The Battery Tender Charge N Start 1120 is the next level in garage support for your electric start vehicles. Both a battery charger and a jump starter, this unit can jump-start a 6-liter engine multiple times and keep your motorcycle battery at full charge throughout the winter.
In my garage, Battery Tenders are set it and forget it. The new Ultimate Motorcycling Honda CRF300L Rally Project Bike is on the Battery Tender 800. The Charge N Start 1120 sits on the floor next to my 2007 Yamaha Venture, using its one-amp charging circuit to keep a three-year-old lead-acid battery topped off between rides.
I have all the electronics on the Venture wired through a HealTech Thunderbox, so I never have to worry about leaving an accessory on. Regardless, lead-acid batteries still self-discharge.
You select the battery type—lead acid or lithium—on the unit’s face. The microprocessor-controlled charging system in the 30-ounce Charge N Start 1120 unit automatically detects the battery charge level and adjusts accordingly. Battery Tender states that its proprietary Charge N Store technology monitors and maintains an optimal float voltage for both the vehicle battery and the internal jump-start battery.
For $150, you get a hard shell carrying case, smart alligator clips that attach to the battery you are jumping, a seven-amp-fused two-in-one alligator-clip/ring-terminal cable for temporary or semi-permanent attachment of the charger cable to the battery, and a six-foot DC charging cable. The kit provides over 12 feet of reach from your 110-volt source to the battery. The SAE connector that attaches to the Charge N Start 1120 can also be used for any direct-to-battery connection. This includes heated gear, an air compressor, your smartphone, and helmet intercoms.
I couldn’t locate any guinea pigs willing to leave their vehicles’ headlights on to drain their battery, just so I could jump-start them. I know that dead batteries happen at the worst possible time, so having a ready-to-go jump starter is a major convenience, especially considering it has been quietly earning its keep, topping off my motorcycle. Having a jump starter that can handle a six-liter engine provides ample confidence that it will turn over any motorcycle engine, including a Triumph Rocket 3.
The Battery Tender brand has become synonymous with a device that keeps a battery charged. That says a lot about the quality and longevity expectations of devices made by Battery Tender, and probably keeps their legal department busy defending the trademark. The Charge N Start 1120’s one-amp battery charger is something that you’ll often want, while the 1200-amp jump starter is one of those tools you hope you never need, but you’re glad to have.
