[murf]

How long do I need to idle the bike to charge the battery when not riding it for a couple of weeks? I try to ride all year in Colorado but there are some weeks when it is just colder than I want to ride. This morning I wheeled the Canyon Dancer out of the garage door and let it idle for about 10 minutes then shut if off and rolled it back in the garage. Am I using more battery to start it than I am putting back in with the idling? I have a battery tender (Schumacher) but am using it on my classic car right now.

I would be more concerned with a 10 minute idle not being sufficient to warm up the oil to normal operating temperatures to drive off any moisture formed during the combustion process during cooler weather. Like the others said, get a battery tender or equivalent and hook it up to the battery to keep it topped off.

 

[murf]

Depending on the age and condition of your battery, it may not be holding a charge very well, and lack of use of the bike, even for a few days, can significantly deplete the charge available for start up. Ideally, a vehicle that is battery started should not be left idle for more than 5-6 days at a time without properly operating it for at least 20-30 minutes -- or keeping the battery "tended" with something like an intelligent float charger.

True, but with at least 1100 amps available on the GL1800 alternators, it still provides an important service of “charging” your battery – providing the engine is run long enough at sufficient RPMs.

Completely agree.

1100 amps! That's one heck of a 1800 alternator. I'm sure you meant to say 1,100 watts.