Can I Get By??

[fwheelerjr]

Spend your money on a Gerbings heated liner and go for a 30-minute ride every week or two.

Course, if you're too lazy to hook up a battery tender pigtail...

+1

As anal as I am about the maintenance on my vehicles, I do not want it to have to deal with it every time I move them.  During winter, I ride whenever the temps are above 50.  If the temps haven't gone above 50 in two weeks or so, I put on heated gear and ride anyway.

[Snowbird]

Battery issues aside, starting the bike and letting it idle is a bad idea for both the bike and for CO poisoning.

I guess my only excuse is that I am too lazy or too cheap to buy a battery tender...

If you really are too lazy or too cheap to go out and get a basic piece of motorcycling equipment, my prediction is that you will give up riding before long anyway. Get yer ass off the internet and get on with your life.  

 

[RickC1957]

Modern MC batteries like smart chargers.  The Harbor Frieght chargers  are in question as "true" float chargers, I seen claims they can boil a battery dry left on.  Someone has battery tender jr closeout for $20. I  use a Wally world charger every 4-6 weeks.  

Hmmmm been using the HFT float charger for over 4 years now....I yet to have a battery boil dry

[JonF]

A float charger (Battery Tender or some other brand name) would be beneficial. On your ZR-7S you can
reach the battery terminals without removing the tank. The tank does not actually need to be removed for battery removal either, only lifted at the rear.

[RBEmerson]

I guess my only excuse is that I am too lazy or too cheap to buy a battery tender for my new (used) bike this winter. Plus my internet research has told me I have to partially remove the gas tank to get to my battery. Fortunately this Ohio  winter has been pretty mild.....so far!

What I am doing instead is to start up my bike once a week and let it idle in my garage for 10-15 minutes. Should this be sufficient to keep my battery strong and have I decreased it's life by not buying The battery tender and going through what looks to be a pretty tedious chore of hooking up a pig tail to the battery?

Just Wonderin'

Buy the tender!!  Idling for 10-15 minutes won't bring the battery up and it'll leave all manner of ugly stuff on the plugs and in the exhaust (which will rot out the pipes eventiually).  Which is cheaper?  Replacing plugs and pipes or putting in the Battery Tender?