Battery Tender

[Cypher]

Hi all,

I want to get a battery tender for my 2022 750x DCT. Is there a specific kind I need to get for this battery? Any brand recommendations? Thanks all!

 

[670cc]

Most all small battery charger/maintainers will handle the battery in the NC. You’ll want a charger somewhere in the neighborhood of 700-800 mA output so as not to charge the battery with too much current.

I have had success with the Optimate brand chargers. Deltran Battery Tender is popular, however I have encountered reliability problems with them and in my opinion the low cost units are too simplified. NOCO Genius is another brand out there but be aware they use special connectors that won’t be compatible with common accessories like an air compressor, or a USB power adapter you may also want to connect to your motorcycle at times.

 

[Cypher]

Most all small battery charger/maintainers will handle tha battery in the NC. You’ll want a charger somewhere in the neighborhood of 700-800 mA output so as not to charge the battery with too much current.

I have had success with the Optimate brand chargers. Deltran Battery Tender is popular, however I have encountered reliability problems with them and in my opinion the low cost units are too simplified. NOCO Genius is another brand out there but be aware they use special connectors that won’t be compatible with common accessories like an air compressor, or a USB power adapter you may also want to connect to your motorcycle at times.

Thank you! Dumb question, but are the batteries lithium or lead acid?

 

[670cc]

Thank you! Dumb question, but are the batteries lithium or lead acid?

The stock battery in the NC is lead acid.

 

[Deleted member 10242]

I have a Battery Tender Junior 800. It can handle lead acid or lithium battery.

 

[the Ferret]

I have been using Battery Tender Jr's for years on my motorcycles, scooters and quad. Have had no reliabiltiy issues with the chargers to my knowledge.

 

[Roadkill]

I've used battery tenders on all my rides including my current 2023 NC750x. I am changing whether I'm going to leave it constantly plugged in like prior rides. Batteries chargers are like discussing oil, lots of opinions out there. I'm not going to leave my new bike constantly plugged in. From research, batteries need to be "cycled" to keep them fresh. Topping off a battery constantly "might" do more harm than good. Even my cell phone company, device manufacturers and employees are telling people not to constantly charge any device. They recommend charging it and then unplugging it. My new phone even has a "battery saver mode" that keeps you from constantly charging it to the max. Yes, I know I'm talking about cell phones but is there that much of a difference? My 2019 Yamaha XMAX 300 was constantly plugged in when not in use, yet the battery died after just one year. Had other bikes with battery issues as well and all were "tendered". My NC will never be plugged in except if unridden more than a month, Honda says to do that in there manual so that's what I'm gonna do now. Only time will tell.

 

[DTMWAP]

2000 Suzuki Bandit 1200 bought new; original battery replaced in 2009 (9 years)
2007 Honda ST1300A bought used in 2009 with original battery, replaced in 2017 (10 years)
2015 NC750X bought used in 2019 with original battery still on (8 years)

I never used a battery tender.
3 charges evenly spaced in time during hibernation with a plain very old 2 amps charger.

 

[670cc]

2000 Suzuki Bandit 1200 bought new; original battery replaced in 2009 (9 years)
2007 Honda ST1300A bought used in 2009 with original battery, replaced in 2017 (10 years)
2015 NC750X bought used in 2019 with original battery still on (8 years)

I never used a battery tender.
3 charges evenly spaced in time during hibernation with a plain very old 2 amps charger.

View attachment 51545

Anecdotal evidence suggests your relatively cool climate in Montreal helps extend battery lifespan. I live farther south but generally enjoy 8 years motorcycle battery lifespan. People living in south Texas or southern Arizona report 2-3 years as typical battery life.

In cold off season climates, battery self discharge is practically non-existent, so charging is hardly even necessary at all unless added 24x7 accessories are causing a constant drain on the battery. I could put my stuff away for winter in an unheated building and batteries would probably lose very little charge and I would not need a charger. If you store the battery or vehicle in a warm area, you’ll probably be forced to charge it to maintain it properly.

Anyway, I‘m getting off track. Any modern 700-1000mA automatic battery charger/maintainer for lead-acid batteries would probably do fine. It’s worth noting that printed on the Yuasa YTZ12S battery, standard charge rate is 1.1 amps. Typical recommended charge rate for motorcyce batteries is 1/10 the amp-hour rating.

 

[DTMWAP]

Anecdotal evidence suggests your relatively cool climate in Montreal helps extend battery lifespan.

Agree for the cool climate, but riding buddies in my area using battery tenders usually get shorter battery life.

 

[670cc]

Agree for the cool climate, but riding buddies in my area using battery tenders usually get shorter battery life.

Good to know. Will add that to the mental library of battery maintenance observations.

 

[mzflorida]

Most all small battery charger/maintainers will handle the battery in the NC. You’ll want a charger somewhere in the neighborhood of 700-800 mA output so as not to charge the battery with too much current.

I have had success with the Optimate brand chargers. Deltran Battery Tender is popular, however I have encountered reliability problems with them and in my opinion the low cost units are too simplified. NOCO Genius is another brand out there but be aware they use special connectors that won’t be compatible with common accessories like an air compressor, or a USB power adapter you may also want to connect to your motorcycle at times.

That is true that NoCo does not ship with standard SAE connectors, but they do have an adapter for compatibility with SAE devices.

 

[670cc]

That is true that NoCo does not ship with standard SAE connectors, but they do have an adapter for compatibility with SAE devices.

Good to know. I have 11 machines/vehicles that have 2 pin SAE pigtails installed, so for me anyway, I’d want to stick with that standard.

 

[INTHEWIND]

2000 Suzuki Bandit 1200 bought new; original battery replaced in 2009 (9 years)
2007 Honda ST1300A bought used in 2009 with original battery, replaced in 2017 (10 years)
2015 NC750X bought used in 2019 with original battery still on (8 years)

I never used a battery tender.
3 charges evenly spaced in time during hibernation with a plain very old 2 amps charger.

View attachment 51545

That belongs in a museum. LOL

 

[INTHEWIND]

Battery tenders save batteries.

 

[670cc]

Battery tenders work.

What are you trying to say? A three word post could be interpreted multiple ways. Are you writing about battery maintainers in general, or specifically the Deltran Battery Tender?

Yes, all the battery chargers I currently possess do work (perform the functions they were designed to do). The two Deltran Battery Tenders I currently have do work. The two Battery Tenders I threw away in the past didn’t work. I suspect the older BT Jr. circuit design produced a lot of heat the ultimately led to their demise.

 

[InfernoST]

I've used battery tenders on all my rides including my current 2023 NC750x. I am changing whether I'm going to leave it constantly plugged in like prior rides. Batteries chargers are like discussing oil, lots of opinions out there. I'm not going to leave my new bike constantly plugged in. From research, batteries need to be "cycled" to keep them fresh. Topping off a battery constantly "might" do more harm than good. Even my cell phone company, device manufacturers and employees are telling people not to constantly charge any device. They recommend charging it and then unplugging it. My new phone even has a "battery saver mode" that keeps you from constantly charging it to the max. Yes, I know I'm talking about cell phones but is there that much of a difference? My 2019 Yamaha XMAX 300 was constantly plugged in when not in use, yet the battery died after just one year. Had other bikes with battery issues as well and all were "tendered". My NC will never be plugged in except if unridden more than a month, Honda says to do that in there manual so that's what I'm gonna do now. Only time will tell.

I use my bike everyday and only ever use the tender is when the weather is very cold out where I will plug it in everyday when I get home when the weather gets warmer (Spring through Fall) I put the tender away. I have been doing this for years through many different and get 6 to 7 years of use from a battery.

 

[GregC]

+1 on the Optimate. Had a Battery Tender Jr for a while but got an Optimate for Xmas and it's great. I've got a Mighty Max lead acid battery in my 2015 DCT at this point.

 

[skills4lou]

I've had a BatteryMINDer for probably 15yrs, model 1500. They don't make that one any more, but here's the new one:
https://www.batteryminders.com/1510-12-volt-maintenance-charger-desfulator-with-warranty

I rotate that one around among my ATVs, motorcycles, lawn mowers, RV, boat etc. I think in that 15 or so years I've bought maybe 3 new batteries, and those were on toys that I bought with already weak batteries. I've never replaced a battery twice in the same toy. YMMV.

 

[670cc]

I've had a BatteryMINDer for probably 15yrs, model 1500. They don't make that one any more, but here's the new one:
https://www.batteryminders.com/1510-12-volt-maintenance-charger-desfulator-with-warranty

I rotate that one around among my ATVs, motorcycles, lawn mowers, RV, boat etc. I think in that 15 or so years I've bought maybe 3 new batteries, and those were on toys that I bought with already weak batteries. I've never replaced a battery twice in the same toy. YMMV.

I forgot about the BatteryMINDer. Looks more sophisticated than a Battery Tender Jr. and the warranty looks impressive.