Old Battery
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Cruiser
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 113
Likes: 82
From: Southwest Michigan
Old Battery
Happy New Year All,
I have a 2018 FLHX that I pourchased used from a rental fleet in 2019. It still has the original battery. Are there any 8-year old batteries still in use out there? I am a battery maintainer user. If it is parked in my shop it is plugged in. All my bikes, mowers and long term storage truck. I have a Duramax with dual batteries. I purchased it used 8 year ago. Same batteries. It sets a lot, only gets used for long trips and pulling a trailer. So it is plugged in most of the time.
I am thinking about replacing the bike battery. I fear it will fail at the most inopertune moment. But part of me is on a mission to just see how much longer will it go! What do you all think?
I have a 2018 FLHX that I pourchased used from a rental fleet in 2019. It still has the original battery. Are there any 8-year old batteries still in use out there? I am a battery maintainer user. If it is parked in my shop it is plugged in. All my bikes, mowers and long term storage truck. I have a Duramax with dual batteries. I purchased it used 8 year ago. Same batteries. It sets a lot, only gets used for long trips and pulling a trailer. So it is plugged in most of the time.
I am thinking about replacing the bike battery. I fear it will fail at the most inopertune moment. But part of me is on a mission to just see how much longer will it go! What do you all think?
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 18,249
Likes: 3,679
From: backwoods
I had one 8. Most of them 7s. I have had couple 10s in trucks. Batteries and charging systems are better these days
Heat is hard on batteries. People in hot states seem to go through them quicker.
I never kept a tender on, just couple times a winter and night before first ride. My current practice first of month charge all batteries
If kept on tender I like to unplug for a day to make sure it starts. Tende can leave you stranded when you go to start it down the road and it is bad
Heat is hard on batteries. People in hot states seem to go through them quicker.
I never kept a tender on, just couple times a winter and night before first ride. My current practice first of month charge all batteries
If kept on tender I like to unplug for a day to make sure it starts. Tende can leave you stranded when you go to start it down the road and it is bad
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,492
Likes: 30,781
From: Pennsylvania
Happy New Year All,
I have a 2018 FLHX that I pourchased used from a rental fleet in 2019. It still has the original battery. Are there any 8-year old batteries still in use out there? I am a battery maintainer user. If it is parked in my shop it is plugged in. All my bikes, mowers and long term storage truck. I have a Duramax with dual batteries. I purchased it used 8 year ago. Same batteries. It sets a lot, only gets used for long trips and pulling a trailer. So it is plugged in most of the time.
I am thinking about replacing the bike battery. I fear it will fail at the most inopertune moment. But part of me is on a mission to just see how much longer will it go! What do you all think?
I have a 2018 FLHX that I pourchased used from a rental fleet in 2019. It still has the original battery. Are there any 8-year old batteries still in use out there? I am a battery maintainer user. If it is parked in my shop it is plugged in. All my bikes, mowers and long term storage truck. I have a Duramax with dual batteries. I purchased it used 8 year ago. Same batteries. It sets a lot, only gets used for long trips and pulling a trailer. So it is plugged in most of the time.
I am thinking about replacing the bike battery. I fear it will fail at the most inopertune moment. But part of me is on a mission to just see how much longer will it go! What do you all think?
NOTE:
The above information, while credible, is worth what you paid for it and should not be considered gospel.
Do due diligence, research and have a H-D Field Service Manual before working on your bike.
You will probably have many opinions and suggestions presented; make sure you research the person providing the helpful information as there are some who provide good information that is useful and some who speak out of other orifices with gibberish. You will figure out this quickly.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 5,064
Likes: 1,003
back in the day of manual foot, i would say go for it but today with only electric foot, do not go far, they are a bear to push start.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 18,249
Likes: 3,679
From: backwoods
I would not bother load testing an 8 year old battery. I would just get a new one. I stick them in my lawn mower for a few years sometimes.
Load testing will tell you the battery is bad. If if is marginal you may shorten its life. At 8 years it's marginal
Typically you can tell a lot about a battery on speed of starting. But they can just fail
Been thinking of adding pigtail for jump pack.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 18,249
Likes: 3,679
From: backwoods
They say you can't push start fuel injection