatically.

There are many makes of maintainers out there. Deltran's Battery Tender Junior for motorcycle batteries is probably the most common due to its price and reliability. I don't like its wall wart AC adapter.
I use a CTEK myself.

[richw56]

I'm on Long Island in NY.
The bike can get stuck in my unheated garage for weeks at a time during the winter, if roads are wet and salted.
A couple of years after I got my prior bike (a VTX1300C), I picked up a Battery Tender Plus, which I've used year-round ever since, first on the VTX and now on my F6B.
In the ten years I owned the VTX, I only changed the battery once, and it wasn't even dead yet at the time - it was just starting to get a little weak.
As already mentioned by others, Battery Tenders are not trickle chargers - they charge automatically, and only when needed, so there's no limit on the amount of time for which they can be left connected to the bike battery and plugged in.
(On the other hand, I once used a trickle charger on a V65 Magna, and it did not end well - I am NOT a trickle-charger fan.)
I'm a big fan of Battery Tenders - I've used mine year-round for many years now, and have nothing but good things to say about it.

[sabre85]

I've always used battery tender jr's. Batterys last 6-10 years.