Modern Buddy

Posted: **Sun Oct 16, 2011 12:22 am**

We now have two scooters in the family (considering a third next year) and I'm think that I should probably have a battery charger. Do you folks have one and which one would you suggest.

Posted: **Sun Oct 16, 2011 12:34 am**

According to my dealer you only need one if you rely on the electric starter and only take short trips which are unable to fully recharge your battery.
It's also needed if you plan to let your bike sit for several days without riding it, especially once the cold comes.

Posted: **Sun Oct 16, 2011 12:34 am**

Planning on getting one soon, most around here recommend the 'Tender Jr'

Posted: **Sun Oct 16, 2011 12:40 am**

I have a Battery Tender Jr. Very easy to use and a cheap insurance policy against a prematurely dead battery.

Posted: **Sun Oct 16, 2011 1:18 am**

They make solar panel trickle chargers for around $25 that you can leave permanently attached. They're about 5-10% as powerful as a battery tender unless you get an expensive one.

Posted: **Sun Oct 16, 2011 1:25 am**

Yup. Battery Tender Jr.

Posted: **Sun Oct 16, 2011 1:42 am**

Haven't seen the need yet. Really there aren't many days you can't ride here.

If it stays really cold, I just go out to the shed and crank the bike and my lawn mower and let them run about ten minutes. Chargers the battery and keeps all the other juices flowing as well. Plus it doesn't let the gas go stale.

I can get away with doing that only once every 2 weeks if I have to.

Posted: **Sun Oct 16, 2011 2:44 am**

Yep. Tender Jr.

Southerner wrote:If it stays really cold, I just go out to the shed and crank the bike and my lawn mower and let them run about ten minutes. Chargers the battery and keeps all the other juices flowing as well. Plus it doesn't let the gas go stale.

I wouldn't recommend doing that on the Buddy especially if you’re using the electric start. Good for the fluids but the battery won't charge in idle. It needs high RPMs for that.

Posted: **Sun Oct 16, 2011 2:49 am**

Never had a need for one here. I ride year round and just have the one scooter. I keep my battery charged the old fashioned way, I ride it.

Posted: **Sun Oct 16, 2011 3:20 am**

I have the Battery Tender Jr, but only because around here we have three months or so every year in which the scoot gets little chance – if any – to get out on the road, and I am unwilling to indulge the boy by running the engine in the house.

Posted: **Sun Oct 16, 2011 3:24 am**

TVB wrote:I have the Battery Tender Jr, but only because around here we have three months or so every year in which the scoot gets little chance – if any – to get out on the road, and I am unwilling to indulge the boy by running the engine in the house.

+1

Posted: **Sun Oct 16, 2011 3:29 am**

I got this one from HF.

I use it to charge all sorts of batteries. Scooters, razors, power wheels, dirt bikes, cars, trucks, rvs... you get the idea.

Posted: **Sun Oct 16, 2011 3:35 am**

BTJr. The only one with a low-enough main charge current to be able to charge through the Buddy 12v accessory jack. So easy.

Speaking of, hey, AWinn, was your fuse blown?

Posted: **Sun Oct 16, 2011 4:24 am**

Are the chargers needed in the colder climates? I don't know if I need one cos I live in the Mojave desert and ride almost everyday.

Posted: **Sun Oct 16, 2011 9:32 am**

Drum Pro wrote:Are the chargers needed in the colder climates? I don't know if I need one cos I live in the Mojave desert and ride almost everyday.

Only if you don't ride through winter.

Posted: **Sun Oct 16, 2011 11:51 am**

HF has one

http://www.harborfreight.com/automotive ... 42292.html

This model does not have the part that you can leave on the battery, but has good clamps.

We have a Harbor Freight in town so i will be looking to get one.

Posted: **Sun Oct 16, 2011 12:01 pm**

Cheshire wrote:
Drum Pro wrote:Are the chargers needed in the colder climates? I don't know if I need one cos I live in the Mojave desert and ride almost everyday.
Only if you don't ride through winter.

It's not only about climate. As Lokky said above, if your riding consists of mainly short trips, a charger is not a bad idea. Short trips + frequent electric starts can drain the battery.

Posted: **Sun Oct 16, 2011 12:22 pm**

I only brought up "cooler" climates cos the winter months of people having to store their scoots and can't ride.

Posted: **Sun Oct 16, 2011 2:31 pm**

I've got two BTJr's, one for each bike, and only used during the winter when the bikes are parked for up to six months.

I'm not bothering with the 12v outlet adapters since it's so easy to get to the batteries on the these Buddies. Two screws and you're there.

On my TGB Laser R5 scooters, I used to have to remove about fifteen screws to take up the aluminum floorboard before I could even get to the battery box cover, which was secured by three more screws. I finally installed wires that went from the batteries to a plug that hung beneath the bikes, and connected the matching plugs to another set of wires to which I could attach the clips from the battery charger.

Posted: **Sun Oct 16, 2011 3:54 pm**

izark47 wrote:HF has one

http://www.harborfreight.com/automotive ... 42292.html

This model does not have the part that you can leave on the battery, but has good clamps.

We have a Harbor Freight in town so i will be looking to get one.

It's on sale for $4.99 if you are on their mailing list.

Posted: **Sun Oct 16, 2011 4:28 pm**

Owning a small battery "tender" is a darned good idea IMO. If you really rode several times a week year round, it would not be necessary - but very few of us manage to do that. Weather, travel, injuries, illness, whatever limit our riding time. When your scooter is not being ridden regularly, the battery will last much longer if the charge is maintained. Starting a small motor and running it for ten minutes is really not a workable alternative. Starting the scooter draws down the battery and ten minutes at idle does not really recharge the battery at all.

Posted: **Sun Oct 16, 2011 4:29 pm**

Drum Pro wrote:I only brought up "cooler" climates cos the winter months of people having to store their scoots and can't ride.

And yes, you're absolutely correct that in that situation a charger is pretty much a necessary part of winterizing a bike. I only meant to point out that those of us in hotter climates can benefit from one too!

Posted: **Sun Oct 16, 2011 4:38 pm**

Lotrat wrote:I got this one from HF.

I use it to charge all sorts of batteries. Scooters, razors, power wheels, dirt bikes, cars, trucks, rvs... you get the idea.

This isn't a "float" or "trickle" charger. The advantages of those are that you can leave them connected and not have to worry about damage to the battery.

Posted: **Sun Oct 16, 2011 4:53 pm**

When I first joined this forum, someone joked that a battery tender should be sold with every scoot. Didn't fully comprehend it until I had to go buy one.

if not for the scoot then for everything else in the home with a battery. I do live in a cold winter climate. But I've also left the key in the on position in the mower.

doesn't cost much. Can help a lot.

Posted: **Sun Oct 16, 2011 5:07 pm**

An aging battery, cooler weather, and my short low speed commute made a battery charger a must for me. Actually it got to the point where I had trouble getting it started for the ride back home! Just replaced the stock battery with a larger capacity 9-bs type unit, as detailed on a thread elsewhere on MB. Should be good now.

I was going to start a separate thread for a question I had, but it seems relevant here...

My trickle charger has 1 amp and 2 amp charging rates. My new battery warned against charging at over 2 amps, and in fact only showed a chart of 1A and 1.5A charging rates. Is it best to just charge it at 1A? Does the higher rate stress the battery? Since I leave it overnight, it's not like I'm pressed for time. Any thoughts?

Posted: **Sun Oct 16, 2011 5:50 pm**

Glancing at Battery Tender's site, most motorcycle chargers are between 0.75A and 1.25A. If memory serves, a battery's life can be shortened by pushing too much amperage through it. I'd go with the 1A setting.

Posted: **Sun Oct 16, 2011 6:35 pm**

BT Jr. here as well. With two scooters and a Harley it comes in very handy. My wife never seems to ride her scooter anymore so I use it year round on hers in addition to the battery in my '76 Mini. And after the battery died over the summer in my winter cage I think I'll be needing to use it there during the summer as well.

It's nice piece of mind having one and keeping the batteries topped off so you know the starter will fire off when you want to ride. This is especially true in the winter for us seasonal riders when it may be a spur of the moment ride when the weather is nice and you feel like hopping on for that scooter fix to get you by the next however many weeks (or months) until the next fix.

Posted: **Sun Oct 16, 2011 9:10 pm**

ericalm wrote:
Lotrat wrote:I got this one from HF.

I use it to charge all sorts of batteries. Scooters, razors, power wheels, dirt bikes, cars, trucks, rvs... you get the idea.
This isn't a "float" or "trickle" charger. The advantages of those are that you can leave them connected and not have to worry about damage to the battery.

It is a float charger. I never leave a battery on it once it's fully charged anyway. No need to. A battery will hold it's charge for 6 month.

Batteries like to be charged (and discharged) gently. A good rule of thumb for long life is to charge at 10% of the battery's ratting and never more than 20%. Higher rates will impact the longevity of the battery, but there are other factors that will kill a battery before you get down the list to using too high of a charge rate. It's always wise to consult with the battery manufacturers recommendations. You can't force current into a battery. It will only draw what it needs. A shorted battery will pull all that's available and melt. The rotten egg smell is a good indicator of a shorted battery.

Posted: **Mon Oct 17, 2011 12:58 am**

I have Tender Jr. There are 2 - 3 months out of the year where I personally do not feel like freezing my tail off. Some brave souls keep on riding - I am not one of them. So mid to end of November is the month when my Dobby gets winterized and goes into hibernation

Posted: **Mon Oct 17, 2011 11:40 am**

It only makes sense to NOT ride when there's a danger of snow and ice on the road. That rarely happens here, which is why I can get away with year-round riding, even when the temps drop.

I don't blame anybody for keeping the scoot indoors when farther north.

I do like to rag on the "fair weather riders" down here, though. Let a little nip get in the air and the cruiser set goes into hibernation.

Posted: **Mon Oct 17, 2011 12:00 pm**

One thing to add. If you do keep the battery on a tender over the storage months for those who do? You will get another year, maybe even 2 out of the battery. That will pay for a Tender right there!

Posted: **Mon Oct 17, 2011 1:13 pm**

viney266 wrote:One thing to add. If you do keep the battery on a tender over the storage months for those who do? You will get another year, maybe even 2 out of the battery. That will pay for a Tender right there!

My experience, and that of others I know, is that you will get a lot more added battery life than a year or two. Letting a battery run down over the winter really knocks the crap out of it and can shorten its life A LOT. Keeping it gently charged can make it last a very long time.

Posted: **Mon Oct 17, 2011 4:55 pm**

Ethan Allison wrote:They make solar panel trickle chargers for around $25 that you can leave permanently attached. They're about 5-10% as powerful as a battery tender unless you get an expensive one.

I got one of these from Northern Tool, I think it was $25 on the nose. It works well, as long as you make sure the panel doesn't get covered in snow.

I ride year round, but I used to have a battery tender JR on my PC800. It worked, so another +1 for the battery tender jr.

Posted: **Mon Oct 17, 2011 5:05 pm**

Southerner wrote:I do like to rag on the "fair weather riders" down here, though. Let a little nip get in the air and the cruiser set goes into hibernation.

I do not!

(I like to give the fair-weather crowd a hard time, too: all in good fun.)
All kidding and teasing aside, I've come to view battery tenders for motorcycles the same way I look at jumper cables for cars. Whether you use them semi-regularly, once in a blue moon, or pretty much never, it's a handy thing to have. My local shop seems to agree with that idea, as my cruiser came with the tender plugin already wired to the battery. I never gave it a second thought with the scooter, but now that I don't have a kick-start to fall back on, it nags me just a little I threw the tender in with the sale instead of keeping it.

I joke and jest about never needing to use one, but my location and transport choices are the cause of that. I'm in trial period for going car-free and it's 10 miles minimum to get anywhere except the grocery store (5-6 miles). When I move (hopefully next year) I'll be looking for somewhere much more conveniently located to stuff...then l might be asking about the best way to season the words I'll be eating on tenders.

Posted: **Mon Oct 17, 2011 5:08 pm**

I've been "car-free" for about 3 months now. My wife drives her Pilot, and I drive it too when we go somewhere together, but my car (1998 Honda CRV) has sat for at least two months now. I probably should go drive it sometime soon... (perhaps I should invest in a tender for my car!

)

Posted: **Mon Oct 17, 2011 5:16 pm**

Sweet!

Yeah, might want to at least push it forward a couple feet so the tires don't get flat spots...maybe put some seafoam in the gas tank.

Posted: **Mon Oct 17, 2011 5:22 pm**

jd wrote:
viney266 wrote:One thing to add. If you do keep the battery on a tender over the storage months for those who do? You will get another year, maybe even 2 out of the battery. That will pay for a Tender right there!
My experience, and that of others I know, is that you will get a lot more added battery life than a year or two. Letting a battery run down over the winter really knocks the crap out of it and can shorten its life A LOT. Keeping it gently charged can make it last a very long time.

^^^^ Oh, I agree. I was just being conservative. I usually get 7 years out of a good battery.

Posted: **Mon Oct 17, 2011 7:22 pm**

synaps3 wrote:
Ethan Allison wrote:.............. but I used to have a battery tender JR on my PC800. .........
Fun gettin' to the battery on that, wasn't it?

Posted: **Mon Oct 17, 2011 7:55 pm**

Mulliganal wrote:We now have two scooters in the family (considering a third next year) and I'm think that I should probably have a battery charger. Do you folks have one and which one would you suggest.

I just found out that the iCharger I have for charging my lipos will work perfectly on my 12V Stella battery, coooool beans. No need to purchase a new charger for emergencies.

Posted: **Mon Oct 17, 2011 7:59 pm**

Southerner wrote:
synaps3 wrote:.............. but I used to have a battery tender JR on my PC800. .........
Fun gettin' to the battery on that, wasn't it?

It was a nightmare. That bike was the queen of tupperware.

Posted: **Mon Oct 17, 2011 8:26 pm**

synaps3 wrote:
Southerner wrote:
synaps3 wrote:.............. but I used to have a battery tender JR on my PC800. .........
Fun gettin' to the battery on that, wasn't it?
It was a nightmare. That bike was the queen of tupperware.

Had to giggle. After all that, a scooter can't be too bad.
Still, once one learns the drill, removing the plastics ain't that bad.

I've never even seen my plugs.

Posted: **Mon Oct 17, 2011 11:47 pm**

In case someone is looking motorcycle superstore has Tender Jr at a reasonable cost:
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/ ... arger.aspx

Posted: **Tue Oct 18, 2011 10:30 pm**

Batter tender Jr. is only $21.59 at Amazon. Free shipping starts at $25.00.

http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tender-02 ... 882&sr=8-1

Posted: **Wed Oct 19, 2011 12:15 am**

Mulliganal wrote:Do most of you folks own a battery charger?

Yes. I have my scooter's battery on a Battery Tender Jr. I also have my wife's seldom-used car on a waterproof Battery Tender 800.

Posted: **Wed Oct 19, 2011 12:21 am**

HowHH wrote:Yup. Battery Tender Jr.

Ditto. cheap and easy to use.

Posted: **Wed Oct 19, 2011 7:44 pm**

I have a Battery Tender Jr. leftover from an ATV purchase; the Polaris was stored at an informal hunting 'club' I belonged to; kept the battery charged since the Polaris was used year round for chores & recreational rides; the Battery Tender Jr. is gonna get lots of use during the winters now that I own 2 scooters that will be stored at home

Posted: **Thu Oct 20, 2011 5:25 pm**

The Battery Tender Junior is on sale at Motorcycle Superstore right now for $27.99 if anyone is interested.

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/ ... arger.aspx

Posted: **Thu Oct 20, 2011 7:31 pm**

k1dude wrote:The Battery Tender Junior is on sale at Motorcycle Superstore right now for $27.99 if anyone is interested.

Much cheaper on Amazon, only $21 with free shipping with Prime: http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tender-02 ... 023&sr=8-1

Posted: **Sun Oct 23, 2011 9:45 pm**

izark47 wrote:HF has one

http://www.harborfreight.com/automotive ... 42292.html

This model does not have the part that you can leave on the battery, but has good clamps.

We have a Harbor Freight in town so i will be looking to get one.

Did you get it? Did it work? I need a review. If you didn't get it yet, this just came in the AAA magazine.

Modern Buddy

Do most of you folks own a battery charger?

Do most of you folks own a battery charger?

Re: Do most of you folks own a battery charger?

Re: Do most of you folks own a battery charger?