Evening Fellow Hogers
Have bought the wife a 96 883. Want to put a battery tender on it. Got the battery out but can't get it to go back in and having a heck of time getting the cables on it. Checked YouTube and it was no help. All of the videos I found are for 97 and up. My battery has the negative terminal toward the front of the bike which is on a very short cable. Can't get wrench in the space available. Anyone got any tips or tricks. Both the neg and pos cables are connected with a thick spacer. Does anyone know where the main fuse or battery disconnect plug is located? What does it look like?
Thanks
Doc

 

My negative battery cable has to be situated a specific direction once tightened down to fit back into the hole.. you may have to play with that too.

I'm not sure about your model, but on my rubber mount, the main fuse (or maxi fuse) is inside a big black clip which hooks on the strap that holds the battery in.

 

Thanks SamhallNC
I did find an online shop manual ( http://www.carlsalter.com/pdfs/Harle...e%20Manual.pdf) It offers some info like the fact that I'm missing the spacers between the cable and the battery which just might give me the room I need. My main breaker is located across the frame, just not sure how to disconnect it. If you click on the link and check Chapter 11 it shows the pictures.
Thanks for your assistance.
Doc

 

Disconnect the red wire coming from the battery to the main breaker (you DO have circuit breakers?), you should have a thick one (to starter) and a small red one (to breakers). I think your 1996 is similar to my exposed battery 1991. Your pictures do look a bit different than my stock setup, so trust your manual.

John

 

Thanks John. Those spacers are something that I am missing. I'll trace that red wire to breaker. Never like playing around the pos pole on the battery. Had to believe I have been playing with this what should be a simple problem for 1 1/2 days. Perhaps I should just let the Little Woman do her own repairs while I sit back with a cold one.

 

If the spacers are like mine, they are just short cylinders that the bolt goes through before threading into battery posts.

John

 

Your mom owns a Sportster? You have to be the luckiest guy in your neighborhood.

John

 

I just put a new battery in my new to me 1997 Sporty. First off, you need the spacers to set the terminals off of the battery case. The bike terminals will get get good contact without the spacers. As far as getting to tighten the terminals, I found it easiest with the seat off going to the terminals from the top with an open ended wrench. G.B.