Battery Maint for Winter

Iceman24

What do most of you people like me who have to "unfortunately" store their bikes for winter (cold in NE) do with the battery? Is it best to remove & bring inside, or connect to a tender in the garage? My garage isn't 100% insulated (can drop into 20's) so I wanted to see if anyone has good advice for my situation...Thanks!

glider

You can leave it in the bike as long as there is a tended attached. If you feel better about bringing it into a heated area, you can do that too.

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smitty901

This is a simple one make sure your connection are clean. If it is as older or walmart battery that you add acid to make sure it is close to the full mark If not just a very small amount below line.
Plug in your battery TENDER and for get about it till weather gets better.
Option two take it out store it in the house drive yourself nuts worrying about it for no reason at all.
20 is not cold that is still riding weather -20 is still not a problem

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Iceman24

Thanks Glider, I'm going to get the tender tomorrow (local HD having sale) & my thought was to leave it connected to the bike. I've got the soft/cotton cover & a plug right on the adjacent wall...should be good. We do get a few warm winter days so I'll have the option to uncover, disconnect & ride (hopefully).

smitty901

You can get good lower cost Tenders from other sources. Your call of course.
Once Tender is plugged in leave it. Thats what a Tender is for it is not a charger like your old trickel charger. It will cycle the battery over time.

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TQuentin1

Tender, good.

But beyond just the battery, make sure you have mothballed the bike for the Winter. Change your fluids. Top up the gas tank and add a stabilizer. Put the bike on a lift, blocks, or an apple crate to get the load off the tires. Clean it and cover it to keep the dust off, and set out traps if rodents are a problem.

Do NOT start the bike until you are ready to ride it again regularly. The engine should be run to operating temperature the next time it is run. Do not be tempted "just to run it for a few minutes to warm it up".

TQ

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glider

Take a look here too...

Winter Storage - Harley Davidson Community

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Jack Klarich

Remember distilled water for the battery tap water has lots of bad chemicals and metals that will break down the plates good luck this spring

Scrappy

Battery Tender Jr works and is small and cheap.
Amazon.com: battery tender

Zamadan

I just lift mine off the floor and plug in the tender. Gets to -35 or more here. When the Chinooks come I lower it, disconnect the tender and get a few days riding in.