About your battery...
The battery is a 12 volt, 12 amp/hour lead acid battery.
Lead acid batteries HATE to be discharged, even a little low voltage and they
will start to sulfate. (coat the plates)
When you start your bike the starter brings the voltage down, and the alternator brings it right back up.
Your battery should read about 12.7 volts with the key off or out of the bike.
If you're not starting your bike the battery will slowly loose voltage, and start to sulfate, so it should be charged every 3-4 weeks, or put a tender on it, the good one is the C-Tek 3300.
C-Tek battery tenders also go into a pulsate mode, and they actually will remove sulfate from the plates.
Don't make the $90 mistake, ...charge your battery when storing your bike.

 

Looks like a different style plug on the C-Teks; do you know if they'll fit the one the other brands all seem to use? Not knowing that is why I didn't get one the last time I added a tender to the collection, otherwise they sound pretty good, get good reviews. Haven't seen any in shops around here.

Not just sporty batteries either, even auto batteries.

 

Hmmmmm. I must be doing something wrong then cause my original battery lasted 10.5 to 11 years and was never on a tender when stored during hunting season.....Neither has this second battery.

 

Haha,think I will stay out of this one

 

Yes, my C6 Corvette is a garage queen and has a parasitic draw of .08 amps with the computer system, if I'm not going to start it for over a week I hook up the CTek.
All the adapters come with it, just Google C-Tek 3300 it has a special mode for motorcycles. They are the best about $45.
My wifes Mustang stays on one all winter.

 

You are correct, your battery will last a very long time if you don't try to start the engine.

 

You're funny. The bike is ridden several days a week each week of the summer/spring/fall, and at least once a month or more during winter.

 

Whats the meaning if this... a $20 battery
tender solves all woes.

Below are my currently mothballed sportster and z4. On the left under the spray bottles are the batteries to both. Both living on tenders.

Are we trying to sell tendees here? Sure feels like it.

 

Hmmmmmmm...my bike with it's four year old battery, with no tender, has been outside under a tarp for two months enduring single digits and low teen temps, and much to my surprise last weekend the sumbitch started right the **** up. I was kinda' shocked but not entirely.

=8^)