Is there any reason the negative ring connector for my Battery Tender Jr. can't be made right at the negative post of the battery? The connecting ring would fit perfectly under the bolt there. The instructions state to make the negative connection to a heavy part of the bike frame and I'm wondering if there is a reason not to just make the connection to the battery post directly.
Negative Connection
- Thread starter Rocket J.
- Start date
Chopper
Senior Member
I think most tech's I've known hook both leads right to the battery, but less stuff on you're battery post the better. when you hook the tender to a battery out of the bike you just use both posts, although you have a good ground post and a breaker in front of the battery right on the frame on the touring bikes that works well.
Thanks Chopper,
I think I know where you mean in front of the battery. In fact there are two posts with multiple wires going to ground. The wire from my negative post of the battery is connected to the right post. I could connect the negative of the Battery Tender there, but it just wouldn't look as simple and "clean" as if the connection was made right under the bolt head of the negative post itself.
Still I hesitate to do that because of the instructions for installation. The instructions definitely call for connecting the positive lead directly to the battery post, but call for connecting the negative to the frame. I don't understand why.
I think I know where you mean in front of the battery. In fact there are two posts with multiple wires going to ground. The wire from my negative post of the battery is connected to the right post. I could connect the negative of the Battery Tender there, but it just wouldn't look as simple and "clean" as if the connection was made right under the bolt head of the negative post itself.
Still I hesitate to do that because of the instructions for installation. The instructions definitely call for connecting the positive lead directly to the battery post, but call for connecting the negative to the frame. I don't understand why.
Chopper
Senior Member
Here's a pic fron the HD battery tender instructions, this is how I have hook the tender leads up in the past. How ever you hook you're up it will work just find. Wish I could tell you why you're tender instruction say to connect ground to frame, maybe someone eles on the forum knows.
Only thing I can think of is they want to eliminate clutter or easy service of the battery terminal. I know on the Sportster, the negative terminal is in the inside, and the battery is a very tight fit, so you really can't see how well the lead dress is. When I got my bike, the negative eyelet had broken off between the eye and insulator and had to do a bit of troubleshooting to find out what was wrong one day...
Thanks for the info/picture. Since I do have a bit of doubt I went ahead and followed the instructions. I installed the negative ring connector under the bolt holding other ground wires to the post in front of the battery. The TenderJr. worked just as advertized with the red indicator going on for about 5 minutes (charging), then a flashing green indicator for about 10 minutes (85% charged) and then a solid green indicator light (fully charged). I used a tie-tie to collect the excess to make it all neat in front of the battery and routed the leads and DC cable down and through the nickle sized circular cut-out in front of the battery. The two prong connector just sticks out of the nickle sized hole. Now I just need to find a rubber gromment to fit the nickle sized hole so the Battery Tender cable doesn't wear on the edges of the hole.
Really, it's bright sunshine and in the 60s here right now so I'm headed out to keep my battery charged the good ol' riding it way.
Really, it's bright sunshine and in the 60s here right now so I'm headed out to keep my battery charged the good ol' riding it way.
Hoople
Account Removed
The reason for that was to prevent any possible hydrogen out-gassing from the battery top from igniting caused by sparks when you attached the final negative cable.
Maybe the battery gassing deal is the reason the company instructs to connect the ring connector to the frame, too. I also thought that maybe the ring connector could be angled to protrude a bit higher than the negative battery post and some seats may then make contact with it. I don't know and I guess it doesn't really matter except for in a trivia question kinda way.
By the way,.. I've definately joined the club who think that Battery Tender Jr. is about the best thing since bottled beer. Where I live the weather is such that I can ride at least some every month of the year, but I'm still keeping the Tender hooked up whenever I'm parked at home. I swear it doesn't even sound like the engine cranks before it fires right up with the Tender keeping the battery at max charge.
I ended up using an old black spark plug rubber boot to serve as a grommet to protect the pigtail wires running through the round hole at the bottom front of the battery. The connector and the end of the spark plug boot just peek out of the hole for a neat looking set-up.
By the way,.. I've definately joined the club who think that Battery Tender Jr. is about the best thing since bottled beer. Where I live the weather is such that I can ride at least some every month of the year, but I'm still keeping the Tender hooked up whenever I'm parked at home. I swear it doesn't even sound like the engine cranks before it fires right up with the Tender keeping the battery at max charge.
I ended up using an old black spark plug rubber boot to serve as a grommet to protect the pigtail wires running through the round hole at the bottom front of the battery. The connector and the end of the spark plug boot just peek out of the hole for a neat looking set-up.