Hey Gang,

I just read yet another thread where a member was having an issue with his "brand new" Softail and the battery was coming into question as being the culprit. I guess my point is that I get the impression that there are a lot of people having issues of one kind or another with batteries and the most common responses are "Get something other than H-D batteries" and "Make sure you keep your battery on a trickle charger".

I have had my original batter for over four years and it still shows no sign of weakness. Although I am sure that I will be looking to replace it in the near future, I think this is still a big contrast to what some people call a crap battery and claim to have to replace it in much less time. To clarify, I am not being an advocate for H-D batteries (which I am sure are made by some other battery company and just labeled HD). I am just noting that my experience seems to fly in the face of the many arguments that I have read on these forums against the batteries that H-D sells.

Over four years that I have had my Harley with original battery, I have never had to have it on a charger, even when the motorcycle sits idle for extended periods of time. The latest (and most telling case to me) of this happened a few weeks ago when I finally got around to completing my handlebar install. I tore my motorcycle down around July 5th. For one reason or another, what I thought would be a one to two day project ended up not being completed until just over two weeks ago (Sept. 2nd). I did not have my battery on a tender this entire time and I was sure that I would have to charge it before I could take the motorcycle out for a test ride. Well naturally I was a bit anxious to test ride and decided to give it a shot and see if the bike would start. Although the battery seemed weak and there was a bit of hesitation, the motorcycle fired up. After a couple of short test rides around the block it was starting just fine afterwards. I have been riding again for two weeks and my battery seems as strong as ever.

So have I just gotten lucky with my current battery? Do I have a plethora of issues to look forward to when I do replace it? How many of you have had consistently good experience from your battery regardless of brand and have you stuck with that same brand over the years?

Thanks,

Skeez

 

the security system seems to be the culprit in most cases . if stored with the security on for more than a week you must set your security system to storage mode . this will not drain the battery as quickly

 

My stock battery lasted 7 years, over 70,000 miles. Replaced it because I was just nervous about it. Still on my second battery. 3.5 yrs old. Yeap. Got it at the dealer.

 

A comment and a question. 1st, I have an 06 with the original battery still in it and I have had no sign of any type of problems or issues as of yet. I do put in on the trickle charger over the winter or when it sits more then a few days too. You can have your battery tested too. When I do got to a new battery when needed I am going to go with an Interstate battery, I have always had the best of luck with those. Question? I didn't know you could set your security system to "sleep mode", how does one do that?

 

Interesting. I have never heard this before. My bike has a security system and I never knew there were any "modes" to it. Although I ride my Harley quite a bit, because I have small children I sometimes can't ride for stretches as long as two weeks. I never have an issue with my Crossbones starting even though it hasn't been on a trickle charger. Like I stated in my post, my battery sat for almost two whole months without a charge and it still fired up. I'd say that's pretty good considering that others are stating that they put theirs on a charger when they are not going to ride for just a handful of days.

 

+1 on the security system draining the battery.

 

From the manual on the system for my 04 Heritage...

"The LOW POWER mode prevents the security system from discharging the battery after a period of 20 days without any ignition switch activity.

The security system will enter the LOW POWER mode automatically after 20 days have passed whether the security system is armed or disarmed.

In this LOW POWER mode, when motion is detected or the ignition is turned on, the system issues a warning beep and re-enters the normal security mode.

When the LOW POWER mode is entered, the security lamp stops flashing to conserve power."

Boy is THAT helpful

 

Well like every thing else in life, no two things are the same. For example, my neighbor and I both bought our Heritages at the same time from the same dealer from the same salesman. OK. They are 2009's. I put mine on a trickle charger at the end of every ride as does he. His battery went dead last winter and mine is still going, all be it I detected a beginning weakness. So, in conclusion,there is no conclusion. The life of a battery is different for each battery and there may not be any rational reason why one battery lasts just one year or lasts 10 years. Here in Las Vegas, because of the heat everyone says that batteries are good for only two years, three at best.

 

+2

All UK bikes come with the security system as standard.

I encountered lots of problems with my old Dyna if I hadn't riden it for more than about 3-4 weeks, and I ended up knackering the teeth on the clutch housing and starter gear...very expensive.

I don't have power in the garage as it's not near the house, and after trying several types of solar trickle charger without much success, I bought a 2nd battery and keep one in the house on a trickle charger, and if I haven't riden the bike for 3 weks or more, I swop them over before trying to start the bike.

Didn't have a problem after that with the Dyna, and I'll keep the same system going for the new Slim as well.

 

I waited 10 days for my bike to be delivered from out of state by Haulbikes, all my jealous and otherwise nosey neighbors are all outside watching as my shiny new Fatboy rolls out of the eighteen wheeler, I jump on it ready to roll off in a blaze of glory...and click-click-click...the battery is dead.

The Haulbikes driver told me it had a full charge at the dealer, and his guess was the security system had drained the battery. 10 Days?

While I keep mine on a battery tender, I always wonder how many days I could go before not being able to start it. I'm not sure it would last 20 days to even go into "low power mode."