On the 06 model sportsters there is no room around the battery. What is the best place I can connect the negative lead for the permant pig tail? There's a bolt on the frame I was eyeballing but I'm not sure. There's noway to get to the negative battery terminal. I was going to leave it but I figured it was probley a good idea to have this. DL[:'(]

 

DL,

I've wondered the same as well. I have been told you need to take the cable off the frame(that bolt on the frame you saw and pull out the battery to attach the negative terminal. To remove the battery there is one screw that is securing it under the positive terminal side. Now don't quote me here as I have yet to take it out but from what I was told from the previous owner this is the case. Perhaps OldGeezer or other members have a better explanation than me. I do know that bolt on the frame is a real dog to get off. You need to have a 11mm? open ended ratcheting wrench for best results.

-RP

 

any bolt on the frame or engine will work as a ground (black) - at one point, I actually switched the wires from something conected to a stud on the left side just behind the engine and swaped them with the bat. ground - made it easier to get to the bat neg as I didn't need to remove the others - at the time, I was charging the battery almost weekly as we (dealer and myself) could not find the problem for the bat. dieing - we eventually did.

 

Just pull the battery out it is a tight fit but just give it a good pull .
You can then get to the - battery connection there is enough play in the cable so you dont have to undo the engine connection first.

 

Battery tender?? Whats that.

My battery tender is butt in saddle. Im fortunate enough to live where it is warm at least one day a week for ridding.

 

Go ahead, burnie, rub it in. I spent almost two years in Texas one night, and it was damn cold. Ice storm the night I got there, roads all covered with ice, and the block in my '50 Merc was frozen solid. I soon learned that if one doesn't like Texas weather, just stick around a couple minutes... it'll change. And may the flakes of a thousand snow storms cover your driveway and one of those Texas "Blue Northers" blow it all into your garage.

 

Getting the negative connection off is a trick because the cable is threaded almost directly straight downward through the frame and around some other cables and attached to the trans case. You need a 11mm combination wrench and tiny hands to get the nut off but once you do pull the battery cable eye off the post and tie a 2 foot piece of braided twine through the eye of the negative cable so when you pull the negative cable out and attach the tender cable to the battery and then re-attach the negative cable to the battery you can simply pull the negative cable back down through the frame with the string. Make certain that you keep the angle of the negative terminal eye that attaches to the battery AND the tender eye connector at the same angle the battery negative cable was when you took it out. Tighten firmly

Then simply push the battery back into the battery box while pulling on the twine and if necessary tap the battery back into the box LIGHTLY with a rubber mallet. It will go back in. pull the negative cable eyelet back down all the way, remove the twine and re-connect it to the stud on the trans case. Then re-attach the red positive side and hardware. Stuff the tender harness on top of the battery and put the side cover back on. Start the engine to make certain it works. Shut engine off and WALK directly to the refrigerator and get a cold beer. You are done! KB

Then in 6 months do what I did go crazy and trade the whole thing in on a new Dyna.........you get a new battery with it! Good Luck! [sm=icon_cheers.gif]KB