Newb battery charging questions

[mjoa68]

I noticed that the dealer had installed a cable to the batter that seems permanently attached, coming out of the battery compartment. Now please bear with my newby-ness here but I believe this is a battery tender cable which I'm meant to attach a battery charger to if I have to leave the scoot sitting for longer than a couple of weeks. I've never actually had to do this since I've only ever had one other scooter and that I rode year round. Due to an injury I haven't ridden my new scoot in a couple of weeks now, so I'm thinking I should get a battery charger and make sure I don't let the batter fully discharge. Please someone correct me if I'm wrong on any of this.

When I go to buy a battery charger, is there anything I need to know other than that the voltage of the charger should match the voltage of the battery? I know that chargers I've used for rechargeable household batteries will trickle charge the battery once it's full to avoid catastrophes, but can I assume this of any battery chargers I'd buy for my scooter's battery, or is this just a feature of more expensive chargers? if so, what do I need to look for in the charger's description to know I can leave the charger on and don't need to make sure I remove it immediately once the battery is fully charged?

Any recommendations for brands/models of chargers that are known for reliability, and that would be the right match for my Forza 300's stock battery? I've seen Battery Tender Jr mentioned in a few places so should I just go with one of those?

I do know I'm supposed to charge the battery outdoors as it will give off hydrogen while charging, bu any other advice/things a newb should look out for would be appreciated as well.

Been reading and learning lots from these forums but could not find this info when searching so thought I might try asking directly. I'm guessing I couldn't find this general info as it's just common knowledge for most of the users here. Just hoping someone will be willing to fill me in on the above.

[homie]

You have done well weedhopper
Battery Tender Jr will fit that plug and is what we mostly all use for winter storage in this forum. It does all the thinking for you, just plug it in and forget it. New batteries are also cheap so you might get one just for peace of mind on a used bike. You will also get two more leeds with purchase of BT JR. install them on other bikes or lawn equipment and never have a battery fail in the spring by switching up now and then.

[montliz44]

Homie is right (again)!

Battery Tender Jr. -- Plug it in and walk away. They're designed specifically for that setup, they work great, and they even have little lights to tell you how the charge is going. I hook mine up once a week overnight if I'm not using the scooter for some reason.

Johnny

[montliz44]

By the way - and I know this sounds crazy, but it's true - my next-door neighbor, who actually lives 300 miles away and only comes down here a few times a year, has a PCX in his garage (with about 150 imiles on the odometer) which he has had hooked up to a Battery Tender Jr. for over two years!

Whenever he's here for the weekend he'll fire up the PCX and go terrorize Seawall Boulevard for an hour, then come back and hook up the Battery Tender and lock up the garage and head'em back to Dallas until the next time.

He's never had a problem with his battery and the PCX fires up every time just like it's 'spose to.

Go Battery Tender!

Johnny

[davenowherejones]

I have a solar battery charger for my Forza in the winter. It is one of these.

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/colem ... p.html#srp

The strange thing is I live in the mountains and the sun don't shine at my place for a few months in the winter. The mountain is in the way of the low winter sun at Flood, BC. It seems to work anyway.

[mjoa68]

Hey, thanks everyone for the feedback, much appreciated.

Dave I really like the looks of that solar tender. Seeing as my scoot is parked outside and any charger would have required me to run an extension cord out the front door of my apartment, this looks like a much more elegant solution, especially seeing as really only need to maintain the battery. I like the price too. I also like that it has a 5 year exchange warranty when you buy it at Crappy Tire, especially considering how you can't really turn around without running into one of those stores around here. I'm definitely going to go that route for now and try it out. Considering it's been working for you, and Victoria probably gets a little more sun than up your way, I'm thinking I should do fine.

I keep my scoot under a waterproof cover and I'm assuming keeping the low powered solar tender attached while the bike is covered should not be a concern with hydrogen gas build up. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. My cover is definitely waterproof and not breathable but does have a little "chimney" of sorts near the handlebar that acts as a moisture vent. I'm assuming this would be adequate ventilation in this case.

After reading more reviews about the Battery Tender Jr and getting your experiences here I'll definitely keep that in mind should I need something more robust in the future. It's a bit more $$ but I have my eye on the Batter Tender 800 as it's essentially the same as the Jr but in a waterproof case, which would be well suited to my situation of having to store my Forza outside.

Thanks again. I now have a clear plan of action in mind. Cheers,
Mike