Forgive me if the subject has been beat to death but here I go anyway.
I've noticed lately that my '17 Limited is cranking a little longer on startup. I bought the bike new and it has just about 26,000 miles on it so I've had it out quite a bit. On previous Harley's I've owned I don't recall ever getting much more than a couple of years out of a battery but with this one I've been fairly vigilant about keeping it on the tender and it's apparently helped. Otherwise it's running great, no charging problems or anything, I'm just becoming suspicious that I may be headed for a new battery by next riding season. Does that seem about right or are some of you getting more, perhaps less?

 

If you are driving regularly and or keeping maintenance charger on it and it seems weak, you probably need a new battery after first checking connections for clean and bring tight. Then, best check I have seen is a AC/DC ohm meter on the charger connection, DC should not drop below 9.6 when cranking.

Running at around test RPM of 2000, it should read 14.4 or so and under 15. If so, charging system is good. If it drops below 9.6, amp are down. Remember, you DO NOT WANT THAY LAST START just off the maintenance charger.

These bike don't push home very good.

My bike has had 5 batteries in it. Last 3-5 years or so. Usual 5 years ends in nursing it along and starts all these banging kick back issues that the TIN men (salesmen for those young people) love to sell starters and starter drives and OMG almost forgot , compensators. By the time they are thru, they give you a $100 battery for free.

 

MY 2016 RGU is on its 3rd battery. Here in AZ any battery (car/bike/RV/etc) only last 2 - 2 1/2 years due to the heat. When the voltage drops below 10V during start up - it's time to replace it. It's been consistent at 2 years.

 

Cranking longer? That would be a strong battery. Cranking slower for a longer period of time would be concerns for a battery. Don’t think too hard and just replace it. Chances are it’s getting close anyway and it will take it out of the equation.

 

Almost 4 years out of your battery. Sounds good to me.

I keep mine on a tender when I'm not rolling on it. Seems to help some with longevity.

 

Just for general knowledge, batteries start to age the day they are built. They age faster with frequent use (starts) and when exposed to heat. Chances are good your battery was built in late '16 so it is 4 years old and based on MY experience, that is doing well. Typically I start getting less enthusiastic cranking in about 18 months, but I have a 96 ci engine with no compression releases. I regularly use a maintainer and typically buy the East Penn ETX30 batteries. Currently using a Yuasa 500 cca battery but it is behaving much like the East Penn products. For me, my bike, and my location and riding frequency, a bit over 2 years is about it for batteries, at least in the bike. They repurpose well for another year or two in a Seadoo and lawn tractor.before they totally die.

 

I am in Texas and keep my battery on a tender when not in the seat. I average 2-3 years from a battery.

 

I get about 5 years out of a H-D battery. I keep it on a real battery tender. I am in North California.

 

Does anyone know if H-D batteries are still being manufactured by East Penn?

 

I had recently boasted about how good my battery was, and how long I had been using the same Battery Tender for years. The month of August the bike sat in the garage, as i was traveling heavy for work. I went out to get ready for a long ride in September, and the damn thing is stone dead. Checked "ol' reliable"...the Tender, and it's dead. No idea how long it had been sitting dead, or when the Tender gave up the ghost.

Tried to revive the batt with my Schumacher Sport charger (does AGMs, etc. down to 1 volt) but there was no bringin' her back. I have revived some stone dead batteries with this charger, but not this one.

So, now I have a Lithium battery on a Noco 1 amp lithium smart maintainer.

The lithium batteries almost feel like a fake empty case. We went on a 1600 mile ride into MT a couple of weeks ago, no issues. Loving the cranking power of the lithium.