Hello ☺ I bought a 1981 flt and am trying to make it better and better by the day. I installed a new battery and found the battery tender harness unconnected and laying there behind the battery. The questions I have are how did the 2 round coonectiors come attached to the battery from the factory. Were they attached by the same bolts as the pos and neg battery cables and you piggy back the vonnectors or were the 2 connectors fastened to the battery on the backside of the battery posts? There are 2 threaded connections on each battery post on my battery. Also once it is hooked up was there a correct location the plug lives or does it just lay in the battery tray? Thank you so much in advance for the help. My Best Nel

 

I do not think Harley Davidson had factory-installed battery charger wiring harness until 2014 Touring models. However, many do install the harness for ease in connecting a battery tender to the battery especially when the positive post is way under the seat. Don't think it is really needed on shovels as the battery posts are normally accessible....my 71 is anyway.

I installed a harness on my 2011 sporty directly to the battery posts, the same one with the cables. Harness has a red positive and black negative. Not sure what you are talking about when your refer to the backside..

 

 

Thank you for the reply. Maybe its not a battery tender?

 

It is a battery charging harness.
https://www.harley-davidson.com/stor...arging-harness



This is a battery tender....do you see the connector from the battery tender....it is connected to the end of your battery harness.

 

 

I see one terminal with top or side connections.

 

Red to red, black to black, connect it with your terminal wires with the same bolt/screw. You are way over thinking this.

 

the battery being under the oil tank cover and the front of the saddlebag this makes it a PINA to take all apart just to put a tender on so - run the pig tail out to the crash bar and wire tie it so its a snap to leave the bike and tend it till you want to ride it again

I have the same bike and the early blinkers - will only blink when pushing the button so I converted the system, to accept the bad lands controller to have the 11 second delay like later bikes have

 

I hated those push button blinkers on my 80....poorly designed IMO. Why would design TS that you need to hold down when you also need to pull the brake lever or twist the thottle or pull the clutch. Even my 71 is more sensible with a TS switch. Did I mention I love my self-cancelling twinkie LOL

If the battery terminals are not readily accessible, I agree, put the charging harness on......or it will be a PITA to charge or jump your battery.