Battery tender trouble

[milkecrate]

Hi , try and keep it brief.
Lurked for few weeks.

Got a Trail 2022 back in July this year.
Have more than a few battery tenders , use them a lot of things and recently put one on the trail 125.
Battery tenders says something isn't right and won't go to float or charge.
Battery tender light says there is some form of problem.
I checked all connections , swapped tenders , removed battery from bike and tried it , etc.
So after making sure everything was good , it would seem to be the battery.
However battery has no trouble holding a full charge.
So wondering why I can not put a tender on this thing?
Anyone have any idea?
This is factory battery and no mods to bike.

 

[dmonkey]

Does your battery tender have a manual with any troubleshooting steps for the problem light? Does it have different modes, perhaps one for motorcycles and lawn tractors?
Were you able to measure what the voltage is on the battery without load on it? That should for the most part tell you if the battery is healthy or not.

How to test a motorcycle battery - RevZilla

How do you know if your problem is really your battery? How do you know when it's time for replacement? Here's how to test.

www.revzilla.com

Battery tenders sometimes won't recognize being attached to a battery if it's too low voltage (under 9.5V for example), but if your battery is healthy then that shouldn't be the case.

 

[milkecrate]

Does your battery tender have a manual with any troubleshooting steps for the problem light? Does it have different modes, perhaps one for motorcycles and lawn tractors?
Were you able to measure what the voltage is on the battery without load on it? That should for the most part tell you if the battery is healthy or not.

How to test a motorcycle battery - RevZilla

How do you know if your problem is really your battery? How do you know when it's time for replacement? Here's how to test.

www.revzilla.com

Battery tenders sometimes won't recognize being attached to a battery if it's too low voltage (under 9.5V for example), but if your battery is healthy then that shouldn't be the case.

Hi , over 2 days of sitting the volt read 12.65
I could understand if the battery was dead.
Bikes has always fired up and run great.
No selection on the tender.
No trouble shooting tips, just to check connections or see if battery is dead , etc.
Using same kind on a few bikes and boats.
I hooked one up to the Ruckus on the same day , that one is working.
I've swapped everything around figuring it may be related to the tender but everything points back to it being the battery.
But the battery works fine.
Thus the story of my life .................

 

[dmonkey]

That is very odd. Personally, I wouldn't worry about it. If you ride the bike somewhat regularly without electrical problems then it shouldn't need to be on a battery tender, and if you end up storing it unused for a while, say 2+ months, and the voltage goes down and can't be recovered then you'll finally have your answer about whether or not the battery has a real issue or not.

 

[SneakyDingo]

if you end up storing it unused for a while, say 2+ months, and the voltage goes down and can't be recovered then you'll finally have your answer about whether or not the battery has a real issue or not.

Small note: if you do this, Honda recommends removing the battery from the bike.

 

[Msfitoy]

I use this...no issues...

 

[milkecrate]

That is very odd. Personally, I wouldn't worry about it. If you ride the bike somewhat regularly without electrical problems then it shouldn't need to be on a battery tender, and if you end up storing it unused for a while, say 2+ months, and the voltage goes down and can't be recovered then you'll finally have your answer about whether or not the battery has a real issue or not.

Odd is right.
And I suspect I am going to just roll with it and see how it goes..... I have little other choices and have found nothing on the net with this type of situation.
Was hoping to come across someone who has experienced the same thing.
More than once , I've been told "never seen that before".
I noted my trip meters did not reset when the battery was pulled.
That was nice as I have others that go back to zero.
And at least I have a back up kick start.

 

[milkecrate]

Small note: if you do this, Honda recommends removing the battery from the bike.

It'll be pulled for winter , just wanted something for any long periods that may come , esp as the battery ages.

 

[Shoot870p]

Hate to ask but… did you verify the wiring is correct? Ground does go to ground?

 

[milkecrate]

Hate to ask but… did you verify the wiring is correct? Ground does go to ground?

The battery has been hooked up correctly.

 

[Shoot870p]

I actually was talking about the small tender wires but all seems good there it appears. Just sometimes the shop guy may not look close.

 

[milkecrate]

I actually was talking about the small tender wires but all seems good there it appears. Just sometimes the shop guy may not look close.

I get what your saying but yes I swapped tenders a few times and all are proven to work with other batteries I have.
I even went from o-rings to clamps , if I thought of it , I tried it.
Just for grins I hooked it up in reverse once just to see if that did anything.
Still failed to recognize the battery.
Battery is still working great.
During the winter storage I plan on trying a regular charger after it sits idle a few months.
It will either work or need replacement come spring I guess.

 

[STUBBORN]

STUBBORN heah, I need more information.
What is your exact Charger model? (Then I can look up users manual)
What size and length cables?
How many connections? (voltage drops)
I suspect the charger not the battery, but, I need more facts, to help.

Charging Woes
It's hard to find a place to charge your battery.
(snif) I wish I had a place to plug my little red donkey in.

I have to use a solar panel charger. I am lucky enuf to have an old van to store the bike.
Of course, my neighbor has a used U Haul trailer that he dickered from an ad in Uncle Henry's that he stores his bike in. I helped him set up a solar charger on the trailer roof to charge the battery. The SAE black and red cables I added to all of the AMAZON stuff from the solar panel to the motorcycle are somewhat confusing. It's just red and black wires right? right? Didja Ya know that I can charge both the VAN and the bike from the same solar panel?

The Chinese manufactures almost always include a "dongle" to switch polarity.
I do not think Red is positive and Black is negative is standard in China.

AC Power and a garage are luxuries.
Having an extension cord dangling out from a window is frowned on by landlords.
Bringing the bike inside an apartment is right out. The public storage places
are wicked expensive. They don't allow chargers neither.
So Solar charging is all I have for now.
I'll pull the battery once the snow starts... (Looks up nervously.)

 

[milkecrate]

Ok , here is an update.
Don't ask why/how cause I dunno but the battery is now behaving like it should.
Nothing changed , same equipment , same way , etc.
I gave it another try now that it will be stored for winter and the thing is working.
Don't know and frankly , don't care.
Figured I'd need to buy a new battery come spring but "looks" as if all is well.

 

[SneakyDingo]

... Gremlins.

 

[Cpd419]

I put a 12v accessory plug on a sae plug and plug mine directly to the accessory port by the handlebars. Since mine is ran directly to the battery.

 

[Cpd419]

I also use it in my VW since it is always hot.

 

[milkecrate]

... Gremlins.

Exactly , if I had a nickel for every time some said to me "never seen that before".
I might not be rich but both pockets would be full of nickels