Battery Tender Charge N Start 1120 Review: 1200 Amps

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.

Battery Tender Charge N Start 1120 Review: MSRP

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.

Battery Tender Charge N Start 1120 Review: Price

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.