Just some advice to some new rider's so take it or leave it, I live in Texas so I can ride allmost 2 day's a week in winter, so really don't worry about battery, well I went for ride few day's ago and when I came home I parked in garage, but wanted to see how many mile's I had on my bike, so guess my age catching up to me but was side tracked and left the accessory switch on when I had been looking at mileage, so next few day's rain but yesterday beautiful had to ride, the battery was dead the green neutral light came on when I turned ignition on so thought may have chance but dead!! Lucky I had bought battery charger year's ago, and it has different fuction's so has setting for motorcycle's but it take's while to charge, it has a start fuction for car's flip switch to a 70 amp power setting!! kind of like jumping car off if in hurry and not wait for charge, I wanted to ride!! BAD but something told me not to put 70 amp on 06 scremin eagle 103 Fat Boy, they are on the high side in cost, so waited for hour and yes it started!! I have heard of people jumping bike off car not good, could do major damage on E.F.I bike, so invest in good battery charger, I bought mine at Auto Zone $49.95, not real big and can start car, charge and slow fuction for motorcycle's, just my 2 cent's, and if you have the coin buyelectric air pump too, about $39.95 for decent one, so don't have to pump quarter's in machine that may work, after my bike started got on I-30 and rode 50 mile's now battery seem's o.k, so any way sure does suck when you do bonehead stuff, but lucky I had charger, what could I have done?? remove battery and take to harley shop to charge? how much would that cost? what about buying new battery? and if you ever get chance take seat off and see how much stuff you would have to remove, it kind of intimidated me a lot!! So if you don't have one get one, but if you never make dumb mistake's you don't need it, I had not used it for year's! thank's for my rant about leaving switch on. PURPLE HAZE.

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PURPLE HAZE,

That's why I make a habit of plugging the bike in to the battery tender every time it get parked in the garage, regardless of wheatherit "might" get ridden soon or not.
Up here you never know, it's not unusual for it to be clear cloudlees and sunny in the 70's, like last Sunday. Then be completely unfit for either man or beast like tonight, its windy, 25 degrees, and snowing like hell.
You want to ride anything tonight you better be thinking of asnow mobile, and I might question your sanity even then. Its ugly out there.

 

I'm going to agree with both of you guys...have a battery chargeron hand and keep that battery charged! I personally use a Deltranwaterproof charger called a Battery Tender Waterproof 800...here's what they (the makers...) have to say about it...

The engineers at Deltran led the way in innovation and convenience by introducing the International Battery Tender® Waterproof 800. Since its introduction in 2003, it has been widely accepted as a solid new addition to the Battery Tender® family of charger products. This compact 800 mA battery charger has all the charge characteristics of its cousin the Battery Tender Junior. It incorporates highly efficient surface mount technology electronic components. The interior is completely encapsulated, protected from shock, vibration, and moisture by an electrically insulating, thermally conductive, flame retardant, UL recognized, synthetic epoxy resin compound. It's tough, affordable, and a strong, innovative battery charging solution.

This is an excellent $45.00 investment...comes with aquick-disconnect set of leads to permanently mount on your bike. Just plug it in when the scooter is not in use. I've used them for years on my Hondas to always keep the battery at full charge. When I first put it on my new Fat Boy, the charger ran for almost 24 hours before I got a green light that my new battery was fully charged!

Available just about everywhere...take a look at their site at http://batterytender.com/.

Later...

Steve

 

I ride my bike almost daily, so I have no need for a battery charger. I also go into my garage every night, before I go to bed, to make sure the door is closed and the ignition switch of the bike is off. I left it on once for aboutten minutes after I parked it and occasionally leave the garage door open , so now I always double check it.
You can check your mileage without turning the ignition on, just push the button on the side of the speedometer.
My thoughts on using a battery charger, when you ride daily is: If the battery starts to go bad, the charger may keep it just enough charged,so it will start when I leave the house. When I shut it off some where, it may not start again. I would rather not be able to start itat the house.
If I had to leave it sit for long periods, like the rider's that live up in the frozen north, I would keep a charger on it.
Tom

 

I just don't like having to use a 10mm wrench to take the terminals off the battery.. Why are they metric? at least on a 07 fatty

And its a darn tight fit in there..all them friggin wires, gota lift up on the side of the battery while I wrench it off or back on.

I didn't have any of my ratching wrenches in metric.. grrrr heh

Might put one of them quick connect harness on for keeping the battery in peek condition

 

I would suggest at least a 1.5 amp charger instead of the little 800ma ones. You will need a 1.5 amp if you buy a new battery in the future to set up the initial charge after you fill it will the one time acid. You fill and charge then seal the battery for ever. at least the no maint we use in the Harleys.

anyway I like the Yuasa chargers (made by the guys who make batteries). it has a 20 some day recycle test. after like 20 days (ie when you bike is in storage over winter) it will automatically do a quick test of the battery to make sure its still ok. then go back to toping off and trickle charging. what ever you guys get, get a smart charger only. not just any battery charger. smart chargers know when the battery is full and switches to trickle charge to keep it topped off.

I put mine on the charger when ever its in the garage. havent had a bad battery since. in the old days I pulled the battery. I wouldnt do it today as its a bear with the way Harley mounted it on the Fat boy but not really that hard to do once you get a grip on the edge of the battery. My battery with charging and pulling in the winter would last 2 or 3 years back then.

 

DO IT, you will not be sorry, and when you do make sure there is something nonconductive and reasonably solid between the pos terminal and the edge of the oil tank in front of it.

Here's a good reason why,

https://www.hdforums.com/m_1355104/tm.htm

 

Batter Tender Jr. is da ticket, easy install and you can pickem up on ebay for $25, or you can get the same thing with HD written on it ofr $40, mine works like a champ.

 

I'm with Citoriplus. I always plug mine in once I pull in to the garage. Same kind of weather here to. It looked a lot nicer today when I got in. By the time I got to work my fingers felt like they were going to break off.

 

Trust me if you lived here why use it??? I know did stupid thing when left switch on for four day's because I forgot after phone call and I was just saying you never know when need battery charger for car or to use the 70 amp function and it will be like jumping car but I have not used it for year's, last time I used it, I loaned to neighbor because left inside light on in truck for a week. I know yall mean well but I ride now allmost everyday, so don't want the hassle, and also I have heard using them allthe time wear's battery out faster, but maybe use one if lived where it froze for 6 month's.

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