A Battery Tender Question

[Paul_F]

After reading Global Rider’s thread about battery longevity, I have a question.

When first getting back into riding I purchased OEM batteries from the local BMW dealer who never informed me of the two year warranties. The first two batteries each lasted less than two years, each replaced/paid out of pocket to the same dealer. Since then I have been installing Odyessey PC 680s in both bikes, which tend to last at least seven years and I have been pleased with that duration. When parking the bikes, both in riding season and winter storage, I use basic BMW battery tenders on each bike.

My question is, would using the battery tenders less frequently actually extend the life span of these batteries?

 

[Omega Man]

I hope not! I have so many Battery Tenders running, I would be in battery hell. The bikes have been on for months. Some of the others are on as a rotating basis.
GR seems to have luck with batteries that I have never been able to achieve.
OM

 

[collingsbob]

Winter lasts 5-6 months with temps to -40c where I live. I put my bikes on Battery Tenders in mid-October, cover them and ignore them until early May. I have done this for 15 yrs…all bikes start with ease.
I swear by 2 things..Seafoam and Battery Tenders

 

[m_stock10506]

When parking the bikes, both in riding season and winter storage, I use basic BMW battery tenders on each bike.

My question is, would using the battery tenders less frequently actually extend the life span of these batteries?

The issue I see is that the Odyssey batteries require higher charging voltages than standard battery tenders usually produce. Their web site provides a list of chargers that meet their requirements. Supposedly, if you use a standard charger, the battery will sulfate and lose capacity. I don't use them, I use standard AGM batteries. Put them on a charger overnight about once a month.

 

[mikegalbicka]

GR seems to have luck with batteries that I have never been able to achieve.
OM

I don't think it is luck but rather skill.

 

[stevenrankin]

I have been using battery tenders for years with Odyssey batteries for several years now on two bikes. The four bank tender I use also keeps other batteries topped off for my convertible and riding mower.
So far, Battery Tender has been the only charging system that hasn't cooked a battery on me. St.

 

[BC1100S]

....I have been installing Odyessey PC 680s in both bikes, which tend to last at least seven years and I have been pleased with that duration.

My question is, would using the battery tenders less frequently actually extend the life span of these batteries?

How much longer do you want them to last? I replace mine at 5 years to make sure I never have an issue. And in all my years of riding, I haven't.

 

[Paul_F]

How much longer do you want them to last? I replace mine at 5 years to make sure I never have an issue. And in all my years of riding, I haven't.

I have had one Odyessey fail at seven+ years (fortunately at home) which is why I replace them at seven years before there is an issue. I’ve had no success finding suppliers of Odyessey recommended battery tenders, even at odyessey.ca and realize the BMW chargers are not the best unit for maintaining these batteries.

BC, I am thrilled with the seven year life the Odyesseys on my tenders have lasted, especially compared to batteries from BMW but after reading Global Rider’s battery thread, wondered if my batteries might possibly be better served by a different means. Seven years certainly beats almost two years.

 

[stevenrankin]

As to the question of "how long do you want them to last?" My car batteries have lasted longer than ten years, I expect the same out of the motorcycle battery.
Given the conditions of motorcycle versus car, this is not always the case and MC batteries don't last as long. Or at least the cheap batteries I used to use before my current Odysseys didn't last. The worst were the lead acid batteries, a big mess all the time short lives. I am glad to be done with them.

I run batteries until they fail. It will be interesting to see how long the one remaining battery I have lasts. The other was in a bike I wrecked. St.

 

[BC1100S]

My car batteries have lasted longer than ten years, I expect the same out of the motorcycle battery.

You may want to modify your expectations.

Given the conditions of motorcycle versus car, this is not always the case and MC batteries don't last as long.

Expectations modified.

 

[52184]

Aahhh, a battery thread. All that’s needed is a response incorporating oil and tires and we’ll have a trifecta!

I’m a certified penny-pincher, but I confess to having difficulty understanding the rationale of risking being stranded in east Pavement Narrows, MT by trying to squeeze the last bits of life out of any of those three “regular maintenance” items.

Best,
DeVern

 

[stevenrankin]

Maybe I am lucky, I have never had a battery go suddenly bad leaving me stranded. All my failed batteries gave me a clue their lives were ending. Now starter relays, that is another story. St.

 

[easy]

Maybe I am lucky, I have never had a battery go suddenly bad leaving me stranded. All my failed batteries gave me a clue their lives were ending. Now starter relays, that is another story. St.

Keep riding. It will eventually happen.

E.

 

[pglaves]

Maybe I am lucky, I have never had a battery go suddenly bad leaving me stranded. All my failed batteries gave me a clue their lives were ending. Now starter relays, that is another story. St.

Steve, I'll bet you use wet-cell batteries.

The big difference lies in whether we are talking about a wet-cell (add water at the top) or a VRLA (Valve Regulated Lead Acid) AGM or Gell battery. The typical failure mode for a wet cell lead acid battery is an eventual slow steady decline in battery voltage due to battery chemistry. But, the typical failure mode for "sealed" AGM or Gell batteries is a physical fracture in either plate-to-plate connectors or cell to cell connectors. These batteries typically have more, thinner plates crammed into each cell which works electrically but makes the plate and cell connectors fragile.

In the chemical decline case battery standing voltage will show to be reduced and cranking voltage will be lower of course but still usually workable. This is usually noticed as "my battery is getting tired" giving warning in advance of a failure.

In the case of the physical breakage of plate-to-plate or cell-to-cell connectors things can happen in an instant and be a little deceiving. Sometimes the breakage causes an actual open circuit causing no voltage to show at all. But often the broken area can pass a very little amount of current. When this happens you can get a "good" standing no-load voltage reading but a very low voltage reading with any load. The most extreme example in my personal experience was an AGM battery that showed 13.2 volts with no load other than my volt meter but dropped to 0.4 volt when I attached a mere tail light bulb as a load. Needless to say it failed to do much of anything at all when I turned on the key.

I have experienced several cases of sudden death due to physical breakage with AGM batteries. Odyssey seems to be an exception though. They are tough!

 

[stevenrankin]

Paul, I get what you are saying, I used wet cell batteries up until the Odyssey battery was installed. I have no idea as to how one fails because so far none of the ones installed by me or my friend's shop have failed. So far, they have been the best battery I have ever seen installed. The shop battery failures dropped off quite a bit for those who are willing to spend the money on them.
Yeah, maybe I will get caught out, it is a chance I am willing to take. I keep things tuned up so the bike will fire bump starting if need be, LOL. St.

 

[pglaves]

Paul, I get what you are saying, I used wet cell batteries up until the Odyssey battery was installed. I have no idea as to how one fails because so far none of the ones installed by me or my friend's shop have failed. So far, they have been the best battery I have ever seen installed. The shop battery failures dropped off quite a bit for those who are willing to spend the money on them.
Yeah, maybe I will get caught out, it is a chance I am willing to take. I keep things tuned up so the bike will fire bump starting if need be, LOL. St.

As I said, Odyssey seems to make batteries much more rugged than many other AGM batteries. But the general distinction between AGM and wet cell batteries and their failure modes is pretty convincing to me.

 

[stevenrankin]

LOL, let's see how long I can go and what happens. Since ninety percent of my rides are now loops with no stops I don't have to worry about getting stuck too far from home. St.

 

[pglaves]

LOL, let's see how long I can go and what happens. Since ninety percent of my rides are now loops with no stops I don't have to worry about getting stuck too far from home. St.

I think that is true, maybe, with your Odyssey. But with other AGM brands I have had two battery failures just going down the road. And depending on the bike and charging system you might keep riding on alternator power, or not. Both my '01 F650 Dakar and my '18 G310GS had instantaneous battery failures going down the road. The F650 would run with jumper cables connected but it would die as soon as they were disconnected. It went on a trailer to get home. With my G310 I just hooked up my Anti-Gravity Microstart and dashed home - ruining the Microstart by the way.