battery life

[87Trike1200]

YEs I have and make sure your charging system has the correct charge rate or the battery will not last long.. Found this out on my 32 amp charging system..

I know "squat" about charging rates. It's a regular GL1500 Wing and their reference chart recommends this battery. What do you think?

[ray4ausa]

A battery tender is designed to "MINIMALLY" charge your battery, it will not charge your battery. the only way to assure a full charge is to charge the battery with a 2 amp trickle charger until fully charged (proper specific gravity) and then plug it up to your tender for it to keep it charged with sometimes less than 100 mili amps. If your battery develops a short "inside" two plates it will still start your bike, but if during a ride another plate is shorted then you will not have enough power to restart your bike. The problem is you will never "see" this happening without daily records of your battery's performance. Most never do this. The best advice is replace every three years.

[trikermutha]

I know "squat" about charging rates. It's a regular GL1500 Wing and their reference chart recommends this battery. What do you think?

http://www.odysseybatteries.com/file...M-009_0611.pdf

To keep this battery optimal it will need at LEAST a 13.5 charge rate. That includes at idle.

This battery will not last as long as they say if not kept at the the charging rate. See attached PDF..

I had this same battery on my older Harley.

[champsman97045]

try this one from interstate battery

Part # .. CYTX24HL-BS

[jmk865]

Just replaced the battery in my recently aquired (7-14-2013) 1994 Kawasaki Vulcan/tow-pac. Seemed to start the bike ok at first; then started cranking slower; so to be safe, I replaced it. I keep a tender hooked up whenever the bike is in the garage...just a habit i developed over the years. Battery life is kind of unpredictable...sometimes 2 yrs.; sometimes 5 yrs. Usually i'll replace at 3 just to be safe. Pushin ain't fun!

[Rosy]

Call me cheap, but I go to WallyWorld and buy their Brand every three years for about $80. They have never failed me yet! Keep them on a trickle charger in the winter months.


Regards,

Rosy

From NH

[trikermutha]

Call me cheap, but I go to WallyWorld and buy their Brand every three years for about $80. They have never failed me yet! Keep them on a trickle charger in the winter months.


Regards,

Rosy

From NH

Is wally world still around??

[Sloufoot]

Keep your charge rate between 13.5v & 15v. If you get over 15v there will be more damage than just your battery. Don't trust the gauge in the dash, use a Volt meter once in a while to check the charge rate at the battery.

[Rosy]

Is wally world still around??

That's what we in NH call, Walt Mart. Ever Start is the name of the battery they have in the store.

Regards,

Rosy & Janice

[trikermutha]

That's what we in NH call, Walt Mart. Ever Start is the name of the battery they have in the store.

Regards,

Rosy & Janice

Oh Ok..There was a wally world a while back..lol

Thanks

[MICK66]

East Penn Mfg makes the OE harley battery for HD. It is an AGM glass mat battery. East Penn is the manufacturer of the Deka brand of batteries. So if you want the OE battery without the HD price, look for a Deka dealer and buy an ETX series for your trike and bikes. Most auto parts stores that carry Deka should have them. We do as an auto parts warehouse.

[Lakeman]

The last HD battery I bought ($186) sucked. Lasted less than 13 months, replaced it with one from Advanced Auto ($135) and the HD battery never started the bike like the AA one.

[FRR]

My experience with bike batteries is when they die they don't die like car batteries, they just DIE. No warning, nothing. That is the reason I change mine out in both my Harley and my Wing every three years, regardless of performance. No one wants to be caught in Mexican Hat Utah with a dead battery. I know one guy that wanted as long as he could, and when it died it was 11 o'clock at night and no one around to help. Not worth it.

[KindaOldTriker]

Any experiences with 'jumping' a dead battery when away from home?

Many years ago I could push-start my old 750 honda if dead, can newer bikes still be pushed, pop cultch to start?

[msocko3]

Any experiences with 'jumping' a dead battery when away from home?

Many years ago I could push-start my old 750 honda if dead, can newer bikes still be pushed, pop cultch to start?

Jumping a battery is something you do as an absolute last resort and then when you do you have to be oh so careful you don't surge the electrical system and zap the ecm or other electronics.

You can't push start the FI bikes like the old carbureted bikes of the past.

[iaff84]

Mine went 3 years almost to the day that we bought it. At house so no problem.
Dennis

[Rosy]

Just for info sake, do some Harley's take the same battery as a GL 1800?
Why are Harley batteries more expensive than any other motorcycle batteries? It seems every time you say Harley Davidson the cost goes up on everything.

Regards,

Rosy
From NH

[Smitty Werben Manjensen]

Just for info sake, do some Harley's take the same battery as a GL 1800?
Why are Harley batteries more expensive than any other motorcycle batteries? It seems every time you say Harley Davidson the cost goes up on everything.

Regards,

Rosy
From NH

And there you went and said Harley Davidson -- price went up another $5.

[iaff84]

OH, but it is worth it!

[KindaOldTriker]

Jumping a battery is something you do as an absolute last resort and then when you do you have to be oh so careful you don't surge the electrical system and zap the ecm or other electronics.

You can't push start the FI bikes like the old carbureted bikes of the past.

I understand about the EFI no push start. Didn't think about that. Ah, the good old days of push starting cars and bikes!!

I was thinking about possibly making a short jumper using the connectors like on the trickle charges to jump on bikes 'in' connector to another bikes 'in' connector for jump start! Seems workable to me?

I was asking because my wifes 07 Sportster with original battery has been working fine BUT she just had LEDs installed and I decided to get a new battery before it had a problem at a bike-night or something. :>)
BTW, this is the longest I've had a battery in a bike/lawnmower, etc. Old fat Boy battery went 5 years. Battery in '07 Victory Jackpot was dead when I bought it in '09 and they replaced. I'm positive the key to battery longevity is 24/7/365 trickle charger, especially during winter. I reconnect ours every time we return home after being out.