to start this off, i never trickle charge my bike, since 09 I have road it year round but in the winter it see's allot less of the road but I still manage to get an hr in at least once a month.

end of December I went to ride it and it lite up and I flipped the on switch and you could hear it turn, then I hit the Startup and it would sound like its coffing but just couldnt start, then when I tried it again hardly no turning over and guages were losing brightness. So of course I charged the battery and all was good.

this weekend I took it out for a nice hour long ride to a tattoo competition at a Harley dealer and then a nice 2 hr ride back home.

Go to start it this morn and its acting the same way as if the battery was dyeing on me right there.



So whats the problem? how come its not getting fully charged up from my long rides? do you think it's cuz I'm trying to start it in cold 20 degrees? Do I need to add distilled water to it??

I don't know anything about the sporty battery, I' have changed my share of lawnmower batteries

Any help would be great before I go out and buy a new battery

 

Bingo. Warm the battery up and I'll bet it will start.
Newer bikes have sealed (no maintenance) batteries, no added water needed.

 

Also, keeping the bike on a float charger (Battery Tender), helps with cold weather starts.

 

Just sitting and only riding once a month ain't enough to keep it fully charged. Just sitting will drain the battery over time. I would connect a tender.

 

Check the connections to make sure that they are tight and corrosion free. Also, if the battery is 3 years old,it just may need to be replaced. Take it to a O'Rielly or other auto part place and they can test it for you.

 

He said the replaced the battery 2 months ago.

A 1200 has a high compression ratio and the small battery used in the Sporties doesn't have enough cranking amps to handle that and 20*.

If you need to reliably crank a 1200 at temps below 35*, you need to take the battery inside at night to keep it warm, or fully cover the bike with an insulated cover and place a 100w incandescent light bulb under the cover.

 

+1 on the battery tender. Usually, my battery goes dead after sitting for 2 or 3 weeks because the security system and electronics slowly drain the battery. The tender will keep it charged up. My bike is alot harder to start when it is cold because of the low CCA of the battery and the high compression engine.

 

I re-charged it fully in December, I never replaced it. I guess I should purchase the tender, it won't hurt. I'll see if it starts up tonight. Temps should be in the 50's throughout the day. I guess, I'll be insulating my shed this spring.

 

I know on Sportster models, you can remove the key while it is in the auxiliary position. On the Nightsters at least, the only way you can tell is because the licence plate light is on. This will drain your battery as well.

 

charge the battery and take out for a load test at your local parts store...I am betting that your battery is on the way out....