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Hi Folks - I'm sure this has been covered before but I'm having trouble finding it through a search of the forums! Having just finished replacing my battery I'm wondering about the merits of using a battery tender over the winter months when my bike stands for up to a month at a time without use. Mine is an '02 with no auxilliary sockets. Is anyone aware of any kits/quick fixes for installing a socket so that I can easily plug in a tender? Any thoughts/ideas appreciated.

Add a pigtail and route it out beside the airbox, under the side panel. All Battery Tender branded chargers come with an SAE plug and choice of clips, plug and terminal rings for the adapters. Quick, direct hook-up.

You have the wiring for a power outlet in place. It is zip tied together, behind the plug where the outlet is to be installed. So if you want to add the outlet, it is very simple. You just have to buy the part from your dealer.

Or, you can do what MikeCam says above.

Using a battery tender over the winter is a good idea.

How cold does it get in Wellington, NZ? I've been to Auckland, but never made it down to Wellington.

I even plug mine in when I'm not going to ride it for a couple days,
like in rainy weather or when I've got to take a 4 wheel trip.

AFter buying a new battery, no WAY I wanna buy another for awhile!

When I plug it in even right after riding it, I still get a signal saying it's
charging, probly just "topping it off" - but with the electric clock and
maybe some small drainage thru the system, I'm just sold on keeping
that battery in the best possible condition.

In the winter, when I know I'm not going to ride for a couple months
or more, I remove the battery to a warm environment, make sure
it's clean and dry (esp between the posts) and keep the tender on it.

It's a little bit of a nuisance, but experience with everything from cycle
to huge heavy equipment batteries has convinced me it's worth it.

Good luck!

Thanks for the feedback folks, I'll definitely look to get a socket/pigtail sorted so that I can keep the battery topped up. Bob (rdsmith3) - winter here in Wellington isn't that bad at all (typically 8-10 Celsius) however we do get some rather strong southerlies that whip up some pretty foul weather and pull the temperature down. Anyhow, after the new battery and a fine spell yesterday I managed to get out and blow out the cob webs. Thanks all.

FWIW I have an O2 and retro-fitted the accessory socket. Easy to fit - finding the wire tucked up round the back end of the starter motor was a bit trickier but it is definitely there.

I also connect up a tender (optimate) except for one period of 6 months when I had no power in the garage. Am still using my original battery.

Just thinking out loud.

If you have no use for an auxillary socket, fixing a positive contact point (found on later models, modify the starter cover on yours) will be a good thing now. You can use it to charge the batt, while at the same time it serves the purpose of enabling jump starts without removing the fuel tank. It's a half-hour job. Parts 3 to 6 below, you need to make a hole in your starter cover.