New "Harley" batteries?

[Rob S.]

Does anybody know what brand AGM comes with Harley's these days? I'm sure it's got "Harley Davidson" stamped all over it, but I'm just as sure it's actually manufactured by some one else.

I've identified Yuasa and MotoBatt models that will fit in my '82 1100E, but now that I've discovered an AC source in the garage, it feels like the world has opened up to me. I'm thinking I can save a few bucks, or am I just being penny-wise, pound-foolish?

 

[LAB3]

Rule of thumb: If something has Harley Davidson printed on it you can get the same thing without it for half price.

 

[GS1150Pilot]

https://www.batterymart.com/c-harley-davidson-sportster-super-low-883cc-hdex.html

 

[Steve]

Of all your choices mentioned in the first post, why not just install the MotoBatt and be done?

And what does a recently-found AC source have to do with battery selection? :-k

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[Rob S.]

I have a source to plug in a battery tender without rolling the bike around to the back patio, for which I've gotten some flack. My battery(s) can always be fully charged, and if I do it between 11PM and 4AM, nobody's the wiser (it requires a couple of 20-foot extension cords).

Most people are cool, but there's always one in every crowd. The garage is heated, and with frequent use of the tender, I figure I can get away without buying the most expensive battery brand.

Opinions?

 

[cowboyup3371]

Overusing a tender will also kill the battery

 

[Steve]

..., and with frequent use of the tender, I figure I can get away without buying the most expensive battery brand.

With "frequent use of the tender", there is no sense in buying anything more than the absolutely cheapest battery, because you will be buying the battery frequently, too. :-k

Those who have not actually experienced an AGM battery do not realize that "frequent use" actually means that you would use it OVERNIGHT about once a month. Probably not even that often.

.

 

[Rob S.]

Right now my battery goes 'dead' (will not start the bike) every 18 days or so because of the "theft control system", unless it is ridden or at least started. And even that does not fully charge the battery.

I believe that using the tender once every week or two will fully charge the battery. Am I wrong?

 

[Guest]

R.
Am I wrong?

...usually

 

[1978GS750E]

For what it is worth......I believe that Harley batteries "were" manufactured by Decca. I have the original battery in mine that is 4-1/2 years old and I leave it on the battery tender all winter long. Most people say they get 5-1/2 to 6 years out of the stock battery. I personally have not had any experience with the battery tender killing any brand or type of battery sooner than I expected. I have two that I switch between 5 different bikes. (it only puts out up to .75 amps) Just be careful and buy a good tender, not that cheap Harbor Freight junk and you should be good with any battery that is recommended for your bike IMO.

 

[Steve]

Right now my battery goes 'dead' (will not start the bike) every 18 days or so because of the "theft control system", unless it is ridden or at least started. And even that does not fully charge the battery.

I believe that using the tender once every week or two will fully charge the battery. Am I wrong?

If you have intentionally installed something that draws the battery down, you may as well budget for battery replacements, too.

A lead-acid battery of any construction type thrives by being kept charged, but not over-charged. If you let it discharge too low before recharging, you have just reduced the potential of the battery, it may never recover to a full charge. Since you have a draw on the battery that most of us do not, you might actually get away with having one attached all the time. As 1978GS750E says, just make sure it's a proper battery tender. There is a product with the "Battery Tender" name that is made by Deltran. It is good, but it's not cheap. You might find a Schumacher unit at Walmart for considerably less, but shop carefully. They have units that look almost identical, but perform very differently. They have a "Manual Charger" that simply charges at a fixed voltage and amperage. When the battery is charged, the charger keeps going, trying for more. They also have an "Automatic Charger" that charges at a decent rate (usually 0.75 to 2 amps). When the battery is charged, it drops to a much lower rate, but it still keeps charging. They also have a "Battery Maintainer", which is the most desireable. When it senses the battery is almost charged, it slows the rate until full charge, then it shuts off, but still monitors the voltage. If it sees that voltage has dropped a bit, it will kick in again to top off the battery. The last Schumacher I got was only about $20, but that was several years ago.

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[Rob S.]

I have a Sears "Battery Charger and Maintainer". It will immediately shut off if the cables are switched. It says "6v/12v, 2 amp, auto overcharge protection, auto voltage detection."

When you hook it up to a battery that is less than fully charged, an orange light stays on. Could be 1/2 hour, could be 5 hours.

When it's fully charged, it switches to a green light that slowly pulses on and off. When it gets to that point, I disconnect it.

That theft control was to get an insurance discount. It flashes the turn signals if someone tries to move the bike without the fob. A tiny red light flashes on the speedo every ten seconds to let me (or a thief) know it is working. That system will soon be disabled.

PS This is my 2016 Sportster we're talking about with an AGM battery.

And the Sears charger? Both the box and the charger say, "Diehard" on them. Comes with alligator clips, cigarette lighter adapter and charger connector which I keep attached all the time.

I have not the slightest doubt about recommending it to any biker. Let me know if you want the exact model #.

 

[LAB3]

For what it's worth, I bought a Black &Decker brand trickle charger for under $20 at Lowe's that did me well. It shut itself off at 14.2v and clicked back on at 12.7v. Never did check the amperage.