Oops, I left the ignition switch in the "run" position overnight and drained the battery. I have a portable lithium jump start battery, but I am trying to figure out if there is a no-hassle way to hook it up. You have to remove the chin spoiler to get to the actual battery, which is certainly doable, but a PITA. There is the cable connection under the seat, but I think that is just for a low-amp trickle charger, so I'm not sure if I can hook this starter battery to that cable without frying some wires. Are there some other, more accessible connection points?

 

Recharge the battery with a battery charger.

Jump starting the engine and letting the bikes alternator recharge the battery is not the preferred way.

 

I’ve had battery issues with this bike and had to get a jump after work one day. I now carry a NoCo GB40 and have the pigtail adaptor on the battery so I don’t have to remove anything to jump it if needed.

https://no.co/gb40

https://no.co/gbc007

If you’re at home anyways, throw it on the trickle charger.

 

Charging is best, but sometimes you have to get somewhere.

Follow the positive cable from battery to starter. I have wondered why you couldn't take a wrench wrapped in tape, and make an extension.

Have not seen battery on XL, but harley has sure made it PIA on a bagger.

If you look on Amazon they have pigtails that are built to fit jump pack. Best thing to do is use ignition to turn bike off, and not kill switch. IMO

 

I have covered parking for the bike, but no power, so the suggestions to put in on a charger are not going to work. I don't understand the advice to "use ignition to turn bike off, and not kill switch." This bike doesn't have a separate ignition vs. kill switch.

With those thoughts in mind, I'm back to jump starting.

 

I am not familar with your bike but doesn't it have an igntion switch and kill switch? The bike was not running and lights were on, implying you turned bike off with kill switch, but failed to turn ignition off, otherwise lights would be off.

Maybe on your model it is not as easy to stop bike with ignition. It is down on side on XL? I am used to dash or column ignitions.

 

Charging is the best. Jump starting will work. Once you have access to the battery, you may want to remove it and give it a good charging; however, I have not worked on the new Sportster S so I do not know what removal entails.

Your attention is invited to the note below about advice given.


NOTE:
The above information, while credible, is worth what you paid for it and should not be considered gospel.
Do due diligence, research and have a H-D Field Service Manual before working on your bike.
You will probably have many opinions and suggestions presented; make sure you research the person providing the helpful information as there are some who provide good information that is useful and some who speak out of other orifices with gibberish. You will figure out this quickly.

 

I am not familar with your model. But where do you put the key? How did you stop the engine from running, but lights still on?

I am not familar with new stuff, do they have keyless ignitions? But again, you stopped the engine, which on old models is done with ignition switch or kill switch. If you do it with kill switch, the lights will stay on, but engine will turn off. And battery will go dead.

On some bikes the ignition switch is on dash, forks, or down on side, where you put the key.

 

Key fob.

 

Yeah, that takes us back to the original question. It is a PITA to get to the battery on this bike. It's not like my old air-cooled Sportster where all I had to do was remove the seat for direct access to the battery; on this bike, the battery is all the way forward behind a couple of spoiler/fairing panels. I'm trying to figure out if there is a reasonable way to start the bike without taking **** apart.