In years past I have taken the battery inside and stored it in the basement during winter, but I thought maybe I could just leave it installed and plug in the trickle charge.....any problem with that? I store the bike in my garage.

 

Been doing that the last 10 years, and have had no problems. Mine is stored in an unheated garage, but it rarely if ever gets to freezing temps. This battery is 5 yrs old with only trickle charge on in winter.

 

Yup, I do it every year. Just have a pigtail hooked up to the battery that came with my tender.

 

Great - thanks guys - that's what I will do then.

 

I wouldn't use a trickle charger. I would use a battery tender.

I use the one below (have two of them, work on gel batteries also)

 

+1 on the Battery Tender. Any smart charger will work. A standard trickle charger will over charge a battery if left on to long were as a monitor style (smart) charger will not.

 

I leave our batteries in the bikes (which are parked in the garage) with the tenders hooked. Another reason for this is "if" you have security, the security works.

 

I have three bikes and a car hooked up as I write, in an unheated garage. It does get below freezing here and I've been doing this for well over a decade.

 

I always leave my bike on the tender... it gets hooked up after every ride. My softail which I just traded in had the same battery for over 7 yrs.

 

I have not pulled a battery out for storage in years. Bike, boat, camper, and riding mower All have their own battery tender.