RE: Requesting list wisdom re gel battery and Battery Tender Plus

["Minor, Bob" <Bminor@xxxxxxxx>]

I bought a gel battery from BMW when they first came out, it must be on
its third winter by now.  I've never had a Tender but simply put it on
my one amp charger overnight about once a month. This is the way I've
treated all motorcycle batteries for many years now. I started the bike
the other day, no hesitation, fired right up.  Call me a curmudgeon, but
I believe the need for a battery tender is way overrated.    

- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-oilheads@xxxxxxxxx [mailto:owner-oilheads@xxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Steve Makohin
Sent: Monday, April 17, 2006 7:55 AM
To: IBMWR List; Oilheads List
Subject: Requesting list wisdom re gel battery and Battery Tender Plus

Hello all,

What is the list wisdom regarding a gel battery and a Battery Tender
Plus? I
am aware that the makers of the Battery Tender tell you you need a
special
Tender, as does BMW. My mechanic says the gel batteries have not been in
the
field long enough to conclude if there is any harm done by using a
standard
Battery Tender, and that he knows of no cases where he can attribute a
gel
battery's demise to using a standard Tender vs a special gel Tender.

What's your take? I live in a part of the country where we see several
weeks
of 90'F temps, as well as sitting dormant over the winter at below
freezing
temps.

- -Steve Makohin
 '01 R1100S/ABS
 Oakville, Ontario, Canada

------------------------------