What is the average life-span of HD batteries,mine conked out on my 2003 lowrider.I only ride it about 5 months a year here and trickle charge it once a month through the winter months.

 

AAAAAAAH....Grasshopper.....You have found the meaning of life and death.....At least for any battery in your bike.

All kidding aside, I have never...Ever had a battery last more than two years and some change in my Harley. It's a fact of life, especially if you don't ride them a lot, that they will drop dead at the worse possible time. And usually, when they die they can't be revived nor can you even jump the bike to get it running. I'm certain there is an electro-chemist that can explain what is happening internally to them. I've had the same experiences with DieHard's, Harley-Davidson's, YUSA's, AC Delco's, and other makes. At two years, I'm on borrowed time. I've own my bike for 13 years, and in that time I know that I've put at least six batteries in her. I've got the same riding season: Seven months tops (out in April back in storage in November), rest of the time is spent on a float charger.

I know, I know...There are going to be those that say, "Mine lasted four (or whatever) years." Well to them I say, "Damn, that's great." Obviously they've never had to sit in a parking lot (or along side the highway) during the afternoon heat waiting for a tow, or someone to bring them a new battery. I really hope nobody ever has to (I've done it enough for three people).

If you think there is something else going wrong, then have the charging system checked out (of course all the dealers are backed up 2-3 weeks with whatever they do to the bikes they sell). Along with checking for any loose grounds, etc., which you can do on your own.

Check my saga on this thread (began in the engine thread) titled 'leaking rocker boxes', I've also got a battery/charging issue that I'll keep everyone updated on. But hey, my bikes only been in the current shop for two weeks....Pretty soon they'll get to me.

 

1998 model, still the original battery

 

After 4 years I replaced the factory battery on my '97 with an Interstate. It still worked fine, but after 4 years I figured it was time. Still had that battery in when it was stolen last nov. Yours is 3 years old, that's probably not all that bad.

If yours is dying early, you need to look at the charging system. If you don't ride it, you need a low amp float charger, not just a trickle charger. Overcharging will eventually kill it. Make sure there's no stress on the cables, that can break a terminal internally. OF course, it may have just been an old battery to begin with.

 

How about checking for loose cables?....they do get that way! and you can save a lot of grief with a few minutes.

Ride Safe!

 

Yeah I guess I'm just used to car batteries which seem to last 5 years and more sometimes.It kind of makes you wonder why bother going to the trouble of taking the battery out in the first place for storage and periodic charging when they are only good for a couple of years anyway.I was really lucky it finished its life outside my favorite coffee shop and not in the middle of no-where and my son was able to give me a boost to get her home.

 

[sm=icon_cheers.gif]

 

all hd batteries will last longer with a hd battery tender ,which costs about 39.00 bucks.you can install the clip on your battery posts.all you have to do is plug in wire connector.i work away from home for weeks and i always plug both of my harley,s to them when i,m away.never let me down.also my fatbot has an alarm system which i leave on ,when at work

 

Heat
Cycling
Vibration
Being kept at less than 100% charged

All of these are lead-acid battery killers. Physical damage and loss of active plate material is what causes battery death. Looking at these factors, you can see why batteries don’t last as long in a bike.

Most new cars have an insulating blanket to keep the heat away from the battery or a plastic box that isolates it from engine heat. Not so on your hog. In some applications the battery has a great deal of exposure to engine heat.

Each time a battery is drawn down and recharged a small amount positive plate material is lost into the well of the battery. Drawing the battery down and back up is called cycling. The more deeply and more often a battery is drawn down from a 100% charge and subsequently recharged, the shorter the battery life will be. In a bike that starts quickly without a lot of effort from the starter, the battery will last longer. Letting a battery go low and charging it back up, cost you a bunch of plate material and is very hard on the battery. Motorcycle batteries tend to be undersized to save weight and bulk so they tend to work harder and get cycled deeper during the staring process.

Vibration..... what can I say..... Harleys have a considerable amount of “torsional activity” (a nice word for vibration I learned from a Detroit Diesel representative commenting on their Series 50 engine that has a tendency to shake the alternator to death). Vibration causes active plate material to fall off of the plates. It can also cause physical damage. The separators can wear through and the internal connectors can also be broken by vibration.

Not being kept at 100% charge for long periods of time is something that happens often in bikes and is a major factor that affects motorcycle battery life. As a natural function of a lead acid battery, when the battery is drawn down from a 100% charge, lead-sulfate forms on the plates. When the battery is charged back up the lead-sulfate dissipates. If the battery is constantly at less than 100% charge or is left at a partial state if charge for a long period of time, the lead-sulfate hardens to the plates and cannot be removed through normal charging. The plate area that is covered in lead sulfate becomes useless and is lost.

A battery loses its charge internally if it is not periodically charged. This is where a battery tender can help extend the battery life. It will keep the battery at a 100% charge preventing the plates from “sulfating” during periods of inactivity.

Also, exposing the plates to air damages them. If the electrolyte goes below the level of the plates, the area that was exposed is no longer active.

When you look at the factors that cause batteries to die, it pretty easy to see why they are put to a test in a Harley.

Doug

 

Just replaced the original battery, which was in service for 4 years without a care. Then last winter, it started to grunt when doing hot starts or if the bike had set for a week. A battery tender kept the charge up but with a long trip coming up, I decided to replace it anyway. I suspect the charge holding attribute was deteriorating slowly and eventually would just give up. This on the maintenance free battery that comes standard with the Ultra.

I shopped the internet for battery prices and found the HD price to be right in there, so I had my local dealer install the new one and check the charging system at the same time.