Battery Life
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 7,138
Likes: 26
From: Southern Oregon
My oem lasted about 5 1/2 yrs. Bike would start great right off the tender but started struggling after it was warmed up. Had me a little puzzled because I knew it was getting a good charge while riding down the road. I just installed the Big Crank and it now starts better than it ever did.
Club Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 145,895
Likes: 821
From: 40 miles Northeast of Indy..
now that you asked,, you may need one soon...~~~~
As I've read in here the average seems to be 4-5 yrs... if taken care of. My Org batt. lasted 5yrs almost to the day I bought the bike..
Also it seems some of the 10 and newer bikes have theirs go south in 3 yrs..
As I've read in here the average seems to be 4-5 yrs... if taken care of. My Org batt. lasted 5yrs almost to the day I bought the bike..
Also it seems some of the 10 and newer bikes have theirs go south in 3 yrs..
Road Warrior
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,781
Likes: 50
From: Louisville, KY
Correct, ....just emphasising that there's a big difference - in some cases it may just be incorrect terminology, but could also be that someone has one of those outdated trickle chargers, and as mentioned, those are likely to do more harm than good.
Road Master
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 816
Likes: 57
From: Rijssen, the Netherlands
Depends on so many details. A good maintenance charger will prevent discharging the battery during a winter stop and certainly tribute to a longer life of the battery. It is mentioned that an unused and uncharged battery will 'leak' its load by 'self-discharging' at a range of 1% per day in moderate climates. In hot climates it can go up to 2% per day or even more. Higher temperatures in general are minimizing the life time of a battery. Here in Saudi Arabia the average life time is 2 years + with good maintenance up to 3 years. Lot less than the 5-8 years as expected in moderate climates.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 15,365
Likes: 24,241
From: NC, USA
I put a fresh battery in my Street Glide in 2012 and I keep it hooked up to a tender at all times in the garage. It started acting up about 6 months ago so I replaced it. On the other hand, the battery in my Softail has been in there since 2010 and is going strong.
Batteries are the demon child in every bike, you never know when it will fail you.
Batteries are the demon child in every bike, you never know when it will fail you.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 3,515
Likes: 1,993
From: Vancouver BC
Actually they're not. As I said in my earlier post here, you just have to prep them correctly before you install them. Any off the shelf battery bought through mail order, Wally World, Costco, or your local bike/auto dealer will not come fully charged and exercised. THIS is what causes premature failure or erratic battery behavior. How do I know this? Because I work as an electronics engineer maintaing our city's light rail rapid transit system where everything here is powered by lead acid batteries. Slow charge your new battery for 8-12 hours before installing it and you will get at least 5 years life from it. Do not make the mistake of buying a battery and starting your bike right away, that first large current pull on an unprepped battery is the killer of battery longevity. You will never receive the full mount of current that your battery was rated for if you don't slowly charge it first. Use a charger that is current limited to 10 percent or less of the battery's full 1 hour current rating. Example, 10 amps or less for a 100 amp/hr battery. This way you will never destroy the electrolyte solution or distort the lead plates from its first heat cycle. Think of it as building a new top end on your engine then starting it at wide open throttle. You wouldn't do that without the initial break in period would you? Same as a new battery.
Last edited by Ride my Seesaw; Oct 22, 2015 at 09:36 AM.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 21,732
Likes: 17,569
From: Driftless Area
Last time my Shovel started turning over slow, I couldn't remember when I had last replaced the battery. Stock-grade issue (not newer gel technology), battery tender on it anytime it sat longer than a month, and checked the level once or twice a year, and kept the connections clean. When I pulled the cover off, the date I had scribed into the top of the battery indicated it was over 7 years old.