Touring Models Road King, Road King Custom, Road King Classic, Road Glide, Street Glide, Electra Glide, Electra Glide Classic, and Electra Glide Ultra Classic bikes.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

help getting to RKC battery

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Aug 19, 2009 | 04:01 PM
  #1  
mangiacavallo's Avatar
mangiacavallo
Thread Starter
|
6th Gear
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
Question help getting to RKC battery

new to harleys.
need a little help getting to my battery on this '09 RKC.
finally had some time yesterday to get under the seat for the 1st time.
followed the instructions in the manual but didn't find it very helpful, frankly.
so ...
there's a part on top of the battery cover piece (don't know what it is -- looks like a flat battery from a laptop computer), which i was able to remove and set aside hanging over the frame.
that left me with the plastic cover that is right on top of the battery itself, covering the terminals. this is held in by 2 screws toward the rear of the piece. removed them.
but i could not, for the life of me, figure out how to get that plastic cover off without forcing it, which i decided not to do.
lifting the cover from the back where the 2 screws were removed, it seems to be held by something underneath at the front of the cover.
that's as far as i could get.
is there a trick to this? how do i get that plastic cover off???
sure could use some advice.

thanks ...
 
Reply
Old Aug 19, 2009 | 05:24 PM
  #2  
dawg's Avatar
dawg
Seasoned HDF Member
Shutterbug
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 28,552
Likes: 3,954
From: Vermont
Default

The "laptop computer battery" looking thing is the ECM, new location on the 08 and later is under the seat instead of right side cover because of ABS. Yes it's crammed in there and it is a pain. The plastic piece should be attached to the battery bracket hold down so you might have a tab that you didn't "unclick"
 
Reply
Old Aug 19, 2009 | 05:38 PM
  #3  
mangiacavallo's Avatar
mangiacavallo
Thread Starter
|
6th Gear
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
Default

Originally Posted by dawg
The "laptop computer battery" looking thing is the ECM, new location on the 08 and later is under the seat instead of right side cover because of ABS. Yes it's crammed in there and it is a pain. The plastic piece should be attached to the battery bracket hold down so you might have a tab that you didn't "unclick"
thanks, dawg. i'll give it a try. but i examined that thing pretty good for a pretty long time and couldn't figure out what was holding it up.
why should it be this hard to check a battery?
well, it's probably really easy once you know what to do, i guess.
but ... jeeze!

cheers.
 
Reply
Old Aug 19, 2009 | 06:03 PM
  #4  
BlackFLHR's Avatar
BlackFLHR
Road Master
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 880
Likes: 81
From: California
Default

Pretty simple once you do it once...

Remove ECM (that laptop battery-looking thingie), either hang it over the side of the bike or disconnect.

Next remove the battery tray cover. There are 2 torx bolts holding it on, which are located at the rear of the tray cover... After you remove the screws, you can lift off the tray cover, but there's a metal tab that secures the front of the tray. You need to push the tray forward to clear the tab...Then the tray lifts off, and your battery is right there.
 
Reply
Old Aug 19, 2009 | 06:06 PM
  #5  
BlackFLHR's Avatar
BlackFLHR
Road Master
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 880
Likes: 81
From: California
Default

 
Reply
Old Aug 19, 2009 | 06:16 PM
  #6  
mangiacavallo's Avatar
mangiacavallo
Thread Starter
|
6th Gear
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
Default

thanks bamorris.
this is really helpful.
i swear i tried to push the battery tray cover off for about 45 minutes (yes, i feel like an idiot). i'll give it another shot.
i noticed that the purge seloniod moves forward & back. does that make a difference? should it come off the tray? i couldn't seem to get that off either. i see in the photos that it is off the try in the second picture.
truth be told, i was loath to force anything, as it was the first time i was trying to get to the battery on the new bike & i was scared i'd screw something up.
 
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
2WheelGlider
Touring Models
3
Jun 7, 2010 10:35 PM
Jinxie
Dyna Glide Models
8
Nov 23, 2009 06:24 PM
bobbbey
Sportster Models
16
May 29, 2009 09:42 PM
iceman 1450
Dyna Glide Models
7
Dec 19, 2007 09:26 PM
Chipstah
Dyna Glide Models
15
May 23, 2007 07:49 PM




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:42 PM.

story-0
7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson built its reputation on nostalgia, but every so often, the company took a hard left turn into the future.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-20 11:18:19


VIEW MORE
story-1
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 16:50:35


VIEW MORE
story-2
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: Not every Harley gets it right, but these are the ones that genuinely earned their reputation.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-15 14:23:21


VIEW MORE
story-3
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-01 20:01:09


VIEW MORE
story-4
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

Slideshow: Killer Custom's "Jail Breaker" build focuses more on stance and visual aggression than mechanical overhaul.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-18 19:20:32


VIEW MORE
story-5
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-07 16:15:30


VIEW MORE
story-6
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's new RMCR concept revives the café racer formula with modern hardware-and it may be exactly the reset the company needs.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-04 12:23:37


VIEW MORE
story-7
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-02-24 18:19:44


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

Slideshow: There is no shortage of great motorcycles to buy, but we would avoid these ten.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-02-19 14:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-01-13 18:33:17


VIEW MORE