I am preparing for winter storage. I bought a 1A-12 V battery charger instead of a battery tender. I know that a battery tender is better b/c it won't over charge the battery and it can be set up without monitoring. However, right now I have a battery charger and I am thinking of using it with a timer. I plan to set the timer up throughout the whole winter - like 1 hr charge time each day. In that way, the charger won't be kept on all the time and it won't over charge.
Any opinion? Many thanks.
In theory it should work. I would think that you do run the risk of overcharging though if you do it everyday. It doesn't get that cold around Vancouver that battery will lose it's charge overnight. I had my bike sit from December to February last winter and it started up fine when it was time to ride.
Also, this post should be moved to the Tech section since the tutorial section is essentially a how-to area. You may get quicker responses there. ;)
Check the water level every couple of weeks. I think you should be fine. 1 amp for 1 hour once a day is not a whole lot.