"probably no harm done" - easy for you to say!!!

I'm going to give this a try. See how it works for me. I'll post an update in Jan/Feb when this thread is ice cold. Just like NY will be....

 

WHy not just do a setup with a easily removable battery within your saddlebags that is paralleled back to the main battery? No one would be any the wiser to that and it could be done so that you could just leave it in place when on a local ride and only pull it if you need the space.
In reality though I'd think that just cranking up the bike and running it at a high idle for 10-15 minutes would keep it charged.

 

Deep cycling the battery every once in a while does not damage it. In fact, every time you start your bike, you are doing a moderate deep cycle and this is what the battery was designed to do and works best when it is occasionally deep cycled and long-time recharged.

There are some cautions to watch out for when directly connecting 2 batteries with significant differences in current capacities together because the only external current limiting factor is the cables and clips used.

Make sure they are connected in parallel. Put them in series ignoring the big spark and you will let the magic smoke out and it will be forever dead.

Be mindful that heat can happen if there is a significant differential between the current demanded by the small battery. IOW, if the motorcycle battery has been discharged for awhile and won't even turn on the panel lights, then there will be heat generated as the large battery pushes as much current into the small battery as is physically possible to keep the voltage at the large battery's level. Rigging up a current limiter circuit or fuse it at say 10-15 amps is an option.

If you connect it via a pigtail coming from the car (great idea, btw!) don't forget to disconnect it before cranking the car and driving off...

Also, you really don't need to keep it on 24/7, just connect it up every every other night and leave it connected overnight.

 

I had my finger poised on the button to order a LiFePo4 battery, when I decided to do a bit more research. It appears while they have amazing CCA's and practically no self discharge, they aren't so great when dealing with parasitic draws - like I have on my LR with the factory security system. In fact Ballistic themselves say you're better off with an AGM in that situation.

So back to the drawing board. Here's what I'm going to do (and it's done because I already ordered the stuff).

Keep the factory battery.

Install this - a high current battery tender-like cable to allow easy jumping or high amp charging.

http://earthxmotorsports.com/shop/op...f-battery-lead

Bought this mini jumper box to dedicate to the bike.


Wire this matching connector to the jumper box so all I have to do it plug it in and turn it on...


Replace my battery more frequently then most since its going to take more of a beating then one on a constant tender.

This way, i can leave it for a couple of weeks, and i have an easy jump if it gets too low to start on its own. I can also use the high amp cable to put a solid, running charge on it from my OL's car if I want to. There's plenty of ventilation in the garage (running exhaust fans) so no worry of CO poisoning if I run the car for 10 min every couple of weeks.

And stop thinking about this nonsense and move on to other equally silly projects...

 

Why not just ride it once a week or so? Best way to keep it charged and ready to ride...just say'n...

 

Cause I ain't in Texas brother! Here up north we can go a month with below freezing temps and snow and ice on the deck. I just like to have the option to hop on and ride on those occasional above freezing few days.

 

Just messin' with all y'all snow-bound Northerners...We are having a georgeous riding day, leather cool and absolutely clear...and now I am wondering why I am sitting here teasing y'all about not being able to ride for months on end.

In fact, it is lunch time and there is a new BBQ joint that just opened up about 20 miles away...BBQ ribs, Texas style...I am so outta here!

 

Damn you

 

Well, since you bought all that stuff already I won't tell you that unless you need that security system running full time (alarm?) you could just pull the cable off the negative post. No connection = no draw. It's how people did batteries for years before they invented tenders.

 

Yeah, I know. Again. Lazy. Don't want to have to unscrew the battery box, install the neg cable, and bolt it all back together. 5 min, i know. Like I said. Lazy. I do like the false sense of security the security system provides too...