When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
07 Night Train on the original battery. I ride in the Texas heat. Now I have gone a few months with no riding and had to charge the battery as it was about dead. I use a tender a few times a year.
This year I might get a new battery if I need it or not.
05 Ultra w 41,500 miles, still has the original battery but I'm putting a new one in this afternoon. Kept on tender from Oct. to May. Still cranks ok most time, but on occasion will hang up for a second so I figure it's time for new before the season gets ramped up.
A faulty regulator will chew up a DC battery pretty quickly. (AC waveform being passed through to DC battery cells.) I don't know if this is the case here, but something to consider.
My 07 FXSTC purchased new in Aug 06 has the original battery in top condition.
I put it on a tender the day I got it for 24/7. There are two uses of a tender. One is to keep the battery up when stored. The other is to prolong the life of the battery.
That can only be done if it is left on the tender until one goes on a ride and connected back up on returning. It only takes a couple of seconds total.
I store 11 vehicles and 4 batteries on tenders. Never had a battery problem ever.
Don't understand why folks fight the issue and don't spend a lousy $20 on a tender.
I purchased an '02 Deuce last Friday. The previous owner had the factory HD battery from 02-10. He said he had to replace it at the beginning of the season last year. When I went to look at the bike two weeks ago it wouldn't start so we jumped it. He let it run for about an hour to charge. The following week when he delivered it, it was dead again. I charged it overnight but its not holding a charge. I ran to AutoZone and picked up an Exide and it fired right up. Should I assume the life of this battery is a year or so?
I thought mine would go away this year but had it on the tender for a week before I started it and was fine so far, it does turn a little slow but that could be from the motor work, it won't turn over without the compression releases, if it goes the season then next year I will get a drycell, I hear they are good but who knows
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.