New product: NOCO Genius G1100

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2007
Genius G1100 hooked to 1977 Harley Davidson FXE Shovelhead

Picture this: It’s a beautiful weekend morning and you think to yourself, “I think I’ll go to ‘cars and coffee’ today.” You grab the keys to your occasionally driven classic, ready to arrive in style, but can’t even make it out of the driveway because the battery is dead.

So you spend the next hour or two searching for the jumper cables you know are somewhere in the garage, and then have to figure a way to maneuver your car into a position to receive a jump charge from your daily driver.

G1100 charging battery

Or maybe you just drive the daily driver to the auto parts store and buy a new battery for the classic.

So you might avoid such a morning, the NOCO Company, which has been making electrical equipment for more than a century, has developed advanced battery-charging and jump-starting devices including the Genius G1100 Battery Charger and Maintainer.

The G1100 is a portable automatic battery charger and maintainer for six- and 12-volt lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries. It is designed for smaller applications, like a motorcycle, but, the company says, also serves as a battery maintainer for a car or truck during periods of inactivity without overcharging the battery.

The G1100 has several modes — 12V Norm, 12V Cold/AGM, 6V Norm, and 12V Lithium. The 12V Norm and 6V Norm modes were designed for charging starter and deep-cycle 12-volt and 6-volt lead-acid batteries, including Wet Cell, Gel Cell, Enhanced Flooded, Calcium, and Maintenance-Free. The 12V Cold/AGM mode was designed for charging in cold temperatures (below 50 degrees) and works with deep-cycle 12-volt batteries and AGM batteries while the 12V Lithium mode works to charge lithium-ion batteries that include a battery maintenance system and lithium iron phosphate batteries.

1977 Harley Davidson FXE Shovelhead

For testing purposes, Classic Car News connected the NOCO Genius G1100 to a custom 1977 Harley Davidson FXE Shovelhead.

Some motorcycles have CANbus electrical systems which disable the 12-volt charging port when the ignition is off but recharging requires the ignition to be on, or connected directly to the battery. NOCO says the G1100 is able to send a unique voltage signal through the 12-volt accessory port that automatically opens, and thus enables charging. A weatherproof eyelet connector was mounted on the bike and easily hooks to the charger.

During the time the charger was connected to the bike, the G1100 did not get hot or raise any cause for concern. Other highlights include the potential to easily mount the charger to the wall, or to keep stored within the small compartments typically found on a bike due to its light weight and compact size.

For the experienced or on-the-go mechanic, the G1100 also works as a diagnostic tool to analyze the battery and indicate different error patterns to identify whether the battery won’t hold a charge, if it has a possible short, the connectors need to be reversed, or if voltage is too high or too low for a mode or detection.

Specs:

Comes with:

  • G1100 Battery Charger and Maintainer
    • Weight: 1.5-lbs
    • Measures 9.02 X 3.66 X 4.41
  • GC001 Battery Clamps
  • GC002 Eyelet Connectors
  • User Guide & Warranty Information

Input Voltage AC: 85-130 VAC, 50-60Hz

Battery Voltages: Charges 6-Volt and 12-Volt Lead-Acid and Lithium-Ion Batteries

Types of Batteries: Suitable for Wet Cell (Flooded), Gel Cell, Calcium, Lithium-Ion, AGM, Enhanced Flooded Battery or any Maintenance-Free Battery

Battery Capacity Range: Ideal for Batteries up to 40 Amp-Hours. Suitable for Maintaining All Battery Sizes.

Charging Amperage: 1.1 Amps

Power Consumption: 30 Watts (Max)

IP Protection: IP65

DC Cord: 60-Inches (16AWG)

AC Cord: 60-Inches (18 AWG)