battery life
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Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,569
Likes: 12
From: Arizona
battery life
just wondered what life your all getting out of your batteries. i just had to replace mine, interstate 20 series, i think i got about 2 & 1/2 years out of it. i also kept it on a battery tender when ever i had it parked. i bought a Deka batery this time, the local shop said it was a official harley battery.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,468
Likes: 12
From: Bluffton, South Carolina
Being the official Harley anything just means the vendor gave them the lowest price!!! Battery life is like asking "How far is up??" there are too many variables to give an honest answer.
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,898
From: Bedford UK
The last battery I replaced about a year ago was almost 14 years old. The previous battery (on a different bike) barely got out of its 2 years warranty before turning its toes up.
So on average somewhere between those two!
So on average somewhere between those two!
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 3,928
Likes: 1
From: Desert S. West
I just ordered one for my Softail at the 2.5 year mark. That's about typical for this S.W. desert heat. It's a small battery though and I hope to get more time out of the EG battery. I'll see.
Road Master
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 817
Likes: 1
From: N.E. Ohio
I have a 87 FLHTC with a 32 amp alt kit. I use to always buy a Harley battery. They would last 1-2 years, I always hook up to a Battery tender. Then one spring it got warm early. The dealer was already closed when I got off work on a Sat. I bought a cheap battery from a battery supply by work. That battery lasted longer than any of the HD batteries I ever bought. The service manger saw it and stated telling me all these horror stories. He was full of $hit. The last cheap battery lasted 4 years. It still started the bike but it wouldn't recover from aload fast. Sorry I don't remember the brand. I replaced it with a Interstate MF. It just finished its second summer. It takes aload from aload tester with flying colors.
Last edited by BB4xl; Nov 18, 2009 at 02:44 PM.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 8,198
Likes: 3,087
From: NW AR
I generally get about 2 years from a battery on my bike. A lot more on the Sportster, especially before I changed it to EFI, which has maxed out the electrical system (to a point of finding low wattage signal bulbs). I only get about 1 year out of a cheap battery on my bike. I did not have good luck with Interstate branded batteries, so I stopped buying them, but that was probably 20 years ago now. They may be making them in a better part of China now, so I don't know what they're like today. The last few I've bought have been Genuine H.D.
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Elite HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,872
Likes: 83
From: Canton, Michigan
Original Battery - 4 years
Subsequent Batteries - 2 years and then I'm rolling the dice.
Present Battery - 3 years and still hold up.
I believe one of the main reasons that my battery life sucked, was the plug where the stator attaches to the voltage regulator (another great idea from the wizards at The MoCo) had loosened up to the point that the connection was intermittent at best. I have corrected that issue (Hack Fab), and haven't had to buy an $80 battery lately. I may replace it next year, 'just because'.
Subsequent Batteries - 2 years and then I'm rolling the dice.
Present Battery - 3 years and still hold up.
I believe one of the main reasons that my battery life sucked, was the plug where the stator attaches to the voltage regulator (another great idea from the wizards at The MoCo) had loosened up to the point that the connection was intermittent at best. I have corrected that issue (Hack Fab), and haven't had to buy an $80 battery lately. I may replace it next year, 'just because'.
Last edited by Hackd; Nov 18, 2009 at 10:57 PM.