battery in or out for winter
Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 1,997
Likes: 94
From: Massachusetts
I have an '08 Electraglide and have never had it on a tender or taken the battery out.
Put Sta-bil in the tank, filled it up and parked it in the garage for the winter.
Starts right up in the spring without even putting a charger on it.
After 5 years, I put a new battery in it this year, not because it needed it, but I figured it was safe insurance for less than $100.
Probably is a good idea to take it out and keep it on a tender, but I never have and never had any issues.
Put Sta-bil in the tank, filled it up and parked it in the garage for the winter.
Starts right up in the spring without even putting a charger on it.
After 5 years, I put a new battery in it this year, not because it needed it, but I figured it was safe insurance for less than $100.
Probably is a good idea to take it out and keep it on a tender, but I never have and never had any issues.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,553
Likes: 13
From: Sussex, South of England
Leave it in the bike and on a tender. Not sure what temperatures you get in Rhode Islands though. Allthough fully charged it should not be a problem to sit in a freezing garage there are limits.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 10,946
Likes: 822
From: Nevada
No reason to remove a battery for winter storage. Just connect a battery tender to the terminals and you're set.
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Road Warrior
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,622
Likes: 1
From: Topeka, KS
I put in stabil, fill up the tank, ride her home (so stabil gets into the fuel line/etc), plug in the charger (plug this in every night anyway), cover her up. No need to take the batter out.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 28,842
Likes: 16,582
From: Wisconsin, USA
This is a good article about storing batteries. In winter I put on tender once a month, rotate between boat batteries, spare boat battery, motorcycle battery, lawn tractor.
http://www.lectriclimited.com/battery_faq.htm
http://www.lectriclimited.com/battery_faq.htm
MODERATOR
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,108
Likes: 1,964
From: New England
A discharged battery can freeze at temps well above 0 degrees ruining it. Worse case will be the battery would freeze, crack, and leak...not good if in the bike.