[Paulfulbrook]

Hey dudes,
I want to fit a CTEK battery charger to maintain the battery when not in use. With this type of charger The connections can be left in place permanently and can be connected to the charger without removing the battery, when the bike is standing for a while.
My problem is that it is a real pain to directly access the battery terminals in the 500 to connect the charger leads. So, my question is, is it safe to connect the chArger cables to the +Ve and -Ve connections at the solenoid and charge via these points (see pic). This would be so much easier, as it would mean I don't have to rip out all the electrics just to get to the battery!
Thanks!
Paul

 

[Tucsonmax1]

It would work. Just use the Positive side that is wired to the Battery.

 

[Eggy]

go to Harley , buy the plug and lead that attaches to the battery charging / accessory plug under the right side plastic cover. Connect/solder this lead to the eyelets plug/lead that should have come with your Ctek charger. ( well mine came with 2 leads , one with alligator clips and the other with eyelets, each with an orange plug to attach to the charger.).
On further thought just screw the eyelet lead to your battery permanently and have it coming out behind the plastic cover.

 

[Gaijin]

I bought the Harley battery tender. I'd heard how horrible the battery removal process was, but really -- it was 15 minutes maybe. No giant deal. The worst part of the whole install was that after I'd already put the eyelet lead on, and was trying to figure an ideal place for the charging point, and settling on a spot by the left passenger footpeg, I found that there was something else already there blocking it...

Yes, a battery tender port. Seems the dealer had already installed one! So now I have two, which is actually perfect, I'm turning the one I installed into a permanent USB charger for the FP3 phone/tablet, so I'm happy with it this way, but I sure wish I woulda known they'd already put one on.

Two reasons I bring this up: first, it really isn't any big deal to get to the battery to at least put the positive terminal lead on. Pulling the entire battery out would have been more of a hassle but there's no need to in this install, because you can put the negative lead on the frame (as illustrated in the battery tender instructions). I don't know where they did install the positive lead, but it wasn't on the battery itself. The negative lead was put on the same negative ground terminal that Harley suggested to put their battery tender to.

Second, you can definitely install the battery tender harness without attaching it directly to either of the battery's terminal, because that's the way the dealer had installed their harness. There was nothing directly attached to my battery's terminals.

 

[JONBERG]

Make sure that the leads aren't already there. I bought a H-D Tender and agonized about getting to the battery until, thankfully, I noticed that they were already installed. I think that many dealers have done this.

 

[AndrewE]

I have an Optimate charger which plugs straight into the adapter on my 750. I also use it to keep my kids' car batteries alive while they are on extended work assignments. The Optimate cost about R900 (about 60 USD). Just have to remember to keep changing it from battery to battery, but works like a charm.