I read in the user guide that the battery needs a special charger and that a standard charger could damage the battery?

I've used a Battery Tender for years and see others have used it here as well.

Does it work just fine? I have the charger just need some leads.

Thanks!

I have the battery tender junior and have had no problems, but this is the first winter on the new max.

If the battery has at least 35% of its charge the battery tender
will bring it up just fine. How ever if it is indeed dead it will
not work. Two weeks bike not running plug it in till it goes green,
then unplug it two weeks repete........

My "battery Tender" says to just keep it plugged in. The system trickles so slow when it's up to voltage, it will not damage the battery.

VmxJak wrote:
If the battery has at least 35% of its charge the battery tender
will bring it up just fine. How ever if it is indeed dead it will
not work. Two weeks bike not running plug it in till it goes green,
then unplug it two weeks repete........

Actually with a dead battery you can jump the battery with an automobile battery but DON'T START THE CAR while charging...Auto batteries provide enough juice to get a slight charge.

Disconnect from car battery and attach Battery Tender...Will finish the charge and be good to go...I've done this on both bikes and have had no problems.

Since the main purpose is to maintain the battery during low useage, my Battery Tender Plus has a float cycle (maintenance mode) and I feel confindent to use this charger on my bike and plan to install the plug-in adapter that attaches to the battery.

Ken

wjzwiss wrote:
I have the battery tender junior and have had no problems, but this is the first winter on the new max.

I have the battery tender senior and its even better than the junior IMO.

Absorbed glass mat (AGM) batteries, such as the Odyssey (aka Enersys) PC680--which is a good replacement for the Generation One VMAX--have a lower self-discharge rate than wet batteries. There should be no need to trickle charge them for idle periods of up to around two months.

Unless the charger is listed for AGM batteries, it will not maintain the charge properly on them.

Most newer bikes use these batteries, because they have lower impedance and deliver far greater cranking power than wet batteries.

Further, most dealers do not "initialize" wet batteries properly, which is why those batteries you bought for the Gen 1 from the dealer didn't last long or crank worth a damn.

A lot of times, using a battery tender is just a band aid for poor battery application and use. On the other hand, if accessories drain the battery while parked of the bike sits for months at a time, we need some kind of a charger.

This manual for the PC680 has some generally applicable information about chargers starting at about page 13: www.odysseybatteries.com/files/techbook.pdf The information generally applies to most absorbed glass mat electrolyte batteries.

I have used my Battery Tender for years on my bikes and tractors, and every spring, they all have started up like it was a new battery. Never been stranded to this date due to a low charge. My 2 cents, as the instruction on the Tender says, plug it in and leave it. It's always worked for me.

That's what I read too, VMX12. Thanks,