How long to drain a battery?
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 10,602
Likes: 721
From: Bellevue, NE
How long to drain a battery?
I posted in general so I won't go into all that again, but how long should a new battery last on an Ultra, assuming nothing was left on, before the battery goes dead? Months? Mine lasted 3 days and the dealer says nothing is wrong and I should have had it on a tender.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 3,927
Likes: 5
From: Midwest
RE: How long to drain a battery?
I answered you there but I'll give you a little different answer here since you worded the question differently.
Congratulations. You just learned a valuable lesson about your dealer. Fortunately your bike is under warranty and you can give someone else the chance to earn your business by giving you a straight answer and really caring about your problem.
Congratulations. You just learned a valuable lesson about your dealer. Fortunately your bike is under warranty and you can give someone else the chance to earn your business by giving you a straight answer and really caring about your problem.
Cruiser
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 132
Likes: 0
From:
RE: How long to drain a battery?
Your dealer is so wrong and blowing smoke up your behind. A battery should last several weeks if not longer without going dead. Make sure you don't have anything on thats draining it down, otherwise you have a bad battery.The cold weather will drain one down a little quicker, but this time of year they should stay up for weeks if not months.I don't even own a battery tender and never have dead batteries on my bikes.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 3,927
Likes: 5
From: Midwest
RE: How long to drain a battery?
I noticed that you are in NE...A year ago (to the week, in fact) my wife and I made a 4500 mile circle out west and visited a dealership in Nebraska that was the worst excuse for a dealership I've ever seen. I don't remember the name of the town but it's Johnny Carson's birthplace. We were obviously from out of town and on the road and when we walked in the door everybody looked up at us, then went right back to what they were doing--reading a magazine, talking to each other, etc. We were the only "customers" in the store and were were there for 15 minutes and nobody ever spoke to us, even to say "hello".
Road Master
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 791
Likes: 0
From: Arizona
RE: How long to drain a battery?
I agree with FoxRM, in that your battery should not be drained after three days! Your Dealer is blowing smoke big time!
I have had both a Road King Classic and now a Road Glide, and neither has ever drained a battery. I don't even own a battery tender, because I never had a need for one. If your battery drains that fast, you have a short or a bad battery. Most HD battery will last between 18 to 30 months, depending on usage.
From my experience, the battery power can leak through your engine cut-off switch on your right handlebar. It's always a good practice to use this switch every time you shut-off your engine. Don't rely on the ignition switch alone! Harley has a history of battery leakage through the cut-off switch. So, if you shut off this switch every time you park, you should have no battery drainage.
I have had both a Road King Classic and now a Road Glide, and neither has ever drained a battery. I don't even own a battery tender, because I never had a need for one. If your battery drains that fast, you have a short or a bad battery. Most HD battery will last between 18 to 30 months, depending on usage.
From my experience, the battery power can leak through your engine cut-off switch on your right handlebar. It's always a good practice to use this switch every time you shut-off your engine. Don't rely on the ignition switch alone! Harley has a history of battery leakage through the cut-off switch. So, if you shut off this switch every time you park, you should have no battery drainage.
ORIGINAL: FoxRM250
Your dealer is so wrong and blowing smoke up your behind. A battery should last several weeks if not longer without going dead. Make sure you don't have anything on thats draining it down, otherwise you have a bad battery.The cold weather will drain one down a little quicker, but this time of year they should stay up for weeks if not months.I don't even own a battery tender and never have dead batteries on my bikes.
Your dealer is so wrong and blowing smoke up your behind. A battery should last several weeks if not longer without going dead. Make sure you don't have anything on thats draining it down, otherwise you have a bad battery.The cold weather will drain one down a little quicker, but this time of year they should stay up for weeks if not months.I don't even own a battery tender and never have dead batteries on my bikes.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,893
Likes: 2
From: USA
RE: How long to drain a battery?
ORIGINAL: stro1965
I posted in general so I won't go into all that again, but how long should a new battery last on an Ultra, assuming nothing was left on, before the battery goes dead? Months? Mine lasted 3 days and the dealer says nothing is wrong and I should have had it on a tender.
I posted in general so I won't go into all that again, but how long should a new battery last on an Ultra, assuming nothing was left on, before the battery goes dead? Months? Mine lasted 3 days and the dealer says nothing is wrong and I should have had it on a tender.
Is it setup for auto-alarm?
Or if not set for auto-alarm, did you have it on during the time the battery drained?
It makes a bit of difference.
Intermediate
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 32
Likes: 2
From:
RE: How long to drain a battery?
I left mine the bike with no charger all winter, come spring time I pulled the bike out and it fired right up.
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Road Master
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 791
Likes: 0
From: Arizona
RE: How long to drain a battery?
Ram,
I think even if the auto alarm is on for a week, it should not have drained the battery that fast. I don't know the voltage draw off the top of my head, but I can't imagine the alarm using that much battery juice. Just my own thinking, of course.
I think even if the auto alarm is on for a week, it should not have drained the battery that fast. I don't know the voltage draw off the top of my head, but I can't imagine the alarm using that much battery juice. Just my own thinking, of course.
ORIGINAL: Ram
Do you have an alarm?
Is it setup for auto-alarm?
Or if not set for auto-alarm, did you have it on during the time the battery drained?
It makes a bit of difference.
Do you have an alarm?
Is it setup for auto-alarm?
Or if not set for auto-alarm, did you have it on during the time the battery drained?
It makes a bit of difference.
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Banned
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,301
Likes: 4
From:
RE: How long to drain a battery?
That would of been in Norfolk, Nebraska.
Used to liver there and I too experienced their apathy.
Used to liver there and I too experienced their apathy.
ORIGINAL: BG Weasel
I noticed that you are in NE...A year ago (to the week, in fact) my wife and I made a 4500 mile circle out west and visited a dealership in Nebraska that was the worst excuse for a dealership I've ever seen. I don't remember the name of the town but it's Johnny Carson's birthplace. We were obviously from out of town and on the road and when we walked in the door everybody looked up at us, then went right back to what they were doing--reading a magazine, talking to each other, etc. We were the only "customers" in the store and were were there for 15 minutes and nobody ever spoke to us, even to say "hello".
I noticed that you are in NE...A year ago (to the week, in fact) my wife and I made a 4500 mile circle out west and visited a dealership in Nebraska that was the worst excuse for a dealership I've ever seen. I don't remember the name of the town but it's Johnny Carson's birthplace. We were obviously from out of town and on the road and when we walked in the door everybody looked up at us, then went right back to what they were doing--reading a magazine, talking to each other, etc. We were the only "customers" in the store and were were there for 15 minutes and nobody ever spoke to us, even to say "hello".
Banned
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,301
Likes: 4
From:
RE: How long to drain a battery?
mine sits outside all winter, if lucky under a tarp.
Here in Wyoming, never been dead once.
One day it was 5 below out. truck wouldn't start, but I had to be to work,
on emergency call.
Bike fired right up and the battery was 4 years old.
Another battery original in my 01 flhtci, sat on back porch no tender from feb 2002 until this feb /mar. Put it in bike (it had 4.89 volts) charged it off and on for a few days and it fired the
the bike up.
so yes your dealer is blowing smoke and outright lying.
There is something NOT nomal.
When the bike is running is the volt gauge showing a charge rate of 14.5 ?
If not you probably have lost the stator.
Here in Wyoming, never been dead once.
One day it was 5 below out. truck wouldn't start, but I had to be to work,
on emergency call.
Bike fired right up and the battery was 4 years old.
Another battery original in my 01 flhtci, sat on back porch no tender from feb 2002 until this feb /mar. Put it in bike (it had 4.89 volts) charged it off and on for a few days and it fired the
the bike up.
so yes your dealer is blowing smoke and outright lying.
There is something NOT nomal.
When the bike is running is the volt gauge showing a charge rate of 14.5 ?
If not you probably have lost the stator.