[Miss Mercedes]

Yeah, I didn't really want to go there for fear it would get things off course in regard to battery tender use. But y'all are 100% correct.

They certainly are!

I guess I need to clarify words that I never said and mention that I don't just run things for a few minutes (that's just bad for everything, and heaven forbid you own something with a rotary) but I make sure everything gets to running temps then take a test drive, weather permitting.

Usually this process takes about two-ish hours, hence my mentioning that I'm probably going to get a tender next winter. Why make life harder than it has to be, right?

Going out and running the garage queens wasn't a big deal when it was just two cars, but now it's like two cars and however many bikes I'm too scared to let near salt and snow.

 

[Unkle Krusty]

All my bikes and the van cage are plugged in to tenders. There are about 3 or other batteries that I keep in a shed and swap a tender around.
The tractor battery is charged by a solar panel and 20 amp regulator. The oldest battery is for the 006 Suzuki.
The belch mobile and Yami batteries are also old. The one from the small sailboat is possibly 20 years old.

UK

 

[Offcenter]

I have four Battery Tender Juniors, three for my bikes, and one for my tractor.
They work great.

 

[Unkle Krusty]

To add.
My van cage has a .75 amp draw while sitting. Not a problem sitting for a week at minus 20 C, but a problem when I let it sit over the summer months. I only insure it 01 Nov to the end of March. The older bikes do not have a drain, but the newer ones with clocks will have a small drain.
I should have mentioned that my 006 Suzuki was first fired in late 008.

UK

 

[GatorJoe]

Without trying to sound like a Parrot .. Have kept all my Rides on a Deltran Battery Tender Jr. anytime they are parked for over 10 years with Great Results and I ride almost daily.. Just knowing I am starting at Peak Voltage alone whether parked overnight or a week has convinced me .. Even my old Carbed Dyna which has no voltage drain when shut off is always kept tendered parked at home .. Never had a battery last less than 5 Years, so everyone to their own decision, this is mine ..

 

[Miss Mercedes]

OP hasn't come back, so I guess this is a battery tender thread now!

Seriously though. OP, try a different battery and/or maybe see if any rodents have chewed on any wiring.

Any recommendations on a tender or tenders good for multiple bike batteries at the same time?

 

[Unkle Krusty]

Without trying to sound like a Parrot .. Have kept all my Rides on a Deltran Battery Tender Jr. anytime they are parked for over 10 years with Great Results and I ride almost daily.. Just knowing I am starting at Peak Voltage alone whether parked overnight or a week has convinced me .. Even my old Carbed Dyna which has no voltage drain when shut off is always kept tendered parked at home .. Never had a battery last less than 5 Years, so everyone to their own decision, this is mine ..

At the other end of the scale.
Back in time, a battery not on a tender, would last about one year.

UK

 

[hogcowboy]

OP hasn't come back, so I guess this is a battery tender thread now!

Seriously though. OP, try a different battery and/or maybe see if any rodents have chewed on any wiring.

Any recommendations on a tender or tenders good for multiple bike batteries at the same time?

Believe it or not your best bet is to get how ever many you need from eBay.

I found a 4 bank Battery Tender brand used for cheap and to be honest, I don't think it is a convenient as those little maintainers. I still have cords running everywhere but the big guy does handle my tractor/dozer/car batteries just fine. Would I buy another? Nope. Well, unless it was as cheap as I got this one. Then maybe. If I had to get additional leads, mine had them, back to no. Those little jobs are just too too easy to deal with.

Keep in mind, they do fail. I've had two suddenly stop working.

 

[beemer dood]

Costco sells a 3 amp Deltran Battery Tender that can be switched from 6 to 12 volts for about $40. Deltran tells me that they're identical to the ones that they sell for about $80, but it has Costco packaging. I now have three of them.

They're usually not in stock at local stores, but can be purchased online. Here's the link. https://www.costco.com/Battery-Tender-Power-plus-3-Amp-Charger.product.100241973.html?catalogId=10701&keyword=battery+tender&langId=-1&storeId=10301

 

[Critter]

I thought for motorcycle batteries we wanted something in the 1-1.5 amp range?

 

[hogcowboy]

I use a 3a when I've done a lot of cranking trying to get my ATV to start. The lower amp Tender Jr won't bring it back. But yeah, generally the lower amp is what is suggested. Maybe we've read the same stuff Critter.:grin: I honestly don't see why a 3a would be a problem left on all the time since it's a maintainer anyway and not a trickle charger.

 

[beemer dood]

I thought for motorcycle batteries we wanted something in the 1-1.5 amp range?

That's what I said to the Deltran people when they told me about this model. Their reply was that the amp rating was important for a battery charger but since these devices check the charge status of the battery before actually doing anything, it's not of any importance. They'll deliver just what the battery needs. If a battery is quite low and can take the three amps, it will deliver it. The higher rating means that it can be used on car batteries as well as on the bikes.

 

[SemiFast]

So it automatically cuts back amperage, depending on what the battery needs, as the battery comes up to full charge.
I have a charger that works that way. It can be switched from 2 amp to 6 amp. A battery that is only a little low will not take anywhere near 6 amps. There is a meter that shows how much amperage the battery is taking.

 

[mike721]

I've had good luck with this charger/ tender from Amazon, I have 7 of them and my stepdaughter has one, for $25 each with free shipping they are a bargain.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0756Q88J5/

Some are a couple years old, none have failed, they just work. The only time one let me down was a really dead (left the headlight on for 2 days dead) battery, which read 3 volts when I started! It thought it was a 6v battery and only charged it to 6 volts, the trick was to fool it by connecting another battery ( like I was jump starting it) to the dead one then starting the charger, then removing the jumper cables. The charger stayed in 12 volt mode and it charged the dead one fully by the next day.

 

[Retired Guy]

Ah, got to remember that. I was trying to charge up a RV battery a few years ago. Charger wouldn't charge above 6 volts. Never thought about using another battery and cables to "fool" the charger. Thanks Mike!

 

[Miss Mercedes]

Costco sells a 3 amp Deltran Battery Tender that can be switched from 6 to 12 volts for about $40. Deltran tells me that they're identical to the ones that they sell for about $80, but it has Costco packaging. I now have three of them.

They're usually not in stock at local stores, but can be purchased online. Here's the link. https://www.costco.com/Battery-Tender-Power-plus-3-Amp-Charger.product.100241973.html?catalogId=10701&keyword=battery+tender&langId=-1&storeId=10301

And after some research, we have a winner! $40 for that kind of power appears to be a hilariously good deal. Getting one shipped to my condo right now and might pick up more if they work as good as they sound.

 

[Unkle Krusty]

Wot BD says.
For everything you ever wanted to know about batteries, and smart charging and regulators, the book " Living on 12 volts " tells more than most of us want to know.

UK