Folks,

I have decided to keep the sportster handy instead of paying for storage, but I am not sure what trickle charger I need. I know there are different sizes, which do I need?

Thanks in advance, Mike

 

I like the Battery Tender Plus, it runs the battery to 15.6 volts then floats it at 14.4, much easier on it than boiling the water out of it at 15.6. I know its sealed but it can be boiled dry anyway.

 

I just bought 3 Battery Tender Juniors from Derby Cycle for 19 bucks each. Absolute best price you will find and they arrived in 2 days!

The battery tender juniors are rated as one of the best "trickle" chargers you can use and are "Smart" chargers guaranteed not to harm your battery.

 

Battery Tender (tm) is a manufacturer of very good quality FLOAT Chargers. You can find float chargers from other brands as well, such as Black & Decker at Walmart.

A float charger is the only type of charger that should be used for long term battery maintenance. A Trickle Charger is a different animal and will destroy a battery if used for long term storage.

To avoid user confusion, the phrases "Battery Tender" and "Trickle Charger" should never appear in the same sentence.

 

I would only use a battery tender to a unit like one since a trickle charger will just keep cramming a charge into ta full battery and heat it up too much. Plus the tenders come with that pig tail you install on the battery so you can just plug and unplugs when you want. Once you have the pigtail installed there is 12v outlets and other stuff that is made to plug into them.

 

Another vote for Battery Tender Plus.

 

There are lots of different brand names (I bought mine at Sears--it was marketed for garden tractors) but the advice to use a float charger/maintainer and NOT a trickle charger is exactly right.

 

I got a schumacher battery charger/maintainer......6 or 12 volt thru a switch...
Been working good maintaining my batteries.
Pete

 

Here is a true Trickle Charger, although made for RC Hobbiests, it charges at 250ma and trickles at 15ma but will still boil a 300 amp garden tractor dry in about 2 weeks. It may interest some of you that the ACE Company was in Higginsville, Mo. and equipment like this was built in homes throughout the Higginsville area. What a concept huh?

 

I gotta add another plug for the Battery Tender Juniors from Derby Cycles. They arrived yesterday and I got them installed on all 3 scoots-my '07 RKC, my '07 XL1200C and my 2010 Iron.

The only draw back for my application is they are the "wall wart" style where the box itself must plug in to the receptical, so it means I can't run all three off one simple extension cord. That's ok, I simply fab a cord with 3 regular 110VAC receptical boxes for them.

Being "Smart chargers" they operate automatically in several different modes depending on the condition/charge of the battery. First they kick in fully until the battery comes up to full charge, then they back off and "float charge" as required, so they cannot hurt anything.

I like them so much that I just ordered another for my lawn tractor and another for my boat.

Derby Cycles-check them out-they are only 19.95 there which is 10 bucks cheaper than ANYONE else and they arrived in just 2 days. The chargers come with permenant wire harness that you attach to your battery, plus alligator clip leads you can use on you car/boat or whatever.