I've had my RG for about a year, and for the last 6 months or so every time I go to start it, it initially sounds like it wants to die and has issues turning over but then starts. While I was deployed I had my wife starting it about once a week and it was hooked up to a battery tender. There was a period of time though where the battery tender got disconnected and the bike was left in run. The battery died, my wife took it out, brought it to harley and they did a full charge and said it was as good as new. My question is, is this a normal thing? Because my HDs before never had this problem. What are some things that could be causing the issue? The other day it was dead and I put it on a charger and charged it fully, took it off, it started right up and I let it run for about 15 minutes. Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

Running a battery flat will reduce its life and effectiveness. Doing it over and over excerbates the problem.
If your bike is starting to exhibit hard start issues then be sure all battery cables have clean,tight connections at both ends. You might also check that the bike is charging it properly. If that doesn't help, start planning for a new battery.

 

Thanks, I tried starting it again at work after it sitting for a few hours and it wasn’t turning over so I’m expecting it.

 

There are tests to check battery health.
Disconnect it from the bike, fully charge it, take it off the charger and let it sit for a couple hours then measure the battery voltage. Charts all over the internet to help you evaluate what the voltage represents. If it seems ok at that point have it load tested, most auto parts stores do it for free. If it still looks good start checking the bike for unusual parasitic draws.