Battery Slow To Charge On Tender?

[SarahP]

I don't know if I'm being a Nervous Nellie about a new bike, but here goes.

After riding for 100 miles, mixing up speeds of <45 mph/72 kph up to a max of 55 mph/88 kph, I got home and put the Twin to bed with a Deltran battery tender.

I was shocked the next morning to see the light still red! It took 27 hours on the tender before the light went to solid green. (I swapped out the battery tender with another one at the 12-hour mark, to make sure I didn't have a faulty tender.)

Today, after riding for about 90 miles doing mixed speeds, I put the bike on a tender when I got home. It's been on it for 9 hours and is still showing red.

I realize that moto batts/electrical systems are different, but Barney (2013 Bonnie) never needed more than about 20 minutes after a ride to go all green.

Any ideas? Is this normal for a brand new bike/battery?

TIA

 

[hemibee]

A battery tender isn't really a battery charger. As the name implies, it tends your battery to keep it topped off.

If your battery wasn't good and hot when you took delivery it can take a few cycles on the tender to top it off.

After 90 miles I would expect the tender would not have to go 24 hours before the red light went out. The first couple times Jessica was on my tender it took a little while before the battery was good and hot. Now it takes just a little while to top off the battery. I wouldn't worry too much about it at this point.

 

[DaveM]

The rate of charging will also vary depending on the charge level of the battery at the time. So it actually goes from full charge to trickle charging as needed. Being a new battery and riding everyday you should really not have an issue with you battery. You should really only need to have it on the tender if you will not be riding it for longer periods of time like a few weeks.

 

[Rocky]

Hmmm, that's not normal at all. Of all the batteries I've had in the last 25 years I never had one react that way.
Over the winter I hook up the batteries to the charger once a month and they always went into float mode in less than 30 minutes.
If the battery was properly prepared and put into service by the dealer there should be no need to hook up the tender after a 100 mile run.
The battery should be fully charged and still well charged a week or so later.
I don't know the answer, but something isn't right.

 

[SarahP]

Rocky -

If the battery was properly prepared an put into service by the dealer

Hmm, maybe that's it. When I purchased the bike, the dealer said they needed a minimum of four hours to 'condition' the battery. I picked the bike up the next morning, having left it there overnight for them to finish prepping it. Maybe it wasn't quite long enough to get it fully conditioned?

I'm no expert, but I'm pretty comfortable with batteries and chargers/tenders. But this has me a bit stumped. I run battery tenders on two other bikes and a lawn tractor. I also keep a bank of 4 deep cycle marine batteries charged and use them when my power goes out (using a couple of 2000W inverters).

(Not my bank, but mine is similar - Like this, but only 4 batteries wired together in parallel)

So I'm comfortable with the ins and outs of chargers and tenders, but I didn't expect a brand new battery to respond this way.

I'm happy to report, though, that this second charging cycle only took 18 hours vs. 27 hours. Maybe I'll have to ride some more today and try a third charging cycle. Good reason to go riding!

 

[DaveM]

Give it a few days and see how it responds and if you still not happy contact the dealer.

P'S Hope we going to see a thread soon about your first impression on your new bike. I would love to hear what you have to say about it.

 

[Rocky]

It sounds as if the dealer did it right.
I've never had this happen with any battery, but give it a few more cycles to see if it improves.
If no improvement, I would see the dealer.

 

[SarahP]

Well, good news! I completed a 140-mile ride today, and put the tender on the bike when I got home. I'm happy to report that it went to solid green after about 10 minutes! I was very glad to see that.

Thanks, everyone for all of your advice and encouragement!

 

[DaveM]

Well that sure sounds a lot better and more like what it should be.

 

[Rocky]

Great news

 

[mrmvolz]

I use a pigtail to the battery,not my aux socket to charge..

 

[Rocky]

I use a pigtail to the battery,not my aux socket to charge..

I have pigtails on a few of my bikes too