Newbie wants to charge battery with unfamiliar charger

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Woolsey Dip
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Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2011 7:11 pm
I ride: '08 Vulcan 500

Newbie wants to charge battery with unfamiliar charger

Postby Woolsey Dip » Sun Jan 13, 2013 12:35 pm

Well, it's winter in North Carolina and for the first time since I bought it new, my 2008 needs a battery charge. I inherited a Schumacher 1 amp Motorcycle Battery Charger MC-1 from my late father-in-law, but there's no manual and I just wonder if somebody could advise me on using this without messing up. The online product description for this thing says you don't have to disconnect the battery from the motorcycle. And indeed you don't, since you can just clip the alligators to the posts, but since the only control on this thing is a toggle between 12 and 6 volts, and no readouts of any kind, how do I tell when the battery is charged up? I mean, how long do I leave this sucker connected? And is there an issue of boiling the battery over or something? And do I check a fluid level on the battery, and if so how does that work? Sorry to be so naive, but once I do it once, I won't be naive any more, right? Thanks for any advice.

Woolsey Dip
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2011 7:11 pm
I ride: '08 Vulcan 500

Re: Newbie wants to charge battery with unfamiliar charger

Postby Woolsey Dip » Sun Jan 13, 2013 2:19 pm

Also, are the two unused connectors near the battery for connecting a battery tender? Looks like they might be.

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Triangles
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I ride: '94 Black Cherry Vulcan 500, '06 Candyfire Red Vulcan 500 LTD
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Re: Newbie wants to charge battery with unfamiliar charger

Postby Triangles » Tue Jan 15, 2013 1:45 pm

Woolsey Dip wrote:Also, are the two unused connectors near the battery for connecting a battery tender? Looks like they might be.

Not sure what you're talking about. Take a picture. Maybe a previous owner installed something?

I installed a "quick connect" for battery tending and charging. similar to this on my bikes. I got mine an Napa for $2.
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Triangles
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Re: Newbie wants to charge battery with unfamiliar charger

Postby Triangles » Wed Jan 23, 2013 3:53 pm

You can get the Schumacher charger manuals from their website. I did that for mine a while back. I don't remember what the website is but I'm sure a quick google search will find it for you.
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Woolsey Dip
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2011 7:11 pm
I ride: '08 Vulcan 500

Re: Newbie wants to charge battery with unfamiliar charger

Postby Woolsey Dip » Fri Feb 08, 2013 9:12 am

Thanks for the info, Triangles. The two extra connectors I mentioned are called electric accessory connectors. (When all else fails, read the manual!) There is another pair of them inside the headlight housing. Meanwhile, I used the abovementioned charger for six hours on my weak battery, having read that it can take up to twelve hours to charge a dead battery. Against directions, I did not disconnect or take the battery out of the bike, and I got a good charge, no problems at all. I need to get that battery out and check the fluid levels, but it looks like a bit of a booger getting it out, as I couldn't get a good handhold on it. Anybody got a good way to remove that tight-fitting sucker? I don't want to tear anything up trying to pry it out or something.

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Triangles
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Re: Newbie wants to charge battery with unfamiliar charger

Postby Triangles » Fri Feb 08, 2013 11:17 pm

It's a pain to remove it. When you finally get it out. Make a strap out of duct tape that goes under ther battery. That way next time you can just pull on the strap and lift the battery out. Of course after disconnecting the terminals.
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