I believe I need a new battery - that in itself is not a big issue. I have been told I should get a battery with an external plug so it's easier to charge.

I have no idea what that actually means as I have only seen batteries with the 2 posts (pos and neg) and nothing extra. Is there maybe an extra wire/plug that I can get to attach to the battery?

I am also thinking of getting a trickle charger for winter. A review on Revzilla stated he hooks up to a pigtail and doesn't have to take the seat off, etc...

I feel I am missing a great opportunity for something easy.

Thanks in advance
Dan

 

Get a battery tender kit like the one from Deltran. It will have several options to connect to the charger one being a pigtail. They are sold on ebay, Amazon, HD dealerships (HD has their own tender kit that looks suspiciously close to a Deltran Battery Tender). Here's a link you might find helpful. http://products.batterytender.com/Ch...12V-0-75A.html

 

+1 for battery tender

 

Need a battery? Try www.batterysharks.com first. Then a $22 Schumacker 1.5 amp tender from Walmart. Comes with the battery leads needed.

The Schumacker does anything that the overpriced ones do. Micro chip controlled and will last decades.

Do not use a trickle charger. Research that and you will learn why.

 

Tender?! thanks for those recommendations - that looks good and in a nice price range too.

What part do I need to get for a quick hookup from the charger to the battery?

 

Get a Shorai Lithium and ditch the battery tender. Buying a lithium battery was probably the best purchase I've made for my bike. Pirelli Night Dragon tires a close second.

If you do go the conventional battery/tender route, the tender normally comes with the "pigtails" to attach to your battery.

John

 

Interesting, I should get one too then. I have a few questions:

Does it have the same or better CCA as the stock battery?
Is it a shoe-in replacement or is there some work needed to make it fit?

Thanks!
​​​​​​​

 

I have a 2007 Sportster and a 2015 Suzuki S40. I have AGM (Absorbent glass matt) batteries in both, with pigtails so I can keep them charged with battery tenders. I can charge them with the battery in place, no noxious fumes to worry about, or acid to leak. My S40 came from the factory with a flooded lead acid battery.

I thought of buying lithion batteries. They sure do have a lot going for them: they are small and light , with lots of cranking amps for their size, and have a low cell discharge rate - so you can disconnect the terminals on your bike for the winter, and the battery will have enough charge for months. There are a few things I don't care for: they are expensive, if the charge drops below 11 volts it's probably dead for good, you need a special (and expensive) charger for it, and the small size means it will be rattling in the battery compartment unless you find something to fill in the dead space. I assume the replacement for a stock Sportster battery would be smaller if it's a lithion one.

that being said, I might try the lithion battery next time I need a motorcycle battery!

 

Shorai batteries come in several form factors. The one for my 1991 fits the exposed battery tray perfectly. My bike has virtually zero current draw when turned off, so no need to even disconnect over winter.

Not sure of the CCA, but it spins the starter much better than my old lead acid battery.

John

 

Another option is this LITHIUM BATTERY.

It is smaller than the stock batt. Easy to install. I've been running one in my Sporty for over 5 years and it works as well today and the day I installed it.