ost riders know just how important it is to keep the battery in their bike or ATV charged up during the off-season. A battery left unattended for any length of time, left to discharge all on its own, becomes a sure-fire candidate for a replacement sooner rather than later. Everyone knows that. But a lot of guys mistakenly think that once the riding season kicks into gear and the bike or ATV is getting more use the charging system on that bike or ATV will take care of the battery.      The alternator will charge the battery, as it’s supposed to, and everything will be just fine, battery-wise. Hold on there.
     The truth of the matter is that there’s a pretty good chance that everything won’t be just fine if you rely solely on that machine’s on-board alternator to maintain the battery all season long. There’s a better than good chance that the battery will never get the full charge it needs to live a long, strong life no matter how much it’s ridden or used.      Alternators, even the most powerful ones, only bring a battery up to about 80-percent of its full charge. Sure, that’s enough to start the bike or ATV when the button gets pushed, and it’s enough to give the impression that everything’s under control. But the key to long battery life–and modern, quality batteries can and should last for 5 years, 7 years or even longer–the key is to keep that battery properly maintained, meaning that it’s kept at a 100-percent full charge. There’s only one way to do that: hook that battery to a maintenance charger and do it religiously, even during the riding season. Using a Deltran Battery Tender®, either the Battery Tender Jr. or the Battery Tender Plus, should become a year-round part of every rider’s maintenance routine.
     Replacing a battery isn’t cheap, not anymore. Prices have skyrocketed. On the other hand, a Battery Tender Jr. or Battery Tender Plus is priced to sell at just a fraction of the cost of a quality replacement battery. So what makes more sense? Today’s motorcycles and ATVs have pretty elaborate electrical systems, too, systems demanding more from a battery than ever before. Keeping a battery at that 100-percent charge is vitally important now, and we’re not talking about just making sure that a radio plays. Modern engine management systems with all their computer-controlled sensors and switches require peak voltage at all times to operate as they’re designed to. A weak battery can lead to all sorts of performance problems. A battery at 90-percent charge, well, that’s not peak voltage, is it?
     The point here is that battery maintenance doesn’t stop when the riding season starts. Don’t put those Battery Tenders away thinking that they’re a sale for the off-season. A Battery Tender is a year-round necessity.
     Battery maintenance is Deltran’s only business. These charger/maintenance tools are not only priced right–$39.95 for the Junior and $59.95 for the Plus–they’re constantly upgraded and updated to incorporate the very latest fully automatic charging programs designed especially for the newest batteries. Deltran works hand-in-hand with the battery manufactures themselves to assure that. So don’t put those Battery Tenders away just yet. Their selling season isn’t over. Battery maintenance is a year-round business and Parts Unlimited has the full lineup of Deltran Battery Tenders to keep you in stock and selling.