Best Motorcycle Battery Charger

Maintaining your bike’s batteries with a quality motorcycle battery charger / maintainer can save you from shelling out hundreds of dollars on new batteries every few years. The only question is, what should you look for in a motorcycle battery maintainer? As it turns out, there are only a few things you’ll want/need.

Best Motorcycle Battery Tenders and Chargers

What size battery tender for motorcycle? The primary thing you want to look for when buying a motorcycle tender is something that is microprocessor controlled, something that not only works to charger but to maintain the battery’s charge (you don’t want it continuously charging), and something that comes from a reputable company.

Top 5 Motorcycle Battery Chargers March 2021

Here is the list of the best motorcycle battery chargers that also double as battery tenders.

  1. DieHard 71219 Shelf Smart Battery Charger – Best Motorcycle Battery Maintainer
  2. Schumacher SC 1363 Automatic Battery Charger – Best Budget Motorcycle Battery Maintainer
  3. Battery Tender Junior – Best Motorcycle Trickle Charger
  4. Schumacher SC1361 Car and Motorcycle Battery Charger
  5. Battery Tender Plus Charger

DieHard 71219 Shelf Smart Battery Charger Review

harley davidson battery tender The DieHard motorcycle charger features a five-stage charging process for charging, monitoring, and maintaining your battery. Battery maintenance begins when the battery is fully charged, but full charging resumes once the battery drops below a certain level. This helps to prevent overcharging, but at the same time, keeps your battery charged for whenever you’re ready.

A quick-connect harness comes alows you to swap out 50A clamps, a 12V accessory plug, or permanent ring-style connectors, which are perfect for motorcycle batteries. It’s easy to install even in hard to reach areas. There’s also a built-in alert, including flashing LED lights, if you happen to cross the clamps and hook it up backward.

Pros Include:

  • Keeps you from having to buy a new battery by keeping an old one charged
  • Easy access on a variety of bikes
  • Works well and works quick
  • Works excellent as a Harley Davidson battery tender

Cons Include:

  • If clamps aren’t tightly fastened, charging won’t happen
  • Bad customer support from the manufacturer
  • Useless if you’re stranded no the side of the road

Schumacher SC 1363 Automatic Motorcycle Battery Charger Review

tender bike The Schumacher motorcycle battery charger tender gives you 8A for both charging and maintaining your battery.

The unit is controlled by a microprocessor that offers charging in stages, which is safer and offers better battery life. It detects voltage automatically for both 6 and 12V batteries. It even offers reverse hook-up protection so that even if you get the cables backward, no damage will be done.

Both standard and AGM batteries can be charged with this device. It is suitable for completely charging dead batteries, i.e., it isn’t just a maintainer.

Pros Include:

  • Small and lightweight
  • Multistage charging for safety
  • For rugged use

Cons Include:

  • Must always be plugged in to work
  • Gauges are hard to read
  • Switches are located behind a plastic panel, making them hard to use

Battery Tender Junior Review – Motorcycle Float Charger

The fully automatic, compact, and lightweight Battery Tender Junior is easy to use, especially in spaces that create a tight fit. Keeps your battery charged at all time and is perfect for all battery types.

Just like the larger units, it offers a four-step charging program that includes initialization, bulk charge, absorption mode, and float mode. Once the battery is fully charged, it switches over to floating charge on its own, and if the voltage drops too low before you get back to ride, it powers back up into full mode all over again and the process repeats.

Pros Include:

  • LED lights indicate which stage the charger is in
  • Comes with a 12-foot power cord
  • Five-year warranty is included

Cons Include:

  • Plug block is too large to run two tenders on the same outlet
  • No voltmeter no the tender
  • No indicator for dead or bad battery

Schumacher SC1361 Automatic Battery Charger Review

ctek motorcycle battery charger review The Schumacher SC1361 is basically the big brother to the SC1363, offering a 10A quick boost and 50A jumps when you need them. Controlled by a microprocessor, it offers multistage charging, keeping you safer.

Protection against reverse hookups means you don’t have to worry about getting the cords attached backward and it features a rugged case and a classic transformer. Charges both standard and AGM batteries. Indicators and buttons are LED-lit, making them easier to see and the unit easier to operate.

Pros Include:

  • This unit is good for both charging and jumpstarts
  • The automatic feature tells you if your battery is bad
  • The rugged case means you don’t have to be too tender with it

Cons Include:

  • The automatic test doesn’t tell you why the battery is bad
  • The front plastic panel doesn’t always stay attached
  • Might be a big overkill for motorcycle charging needs

Battery Tender Plus Charger Review

This is a larger version of the Battery Tender Junior; It’s a 1.25 amp charger designed to offer a full charge or maintain a certain stage without damaging your battery like trickle chargers can do.

You’ll get a quick connect harness that helps for hard to reach areas and alligator clips for providing a different connection. Once your battery is fully charged, it automatically switches from charge to floating charge mode. This is a great maintenance-free charger for any serious rider.

Pros Include:

  • Four-step charging program
  • Polarity protection for user safety
  • Backed by a 10-year warranty

Cons Include:

  • Must be plugged in to function
  • Sometimes switches off completely once the battery is charged
  • Not always as durable on every product

My Pick for Best Motorcycle Battery Charger

Of the five best rated motorcycle battery tenders in our list here today, I’m going to go with the DieHard 71219 as the pick of the bunch. It’s the easy choice if you need an all-around battery charger for your garage that can do a little of everything, for cars or motorcycles.

It makes charging easy with a microprocessor for control of a five-stage charging system. LED lights tell you what stage you’re in as well as whether or not your clamps are reversed. Connections are quick and easy, especially for hard to reach bike spaces. You have your choice of 50-amp clamps, ring connectors, or a 12-volt accessory option.

If, however, you already have a battery charger in your garage and are simply looking for a no-frills maintainer to use as an extra, I would recommend the Schumacher SC1363 or the Battery Tender Junior. These are both more affordable alternatives and will work perfect as a motorcycle trickle charger.