I have a 07 Wide Glide and I’ve absolutely had it with Harley batteries after the last one died at 16 months even though a battery tender was on it at all times it was garaged. The alarm system gets pulled out in the spring to stop the constant parasitic draw. I need a new battery BUT have had problems with both Interstate and Yusa batteries being too tall even though they were listed as a replacement. The battery has to be 6 1/16” tall or less, 6 1/8” will not fit and no they cannot be squeezed in and still get the cover on. Besides an odyssey battery which is only five inches tall with top mounts has anybody had luck using any other replacement brands?

 

Napa power sports legend batteries. Made by deka. Or a big boar

 

http://www.batterymart.com/p-Big-Cra...L-Battery.html

 

16 months on an OEM replacement battery is definitely disappointing, but you didn't say what brand of battery you replaced or how many months service you got on it, what engine upgrades or other modifications that may account for increased current demands, how often you ride, how far you ride, how often you crank it up during the down months, storage conditions, what tender you are using, any electrical problems you may have had, or how many times it has been hard discharged in that 16 months. These things matter.

You may have bought a battery that had been sitting on the shelf for over a year before you got it, pulling too much current with add-on stuff than the charging system can handle, or your starter may be near its end and drawing excessive current...there are just too many things to consider before tossing out a blanket statement that OEM batteries suck because ONE didn't give you the service life you expected. If this is the second HD battery that has short changed you, then you may have a real complaint or you may have some hidden problems.

If you are putting your battery on a tender, trickle charger, or even a smart charger, and leaving it for weeks on end, then that could be a problem. Wet plate lead-acid batteries are not designed to just sit on a charger regardless of what kind it is or who made it, they are designed to be hard cold crank discharged and recharged regularly. The best way to do that is to crank the engine often. My current HD battery has lasted 39 months which is normal. Anything more than that is icing on the cake. I have been working automotive/aircraft battery systems for a long time and I really would not expect you will get any significantly better service from any other battery.

At 39 months, my battery is on it's final cranks and I am also looking for that really great deal on an aftermarket battery and I just cannot seem to find it. The battery you and I need cost $129.95 at the dealer and any comparable aftermarket 19 amp-hour battery I can find locally costs over $100 and is just as much of a crap shoot as the HD battery. For every rider who tells you that HD batteries are ****, there is another one who tell you what great service they got...I got 3+ years...if I get another 3+ years on another one, then I am satisfied.

 

Not sure I can buy into that. I just replaced the battery in my 08 wide glide last fall, yup that's over 7 years on the original battery. It sets in my heated garage from late Nov to mid Apr every year, on a Deltran battery tender without ever being started. I rarely use the tender the rest of the year as it gets ridden almost every day once the salt and ice is gone. Got my new battery from Oreilly auto, it's a super start made by East Penn, who also makes the Deka and the OEM HD batteries.

Not sure how you are determining the battery is bad, but you could be having some other issues. Have a friend who's 09 ultra would barely crank over, was worse when the engine was warm. Starter would just barely crank over or would sometimes kick out and make an awful grinding noise. Harley dealer put in a new compensator, starter drive and possibly an armature in the starter and he says it starts perfect now. He was also thinking his battery was failing when he took it in. I began having similar issues, replacing the 7 year old battery didn't help and now I have a compensator and manual tensioner waiting to be installed. Probably put in a new starter drive while I'm at it.

 

About 3 years ago I needed a battery quick and stopped at my indie. Picked up a Drag Specialties brand for around $100 and it's still going strong. The bike spends the winters in an unheated garage on a tender and fires up in the spring like it was just started the day before. I don't know who makes it for DS.