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70 degrees Saturday and I couldn't stand walking past my U/C any longer. I knew my 5 year old battery wouldn't make thru the winter. So I picked up a new one and a tender at the local dealer and did the replacement myself. I have to say, that I don't remember ever having so much trouble reinstalling a seat. It had to be the 1st time it was ever removed. My stubborn nature prevailed though and my black bit@h roared to life once again.
I did as others suggested on here and snaked the tender lead under the top rail of the frame and into the right side cover for easy access. Oil, tires and shocks checked. Lights and signals verified. I didn't check the brake fluid as there are zero spots under her on the garage floor. I set the time and let go of any station presets on the radio. I didn't care for the previous owner's tastes and they don't do much good when I'm on road trips anyway. I have a cigar butt size RCA MP3 player I use that has 20 hrs. of tunes on it.
I'm a couple of k short of her 20k service and will probaly run it until then without any further babying. My garage is partially underground and so stays about 20 degrees warmer than outside ambient temps in the winter. I shook her out Saturday for a couple 100 miles with no problems. I was glad to get ride again as it's been a crappy winter here. And, it's snowing and sleeting here this morning. SHEESH!
I saw the first signs of spring this past Sunday. HOG chapter road captains run demo day at the dealership. In about an hour I saw 4 people come out the door with a new battery. Now I know that a battery won't last forever, but a tender is only about $40.
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