Topic: undercover storage

[brooze72]

So I have put the bike away for it's winter sleep with oil change & fuel stabilizer in a full tank, etc.  In previous years, I pulled the battery & it sat on a garage shelf with the trickle charger attached.  This year I have one of those nifty battery tender chargers with a hookup that has a short cord, fused, with ring lugs you put on the battery & the other end has a two pin plug that goes to the charger or a jumper cable, kinda neat, I think.  Anyways, with this setup I decided to leave the battery in, plug up the charger & threw on the cover.  My question, is it bad to leave the battery in the bike like this?

[Rigid]

A charged battery won't freeze, you did have the benefit of cleaning the connections with each removal/reinstall but other than that, I see no difference. If the cover goes to the ground and limits airflow, moisture may be trapped so the ground should be moisture blocked, or park on pavement.

[brooze72]

Thanks, the cover almost goes to the ground, but it is parked on cement (in a garage), It gets pretty cold out there but not below freezing, I'm pretty sure.

[Prospect]

I do the same thing to one of my bikes here in Ontario.  I would recommend to lay a tarp from Canadian tire on the ground and ride the bike onto it.  Then fold it up on the sides of the bike and then put the cover on the bike.  That way the bottom is not exposed to the elements.  I too am leaving the battery in there with a trickle charger.  Center stand is best. 

[Ernest T]

I have way too many bikes to ride enough to keep the batteries charged and have been using battery tenders for years.  Lately, I've been using gel batteries without the tenders and haven't had any problems leaving them six months without running.   They cost more, but last much longer.