Just sold my 2000 FLHR with the original battery. I was going to replace it next spring, got a new Street Glide instead. Now that's an expensive replacement.

 

Do you have a part number for the Interstate battery, and is it a sealed battery?

 

Harley-Davidson AGM (Absorption Glass Mat) Battery
Sealed battery technology was originally developed in 1985 for military aircraft where power, weight, safety, and reliability were paramount considerations.
AGM battery technology has continued to develop and offer improvements over other sealed battery technologies. AGM technology has become the next step in the evolution of both starting and deep cycle sealed batteries for motorcycle, marine, RV, and aviation applications. This "next generation" technology delivers increased safety, performance, and service life over all other existing sealed battery types, including gel technology.
In AGM sealed batteries, the acid is absorbed between the plates and immobilized by a very fine fiberglass mat. No silica gel is necessary. This glass mat absorbs and immobilizes the acid while still keeping the acid available to the plates. This allows a fast reaction between acid and plate material.
The AGM battery has an extremely low internal electrical resistance. This, combined with faster acid migration, allows the AGM batteries to deliver and absorb higher rates of amperage than other sealed batteries during discharging and charging. In addition, AGM technology batteries can be charged at normal lead-acid regulated charging voltages, therefore, it is not necessary to recalibrate charging systems or purchase special chargers.

 

Thanks for that explanation RocknRod.....that is awsome.....Just as info the bigbore battery is a AGM.....and they have a good waranty.

 

Check this out. One wire from your battery + and - to each end.

Could be placed under the right side cover. Comes with a cover.
http://www.mcmaster.com/

 

Don't have the part number with me as I am at work. But bought it at an INTERSTATE BATTERY STORE. Came in an Interstate box, YES it is sealed although the connections are a little more universal than the HD battery. I can live with that for forty dollars.

 

Bought one less than a year ago from Timm,s of Anderson, Sc $104 inclucing tax. That was cheaper than any other battery I could find.

 

Here in florida I count myelf lucky if I get more than 3 years out of a battery, cage or bike. I change them if they need it or not.

I work for Arnold Palmer Medical Center as a biomed tech. We change the batteries in our Medical Gear every two years. Batteries wear out. I ride my bike every day and plan to change the battery in another year when it hits 3 years. The current battery has 42K on it and 19 months.

 

I might just go with a distribution block especially if I keep adding gadgets to my bike. LOL

Thanks Rod.

Steve

 

My Piggy Bank

We're not talking our life's savings here, we're talking about your Harley Davidson Motorcycle Battery!
Your Harley Battery is just like a piggy bank (pun intended). If you keep taking out and putting nothing back you soon will have nothing.

We've all hit the button and heard that; click click, followed by a bunch of lovely words!
What happened? I just bought that battery a year ago? How did it die so fast?
More lovely words!

This short bulletin should give you everything you need (except a new battery) information wise so you never hear that dreaded click click again!

The Basics:
Most batteries never die a natural death. They're murdered!

Our Great Grand parents were using pretty much the same batteries in their Model A's as we use today in our Harleys! Ours just cost more and have fancier names!

All motorcycle batteries are of the Lead Acid type.
There are 3 types of Lead Acid batteries commonly used for motorcycles.
Wet (basic old style 30% Sulfuric Acid to 70% water when fully charged) liquid filled battery.
Gelled (Same Sulfuric Acid to water ratio but instead of a liquid the mixture has been gelled by addition of Silica Gel, turning the acid into a solid mass that looks like gooey Jell-O. The advantage of this type is that it is impossible to spill even if broken open. One thing to mention on using a gel battery in a Harley is that you must be careful on the type of alternator charger regulator/rectifier that you have on the bike. If the incorrect battery charger is used on a Gel Cell battery poor performance and premature failure is certain! Harley has purposely picked the AGM battery to use in their bikes so the sensitive nature of charging the Gel batteries is not a factor.
The newer type of sealed batteries are Absorbed Glass Mats or AGM. These types of batteries have all the advantages of Gelled, but can take much more abuse. Yeah!
The AGM cell mat is about 95% saturated rather than fully soaked. This also means that they will not leak acid even when broken. AGM Batteries are not Hazardous cargo so shipping costs will be lower. Since there is no liquid to freeze and expand, they are practically immune from freezing damage.
The Harley OEM Battery is a high quality AGM battery. Also sometimes called a "starved electrolyte" or "dry". The plates in AGM's are tightly packed and rigidly mounted, and will withstand shock and vibration better than any standard battery. Another great trait of the AGM and Gel batteries is that they can be mounted in any position! Great for custom bike builders!


So, now we know what kind of battery we have, now lets learn a little about the battery in general, its ratings and how to take care of it.

When we hit the starter button, a surge of current is needed to turn the engine over during starting. Once the engine starts, the alternator provides all the power that our bike needs, so a Harley battery may go through its entire life without ever being drained more than 20 percent of its total capacity. Used in this way, (a perfect world) our battery can last a number of years. What about the not so perfect world that we live in.

Let's talk about the ratings given to a battery and what they mean. Let's use a Road King battery for our example. The Road King battery is a 28 amp hour battery. This means in a perfect world this battery can store (remember the bank) 28 amps. And will store this under a load of 28 amps for one hour. If your bike is drawing 28 amps of power, the battery will last one hour before it gives you that click click sound! If your bike is drawing 14 amps, the battery will last 2 hours and so on.
What about cold cranking amps (CCA)? Some batteries will give you a CCA rating, which is considerably higher than the amp hour rating. This means the number of amps that the battery can produce at 32 degrees F (0 degrees C) for 30 seconds. The Road King Specs for their AGM battery is 270 CCA.

The Harley Battery is made up of 6 cells and each cell has a voltage of roughly 2.12 volts. 6 cells x 2.12 volts per cell make 12.72 volts. A fully charged battery stores 12.72 volts up to its rated time. A floating charge will push the total to around 13.7 volts. If 12.72 volts indicates a fully charged battery, then what exactly is a dead battery?

Believe it or not a dead battery that will not even hope to start your bike is still measuring 10.5 Volts. Wow! The difference between a fully charged battery and a completely dead battery is just 2.2 Volts. (Pretty much the difference of one of the six cells)

That means that a battery that is 50% dead is still reading 12 volts! So what I'm trying to say is that keeping your battery in tip top shape becomes very important to the longevity of your battery. And the reasons why a battery can die prematurely will become very evident.

Remember the statement above; batteries do not die a natural death, they are murdered.
Well I hate to say it, but we are the prime reason batteries are murdered! You murderer you! Let's look at two of the most common reasons.

First killer of batteries is non use. (Don't use it, lose it) never was more true!

Second killer of batteries is over charging by a non regulated automobile charger.

The first reason, non use: Most of us ride our bikes pretty regularly during the riding season which is great for the battery. What happens when we put it up for the winter months is the problem. A period of inactivity of just one month starts a process that is very destructive to the battery. This process is called Sulfation.

Sulfation is the formation or deposit of lead sulfate on the surface and in the pores of the active material of the batteries' lead plates. If the sulfation becomes excessive and forms large crystals on the plates, the battery will not operate efficiently and may not work at all. Common causes of battery sulfation are standing a long time in a discharged condition, operating at excessive temperatures, and prolonged under or over charging. When a battery is said to have a dead cell, Sulfation is the primary cause.

The second reason, over charging by a non regulated automobile charger: Can be remedied by using the proper charger for the proper application.

Now we know the two primary reasons why batteries are murdered instead of living to a ripe old age. Let's see what we can do about these reasons to prolong our investment. Basically, both reasons can be fixed by one thing.

First of all, Sulfation is kept in check by constantly charging and discharging the battery to a point of around 20%. (Normal Riding year round). We can accomplish this in the winter months and during storage by placing the battery on a special smart 4 step charging program (Initialization, Bulk Charge, Absorption Mode, Float Mode). By using this smart 4 step voltage regulated battery charger we avoid all of the problems a non-regulated automobile charger brings to the table and that is excessive heat, and runaway charging. Two big battery killers. You might be surprised to know that Harley Davidson insists on using only the microprocessor controlled chargers, also known as smart chargers. Most Gel batteries require a more expensive and voltage regulated battery charger. A far cry from a cheap non-voltage regulated automobile battery charger. If the incorrect battery charger is used on a Gel Cell battery poor performance and premature failure is certain. Your Harley OEM AGM batteries surely require this! I recommend this battery charger. This smart charger is dual voltage and can be used on all your vehicles. Finally, one Battery charger for all your needs! This battery charger with pulse technology will revive a sulfated battery or make a new battery last 3 to 5 times longer than was originally possible. I know stock this battery charger from Pulse Tech. So give me a call and pick up yours today!! In the same respect we follow our owners manual for determining the proper oil to use with our engine, we must pay attention to their recommendations on battery maintenance as well.

Once our batteries are charging correctly, we still have to practice good battery maintenance. Always make sure the cable connections are free of corrosion and are TIGHT! Loose battery cables contribute to 99% of all roadside break downs!!

It's a good idea at the start of the riding season or when you're putting the bike to bed for winter storage that you disconnect the positive and negative cables to your battery and clean them until they are shiny metal. Also, clean the posts of the battery with a paste solution of baking soda and water. Use this solution to saturate a piece of cardboard and place it underneath the battery in the battery box. After all terminals, bolts and washers are clean and free of corrosion, dry them carefully and then connect the cables with their respective hardware using only star washers with the bolts. These star washers bite into the soft lead and prevent loosening of the battery cable due to vibration. Place a light film of grease over both the positive and negative terminals and say goodnight or hello to the new riding season!

Hopefully I have persuaded you to put your battery on the correct smart charger and to check it from time to time for condition. These two simple steps will ensure a trouble free riding season. When Spring arrives and the sun warms the asphalt just enough to make you hunt for your helmet and gloves. When you make your way through your garage and uncover your pride and joy. When you clear a path to the open driveway, point her straight down the road and hit the starter button…DC