I have a 2005 FXDI, I bought it from a used car dealership. He "just got it in from the auction". The battery cover was missing and the bolts for the tray were missing. So the battery was just hanging from the bracket. I bought the bike, took it home and tried to bolt the battery tray onto the bracket. When I did, the pos. terminal grounded out on the frame of the bike. Shot that battery to hell, went to AUTOZONE, (Harley shop is 150 miles away).Asked if that was the correct battery for the bike. Dude said yes. (20-L) Well, being extra careful not to do the same thing... threw in a couple extra washers to give a gap. Well, the battery bounces around and makes contact with the frame, killing the bike for a second or two. WHAT DO I DO?? Anyone else have this problem? And how do I fix it?

 

for starters - ALWAYS, ALWAYs.....................ALWAYS connect the positive cable first and you wont get any sparks when connecting a battery, any battery, bike, car, etc. And your postive cable should have a rubber cover over it to prevent such things - lastly...........get the right battery and a rubber strap to hold it down.

 

The installation of the battery isn't the problem. It's the heighth. The person that sold me the battery says it's the right one... but I'm not sure I believe him. When I got the bike, the whole battery assembly was half-assed. As far as a battery strap, there is none. And there is a rubber boot for the cable. But like all things, it shifts around and leaves it exposed. I'm not too thrilled with the idea of "taking it to the man" and dishing out $300 for a simple fix. If there is one.

 

Well, it does sound like you have the wrong battery - or at the very least the manufacturer is using an existing battery rather than making one that fits. You shouldn't have to take it to the man but you might need to order one from him.........and a strap. Get a parts book and service manual while you are there - they are well worth the price.

 

I've read on here that East Penn Deka is who makes Harley's batteries. Here is their online lookup. Click on the PowerSport tab and select the correct type (motorcycle) and make (harley davidson). Then select your model/engine from the list that populates.

According to this website, this is a list of other battery brands for your 2005 FXDI. They have a year/make/model look-up and this is the list that came up for your ride:

 

I swapped out my stock battery for a 350 amp Big Boar battery ... it has universal terminals on top that extend about 1/8" higher than the stock ... and it is a tight fit on my '05 Dyna ... so, some batteries that are the 'correct' battery might not fit well ....

There is a hard plastic liner that fits into the battery cover that should isolate the terminals from the frame ... I believe the cover includes the liner as one part as shown below ....



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By the way ... if you go with a battery with higher amperage output, upgrade the stock battery cables ....

R/
'Chop