trickle chargers

[bikersmurff]

hi all first day in 2 weeks here in australia goldcoast that it hasent rained so i can go for a ride but i need some info on trikle chargers as my gl1500 is not my only bike and sits around for a while .dose the 1500 have a plug for a charger built in some were or can any one recomend one,dose it have to be a special one for the wing!!due to all its electrics?? we have many diffrent brands here ranging from $40--$150 and all seem to do the same thing??.my gl1100 had a cigaret socket plug in the fairing but i cant find one on the 1500 i thought of pluging a solar charger in to that if it had one!!.any help would be great,also buy the way this is the best bike site for bike info i have found a credit to yous all..

[detdrbuzzard]

a lighter plug on your 1100 was added by one of it's previous owners and you would have to add one to your 1500 wing if you needed or wanted one. battery tender and battery tender jr seem to be the trickle chargers of choice. i got what ever brand harbor freight sells for $5.99 and had no problems with it

[WingAdmin]

I would highly recommend a Battery Tender Jr. - they can be found on the Internet or many stores for $25 or less.

I have tried two different Harbor Freight "trickle chargers" and have destroyed one lawn tractor and two motorcycle batteries with them. For what those destroyed batteries cost me, I could have bought ten Battery Tender Jr's. I've been using the Battery Tender Jr. for over a year now and it works perfectly.

[DaveClayton]

Good for you for asking. I have a motorcycle training school and have 10 to 12 different size motorcycles on the go at any one time and I have been riding for steady for 43 years. Motorcycle batteries are not as tough or as large as car batteries and the cold weather can be hard on any battery if it is not fully charged. I live in the Vancouver, Canada, area so it is not uncommon for my bikes to sit out in the cold garage for 3 or 4 months waiting for some decent riding weather. A number of years ago an old timer explained to me the secret of maintaining a battery in order to get more life from it. The big secret is..... a battery maintainer. There is a difference between a battery charger and a battery maintainer. The maintainer turns itself on only when the battery needs it. The charger is constantly putting a charge into the battery and that actually wears the battery out if left on for a long period of time. People may tell you that a 2 Amp charger is OK but why do you think they came up with battery maintainers if it is not better for the battery? Trust me, I have tested this over the years and I have a battery maintainer for every bike in my garage, including one for my riding lawn mower and my pressure washer. I got 7 years out of my Harley battery and 6.5 years out of my 85 Goldwing LTD battery. They actually still worked but were testing near the red zone so two years ago I put one in my riding lawn mower and the other in my pressure washer and they are still working. The oldest bikes I have for training are two 2004 Suzuki GZ-250's (6 years old) and they have tiny little batteries in them but I have not had to replace the original ones yet. If you have access to a Wal-Mart in the USA they carry a good brand of battery maintainer at a cost of $18.00. The exact same brand in Canada would me cost $50.00. Plus, if you have an electric vest they use the same plug in as the battery maintainer. If you are using your bike every day or so then you do not have to plug in the maintainer. If it is going to be sitting (especially if it is cold) for any longer than a week then plug it in for all the time it takes. Sorry for rambling here but as you probably guessed I am a firm believer in the maintainers.

[bikersmurff]

thanks for all your imput, as usual my question was answered promptly i bought a battery fighter junior here in australia at a cost off $50 aus i wish things were as cheep her as there there the average price of a gl1500 is between $10000 and 20000 and once you say its for a goldwing they seem to offer you the most expencive choices .I am glad i do all my own services at $90 an hour for labour you could be up for $200 befor they get to the part.Iam very happy with my gl1500 as a tourer dont like it much for around town ,thats why i have a zx6r ninja for town riding>and before you say any thing i relise its from one extream to another it perfect!! weighs half of the wing and gos twice as quick >I might be turning 50 but i still like to let my iner child run amuck.HO forgot the specs on the charger are 240vac@50Hz 12vdc out put current @750mA bought at supperchep autos here in australia thanks again