Folks,

I have had an Ultra for 4 years. Every 2 years I have had a starting issue and
the dealer diagnoses it to be a battery issue and in each instance they
have been right. Electrically my bike is stock. No extra electrical loads. How come
the battery last so little?. I use a Harley battery tender (maybe that is the problem :=). Could it be the heat of the Florida weather that kills it?

 

Mine is just 2 1/2 years old and I'm getting clunky cold starts on a bike that has been super easy starting for years.

I believe from the way it's starting that the battery is wearing down. I suspect this because though only 2 1/2 years old, I've run nearly 60,000 miles on the bike during that time. So I don't think I'm risking too much just replacing it on principle.

It's a Deka battery and it should be here in a couple of days. I'll report back here if that was my issue.

 

2 years sounds about right for a battery in South Florida.
The Fl heat is a batteries worst enemy. The same is true for car batteries.
I buy Sears Diehard Gold with a 7 year warranty and 2 years of free replacement for my car. The powersport batteries come with 9 month free replacement.

 

7yrs on my battery here in Florida

 

my Valkyrie came from Michigan new, I replaced the original after 13 years, it was getting hard to start cold(40 degrees). the date code was 1998. I only hope to get several years out of this HD.

 

You'll get all most as many opinions about batteries and chargers as engine oils. From my own experience Harley AGM batteries have given me excellent service over the years. Usually 4 years of life. Hell I've got a buddy that had the original battery in his 2001 Softail standard last 9 years. He doesn't ride much and he kept a battery tender on it. Now me on the other hand kept a battery tender on my 2009 BMW K1200LT every time I finished riding it. That was every weekend. Factory BMW AGM battery about equal in size to a Softail battery. It died in 23 months. Why? Lead mechanic at the dealer said leaving the battery tender on it shortened its life.There's two extremes for you. If one of my bikes sit for a couple of weeks I'll plug the battery tender up to it until the battery comes up. Doesn't take long.Then I'll unplug it. All I know is the only battery I've had in the last 10 years that died at a young age was one that I always kept on a battery tender....when it wasn't even necessary.

 

Heat here in Phoenix kills batteries. Typical life of a car battery is 2 years here in the desert. I had to replace 3 batteries in 3 different vehicles in a 2 week period a few years ago. I thought cold was bad for batteries but I think heat is worse.

 

I live in Florida also, my last bike I had three years, no problem, the bike I have now had the battery replaced after 6 months, but that was because the VR and stator went out, so they replaced everything under warranty, the current battery is just over 2 years old and seems to be very strong. BTW, I don't use a battery tender, my bike never sits very long.

 

I have long since suspected that constant use of a tender kills batteries but have kept my opinion to my self because I never heard anyone else say it. I have never used one. Never owned one and my batteries last from 4 years to one that lasted 9. I do ride a lot though and if one of my bikes sit for more than a day or two its because I'm out of town. A lot of my friends use tenders constantly and they seem to always be having battery problems.

 

Harley battery tender (maybe that is the problem :=).

If everything is working right (Regulator / stator) and ride often you don't need a battery tender. My wife's bike sits a lot so I use a tender on her bike but I don't hook it up and leave it. I don't know if it turns off when not needed so I don't leave it on it all the time.

In Texas after 3 years you are on borrowed time.