Battery Tender "Not a Charger"

[mrlmd1]

12v is 12v, doesn't matter where you get it from. The starter will draw the amps it needs and not burn out if started from a 12v battery, car, tractor, bus, it doesn't matter. Jumping it with proper battery cables is much easier than taking the battery out to recharge it, but if it's totally drained it may take a very long ride to bring it back up to full charge. Do you know the output of the Strat's alternator?
I thought you learned your lesson when you did this on the GZ once before. Hopefully you didn't burn anything else out leaving it in the on position till the battery died.
Take the key with you, that should make sure it's turned off, (and nobody steals it).

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by alanmcorcoran

I thought it was bad to jump start it from a car battery... Not true?

If it is completely DEAD, then yes, probably not a good idea.

If it is still alive but weak then a jump from any other 12V battery should be OK......with the other vehicle NOT running.

I'm not sure I like the "leave it connected for 10 minutes" idea. There is always a chance that the smaller battery has, or will develop, a shorted cell or two and NASTY things will happen.
I believe it is best to do the starting ASAP after the connection is made.

Different considerations apply than when jumping two batteries of similar size......IMHO.

[alanmcorcoran]

To adress some of your jabs:

1) Although I am a quick study, I am also a slow learner. Doesn't make sense, but it's true.
2) I left the headlight on after I pulled into the garage after a 310 mile trip. Because of rain and an early morning ski trip, today was the very next time I sat on it. I'm sure the battery was done after night #1. Garage is well lit, bike shuts off automatically when you put down the kickstand. Why it continues to leave the headlight on and draw current is a bit of a design flaw. (Let the record show I did this once on my trip with OC Hoosier as well.)
3) 12mh? Not really sure of alternator output.
4) Dealer said it would take two hours to charge battery.
5) I leave the keys in the ignition in my garage. At my age, with my memory, it can be the difference of whether I get going at all. I might have to rethink this strategy given my tendency to leave it on.
6) Does leaving the Strat on count the same as leaving the GZ on? I haven't left that one on in months. Plus that was a parking light situation.

I will attempt the jump start when I get home tonight. (I mean the "real" jump start.) Thanks for the heads up.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by alanmcorcoran

I will attempt the jump start when I get home tonight. (I mean the "real" jump start.) Thanks for the heads up.

PILE ON......(adding another jab or two).......but serious advice, really.

You have developed a bad habit.
The side stand safety was NOT intended to be used all the time as an engine shut off.
The engine should already be OFF when you put the stand down.
A little self-retraining is in order, I think.

Jumping is NOT the best solution to the present problem.
You do NOT know the condition of the battery in the Liner. While it is not likely to cause a major eeff-up, it could and I would not want to take that chance.
How about picking up a charger on the way home ??

If the battery is healthy enough, a dual rate charger on the high side should give it enough to start in an hour or so......and then left overnight on the low rate should bring it back up to full capacity.

[alanmcorcoran]

Any recommendations for a good dual rate charger? I only held off on the charger because I was told (by the lady that makes the tenders) that the tender won't work on a dead battery. Can I just go to pep boys and get any old dual rate charger? The Yamaha manual recommends a "continuous" charger to avoid effing up the battery (I suppose because of never ending charge/discharge cycles.)

[mr. softie]

I have seen some good Die-Hard chargers at K-mart. They have a battery maintainer/charger on sale for $20 now.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by alanmcorcoran

Any recommendations for a good dual rate charger?

From a few posts back: (Guess you were "skimming".....)

"Nobody who lives where you do really NEEDS a Tender. Just visit any big box retailer, auto parts store, Harbor Freight, JC Whitney or maybe even Walgreens and get a small dual range charger.....2/8, 2/10, 3/12, etc.

Can be had for about $25-30. Good to have on hand for all manner of things, including making sure a new battery is fully charged BEFORE you put it into service."

By "continuous" charger, they mean something that switches to "float" mode when the charging is done........Like the original, full size Battery Tender. :shocked: That is desirable when the battery is not used for LONG periods of time.....like many months.

All that is not necessary if:
1) you get to ride every few days or so, such that you don't need ANY charger.......until you do something stupid
AND
2) you can remember to disconnect your cheap Chinese charger after some reasonable amount of time (a few days).

[mrlmd1]

Do you have a WalMart near you? I got a Schumacher 2/8/12 amp charger which can be used for regular, deep cycle, or AGM sealed batteries (different settings on the charger) for about $20-25 - you can use it on anything you may have in the garage, including the car if you leave that on too.
Don't forget, if you get a new AGM sealed battery from the dealer, despite what he may tell you that the battery is good to go after he fills it with acid when he gives it to you - that's WRONG, unless he fully charges it up first before you use it or it will never hold it's full charge. That's straight out of the manual from Yashua and any other AGM battery you buy. Insist he charge it up fully before putting it into your bike even if you have to wait there another hour or two.

[alanmcorcoran]

I got a shumacher at Pep Boys. I'm charging it now. The amperes are supposed to drop as it get's charged, but they are right at 6 if I have on the 6AMP setting and at 1.0 if it's on the 2.0 setting. I suspect the amp needle method is not very accurate. Hopefully I haven't blown all of the fuses out of it yet.

[patrick_777]

Originally Posted by Easy Rider

Like the original, full size Battery Tender.

My Battery Tender Jr. has a float mode. It works perfectly for the GZ.

Originally Posted by alanmcorcoran

I got a shumacher at Pep Boys. I'm charging it now. The amperes are supposed to drop as it get's charged, but they are right at 6 if I have on the 6AMP setting and at 1.0 if it's on the 2.0 setting. I suspect the amp needle method is not very accurate. Hopefully I haven't blown all of the fuses out of it yet.

This is normal if your battery is really low. 6A is not a very hard charge, so it'll take a long while. Be careful "checking" though. If the battery is still mid-charge, you can drain it really fast if you try to start it without riding for a long time after.