Battery life
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 5,067
Likes: 394
From: Edmonton Alberta Canada
Mine has the alarm system and can sit up to two months and still start fine, maybe the new keyless system uses more power, I do use a maintainer during the winter months.
Just spend 30 bucks and get a maintainer and plug it in if it's going to sit for more than a few days.
Just spend 30 bucks and get a maintainer and plug it in if it's going to sit for more than a few days.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 13,402
Likes: 941
From: Illinois
I just replaced the battery on my 08. I use a tender and unplug when the bike goes out and replug when it pulls into the garage.
I have had batteries that lasted beyond 8 years using that method. A battery has a specific charge discharge cycles in it. By keeping it floating at full charge will extend the life. Other failures can occur. One battery died with a swelled cell and it was replaced under warranty.
To just say your battery dies does not provide enough information. How long does it set? How long is the typical ride? It takes at least 30 miles for the bike to just recharge the amount used to start the bike let alone any amount it had drained down from lack of use.
A $20 Schumaker 1.5 amp tender at Walmart and used fully will save grief and dollars over the years.
I have 14 bikes and three vehicles on tenders and have never had battery trouble beyond the faulty battery that I mentioned.
By the way batteries discharge not even connected to any thing. One in a bike will have line drop discharge. Want to see? Just take the negative cable off in a dark garage and touch it to the ground post on the battery. You will see a spark. That my friends is drainage 24/7.
I have had batteries that lasted beyond 8 years using that method. A battery has a specific charge discharge cycles in it. By keeping it floating at full charge will extend the life. Other failures can occur. One battery died with a swelled cell and it was replaced under warranty.
To just say your battery dies does not provide enough information. How long does it set? How long is the typical ride? It takes at least 30 miles for the bike to just recharge the amount used to start the bike let alone any amount it had drained down from lack of use.
A $20 Schumaker 1.5 amp tender at Walmart and used fully will save grief and dollars over the years.
I have 14 bikes and three vehicles on tenders and have never had battery trouble beyond the faulty battery that I mentioned.
By the way batteries discharge not even connected to any thing. One in a bike will have line drop discharge. Want to see? Just take the negative cable off in a dark garage and touch it to the ground post on the battery. You will see a spark. That my friends is drainage 24/7.
Last edited by lh4x4; Feb 14, 2015 at 04:18 PM.
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6th Gear
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
From: France
Thanks guys for the answers. My typical ride is 16 miles to go to work and 16 to come back.
But the thing that worry me more is that if the battery is giving 12.4V why does the "side stand" message appear, because this will stop the engine and I will have to start it back, pretty inconvenient when the battery is supposedly discharged. I'm wondering if the side stand sensor is working properly.
But the thing that worry me more is that if the battery is giving 12.4V why does the "side stand" message appear, because this will stop the engine and I will have to start it back, pretty inconvenient when the battery is supposedly discharged. I'm wondering if the side stand sensor is working properly.
Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,542
Likes: 5
From: Cleveland, OH
Something isn't right. You have the warranty, definitely use it. Even if it is not battery related in the end, get yourself a battery tender if you don't already have one. They can really extend the life of the battery. With the electronics on modern bikes, there is always some sort of a small drain. Living here it can sit for months unfortunately in the winter.
Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,774
Likes: 105
From: Houston, Texas
Something isn't right. You have the warranty, definitely use it. Even if it is not battery related in the end, get yourself a battery tender if you don't already have one. They can really extend the life of the battery. With the electronics on modern bikes, there is always some sort of a small drain. Living here it can sit for months unfortunately in the winter.
Road Master
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,223
Likes: 3
From: Peoria, AZ
A bad battery will also show "good voltage" (I keep one to run my I-pod camping) so do a voltage drop at the STARTER to see if it falls below (and I can't find the exact number) 10.8 volts (?) [verify this #] when you hit the starter button. I can tell two ways with my 01: there is a slight delay when I hit the switch and it sputter-farts through the carb when it is cold and not 100% hot warmed up! Then it finally will develop into a "cranks over-no start" situation. Or you can have it load tested at HD dealer if you do not have the multimeter.
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Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,898
From: Bedford UK
Thanks guys for the answers. My typical ride is 16 miles to go to work and 16 to come back.
But the thing that worry me more is that if the battery is giving 12.4V why does the "side stand" message appear, because this will stop the engine and I will have to start it back, pretty inconvenient when the battery is supposedly discharged. I'm wondering if the side stand sensor is working properly.
But the thing that worry me more is that if the battery is giving 12.4V why does the "side stand" message appear, because this will stop the engine and I will have to start it back, pretty inconvenient when the battery is supposedly discharged. I'm wondering if the side stand sensor is working properly.
A pal of mine has a new Glide, just a few months old. It kept giving problems and eventually turned out, after several visits to the dealer, to be some obscure electronic thingey had gone wrong and was slowly discharging his battery. You may have something similar, so don't trouble yourself, just get them to sort it for you!
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6th Gear
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
From: France
After taking the bike to the dealer, they have changed the side stand sensor, the bike was finally giving an error code (to have that the problem as to last for at least 2 seconds, and that wasn't the case before it got really worse). The funny thing is that a couple of weeks ago they changed the IAC because I had an idle problem with the engine stopping for no reason. Well it seems that it was all related to that sensor, since it seems that the bike does not have any more problems...
Last edited by IronPhil; Feb 27, 2015 at 03:41 PM.
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