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Easily Prevented Problem Explained!

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Old Jul 16, 2017 | 04:16 PM
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Default Easily Prevented Problem Explained!

I'm choosing to post in the 'General Forum' area because what happened to me is not model specific. It just happened to be my Tri Glide this time.


My Harleys have the 'pigtail' behind the left-side cover for connecting a battery tender or for other potential uses. Most people I know leave a few inches of it hanging out for convenience.


I just returned from a 3,000-mile trip up into Montana. When I got home I went to connect my battery tender and realized the pigtail was not hanging out as usual.


Pulled the cover off and discovered that at some point on the trip the pigtail had made it way down under the trike and the end was totally ground off presumably by the drive belt.


The parts manual indicated the pigtail was part of a more complicated wiring harness so replacing that was out of the question. I had other left-over cables laying around with the right 'connector' on them. Staggering the joints, soldering, and covering with shrink tubing completed the repair.


And this time I used a cable tie to keep most of the pigtail anchored to the frame, leaving only enough to hang out past the cover.


Probably a rare problem . . . but it might be worth looking into.
 
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Old Jul 16, 2017 | 04:25 PM
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I can see where that could happen.

I moved mine slightly to the lower right of the side cover and zip tied it to the chrome saddle bag guard down low so it would stay in place.
 
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Old Jul 16, 2017 | 04:26 PM
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AFAIK, those Battery Tender pigtails connect to the positive battery terminal and the frame with ring terminals, no complicated harness.
I have one on my bike, complimentary dealer installed before I took delivery.
 
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Old Jul 16, 2017 | 04:28 PM
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Battery tender on my RKC is fusible red positive lead attached directly to battery positive terminal and negative lead also connected direct to battery. It might be long enough to cause trouble though its dressed on the right of my bike. Maybe they changed it. Individual dealerships used to install these but they are now installed at the factory.
 
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Old Jul 16, 2017 | 04:32 PM
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The Rushmore bikes incorporated the tender pigtail into the bike wiring harness and have a fuse in the fuse block for them. Before that they were typically added by the selling dealer.

Had that happen to my softail. Belt chewed a good bit off the end, but mine is still usable.
 
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Old Jul 16, 2017 | 07:32 PM
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This happened on my 2016 SGS and was part of the main wiring harness.Was told by dealer this harness for battery tender is to be located by owner per owners manual.Checked it out and its there in the manual.
 
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Old Jul 16, 2017 | 07:47 PM
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I have always tucked mine up inside the side cover. Rarely use them as I ride my bikes year round but have one on each bike just in case.
 
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Old Jul 16, 2017 | 07:49 PM
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Another First World Problem!
 
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Old Jul 16, 2017 | 07:58 PM
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Originally Posted by upflying
AFAIK, those Battery Tender pigtails connect to the positive battery terminal and the frame with ring terminals, no complicated harness.
Not on the newer bikes.
 
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Old Jul 16, 2017 | 08:17 PM
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I've got the connection end zip tied to the frame on the main end of it and a couple of inches higher.
 
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