I am installing the pig tail so I can just plug in the charger without taking the seat off and using the alligator clips. The instructions says to attach the negative to the frame instead of the battery. Is that the way everyone is doing this. I was just going to connect the pig tail pos + to the Pos terminal and Neg _ to the neg terminal on the battery.
Kind of a stupid question but Oh well

 

you can just attach it to the pos and neg on the battery.

 

I did what you are thinking about and attached both positive and negative directly to the battery. That was two years ago and I have no problems...

 

yup, right to the battery with both

 

Ditto

 

4 years on the battery terminals. Why not?

 

The instructions are written by lawyers. Anytime you break the battery connection and re-attach there is always a slight risk of a spark, which could do this and that..... You know on using jumper cables on a car, they always say put the negative clamp on the frame...same story. Mine has always been attached to the battery terminals. Its just the best connection for charging vs going thru the frame back and some possible resistance to the battery.

 

Check your bike over carefully on the right hand side by the transmission - you may already have a factory installed pigtail for a battery tender. Mine is an 08 Deluxe and had one. Yours may also.

 

You can install it to the battery, I did and many others have too.
But if you do I would advise you to pull both terminals off when you start then attach one at a time. If you pull one off, install the wire to the terminal, then do the other your making and breaking the continuous power circuit more often and introducing the chances for zapping (screwing up) something important like the ECM.
That's why they tell you to hook the negative to the frame. Your only fooling with the power one time when you do the postitive side. Attaching the negative side to the frame doesn't affect the continuous power feed.

 

Thanks everyone for the reply. It is installed and plugged in.

Citoriplus
You always have a well thought out reply. I wish I would have read it before I completed the install. Took one connection off at a time. Hope I did not screw something up. ECM or the PCIII

Thanks again