I've just had the battery on a tender for a while on my 96 FLH Ultra Classic and I'm surprised how small it is. My 2013 Bonneville definitely suffers from inadequately specified battery and my 92 Sportster seems to have the same battery as the Electra Glide.

Is this a problem on Evo Electra Glides?

 

LOL
it was that big *** YHD-12 battery that was the Problem!!

 

Bike has an MBTX24U fitted. From various websites I see minimum 300 CCA recommended, so this battery is minimum capacity. Others recommended are 340-plus.

OK, I'll bear that in mind.

 

the Evo solid mount Sportster, takes same Battery as Evo FL, FX too... maybe excepting the Pos post "side" changes... denoted by an L" in battery Number..
that should be a BS-20 Battery... and attention must be payed... the CCA is anywhere from 270 to 310... due diligence...

 

Lost here, since something like the Deka ETX30L should fit, will state that is has 400CCA, but more like 520 when brand new.


Once the battery is sorted out, then double check your main breaker, since it may be giving up the ghost the problem at hand with the charging system not charging the battery correctly.



The next one in line, if you are having starting problems with the starter cranking slowly, double check the ground cable off the battery, to the starter bolt on the primary case (may just need to be cleaned up and tightened).
Note, the starter does not need 400CCA~520CCA, and this more working CCA just comes in handy when the battery is run down, so it still have enough CCA to turn the starter over without problems.

As for charging problems, check stator, check voltage regulator, then take a very good look at the charging connectors to the frame for ground, and again, main breaker for the positive side. VR bolts to the gold post, then everything else down line on the posittive side bolts to the silver post.

On the standard bikes, the ground cable off the battery goes to the starter mounting bolt alone. On the police models, there is an extra cable off the battery ground, that goes to the ground point on the chassis where the voltage regulator connects to the frame. In most cases, its not needed,but if the ground to starter mounting bolts is not getting a good ground, then will effect how the battery is being charged since there is not that extra wire off the charging ground point, back to the battery.

So positive battery cable runs to the starter solenoid terminal, battery ground cable runs to starter mounting bolts, and in the case of the extra wire off the battery ground, just in front of the battery, will see the chassis ground post that the VR ground side is bolted to with a few extra wires and where you want to bolt in the other side of the extra ground wire off the battery.



And the last one, if you have not pulled the ignition apart to check it contacts to make sure they are not corrode, now would be a good time to do so. Hence if the bike gets up to temp, and it acting like it losing power everywhere, corroded ignition contacts that need to be cleaned.

 

Bike starts fine now the battery has been on the charger, and I have a tender lead fitted to keep it boosted. Let's see what develops

 

Who the hell runs a 50a circuit breaker? I would think 12 ga wiring would burn up before tripping the breaker..

 

Original "wet" battery for that bike was only about 250 cold crank amps. The battery you have uses thicker plates and "supposedly" has more reserve capacity, not to be confused with cca. If it's a Moto-batt yellow battery, they've been known for failure out of the box. Been hearing a lot of bad things about that brand lately.

Tour bikes do not have the vintage looking tank mounted rotary switch and are not designed for disassembly or service, replacement only.

They've been putting 50 amp main breakers in Tour models at the factory since 1994.

 

👍