A little harsh doncha think?
Umm.. yeah if taken as directed at a person, not what I intended. Sorry if I offend. Just meant in general, calling it snake oil.
Keeping a LiFe on a tender is making a problem that does not exist. Just unhook the battery if not riding for awhile. The internal (self) discharge is very low compared to Pb. Just unhook the battery. Li batteries that have an internal balance circuit might run down a little, but will still have enough energy to last the winter. Don't take it out of the bike, leave it out in the cold. When the weather warms, hook it up and she'll fire.
do all LiFePOS batteries have a multi-pin port/connector for cell balancing charger/tenders?
No, most do not. I think the Shorai does and that's what their special charger hooks into. If you have one that does not and you are out of warranty, crack the case and add one. Your battery will last many, many more years. My normal charger for the collection of batteries is an RC hobby charger. It does every chemistry type (not the new LTO) and I can program it for a multitude of uses. Charge, discharge, balance, cycle all at different voltages and rates. Think it cost me about $50.