Having the right battery charger for your Harley-Davidson is important so that your battery can survive the winter, or rather as many winters as possible.
This will have happened to most of us. At some point in the fall you parked your Harley-Davidson in the garage, winterized it and thought everything was fine. It's supposed to start again in the spring and it doesn't make a sound the first time it tries to start.
An active alarm system draws electricity
What could have happened now, either the alarm system drained the battery over time, or your battery couldn't cope with the cold. It can sometimes suffer from old age or is simply broken. There could be other reasons for the failure, but at some point they will simply be over. However, if you treat them well, you can extend their life by a few years.
Of course, it always depends on the circumstances; some of the following tips are generally quite useful.
Simply remove the fuse - but then the alarm system is no longer active. Cold temperatures can still cause problems for the battery.
Remove battery and store warm and dry.
However, the recommendation is a battery trickle charger
When purchasing a starter battery, pay attention to quality with a high starting current.
In my experience, if you ask your buddies, they usually recommend an original Harley-Davidson AGM battery; it has a high starting power and enough power to bring the V2 back to life. When it comes to an alternative aftermarket battery, some use Yuasa or East Penn batteries. You really shouldn't save money on batteries, they sometimes fail when you least need them, so you should really pay attention to quality here.
The Harley-Davidson 1 Amp Battery Charger
If you are looking for a good charger for your Harley, the small and very proven 1 amp charger is sufficient. The price is around €84, but at times it is difficult to obtain.
The advantages of the Harley-Davidson battery charger
trickle charge function , you can not only ensure that the starter battery does not discharge over the winter, but also extend the life of your battery by years. Other chargers can certainly do the same thing, but as I just discovered Pan America This has to do with the Can bus, which recognizes what kind of device is connected to the so-called SAE plug.
Harley-Davidson battery charger plug (SAE plug)
Harley-Davidson SAE plug, suitable for the Harley-Davidson battery charger
You cannot supply power to the battery via this connector unless you have a compatible device. The alternative is actually just to re-lay a separate cable to the battery. For my part, I now have the right HD charger, which I currently have attached to my EVO so that I don't have to worry about attaching a newer Harley-Davidson to the charger in the future.
After all, Harley-Davidson even offers a 5-year guarantee on the 1-amp battery charger. Now I know what it's like when you don't have the operating instructions in your head and I'm happy to list the information below.
What’s included – unboxing
Multilingual operating instructions, including German.
Pole terminals on SAE plugs fused with 2 amps, the total length is approx. 60cm
1 amp Harley-Davidson battery charger on SAE plug, the total length is approx. 2.25m
Attention, don't just connect the charger, read it first!
It may not seem like it, but even small chargers need to be operated correctly so that no damage is done to the battery.
The Harley-Davidson 1 Amp Battery Charger has six (6) modes: Standby, 12V, 12V AGM, 12V LITHIUM, 6V and Force. Some charging modes require three (3) to five (5) seconds. Long press to activate the mode. These Pressed Had* modes are advanced loading modes that require your full attention before selecting.
It's important to understand the differences and purposes of each charging mode. Always check with the battery manufacturer to confirm the correct charging mode for the specific battery installed. Only use the charger once you know the appropriate charging mode for your battery and you really know what type of battery you have installed.
In standby mode, the charger does not charge and does not supply any power to the battery. The energy saving function is activated in this mode, which means that only minimal power is drawn from the mains connection. CanBus is activated. In standby mode, the orange LED lights up. - No electricity.
12V
For charging wet, gel, EFB, MF and calcium batteries with 12 volts. If this is selected, the 12 V white LED lights up. – 14.5V I1A| Batteries up to 30 Ah.
12V AGM
For charging 12V AGM batteries. If this is selected, the 12V AGM white LED lights up. – 14.8 | 1 A | Batteries up to 30 Ah.
12V lithium
For charging 12-volt lithium-ion batteries, including Lithiurn iron phosphate. If this is selected, the 12V lithium blue LED lights up. For use with batteries with battery management systems (BMS) only. – 14.6V | 1 A / Batteries up to 30 Ah.
6V / Hold for 3 seconds
For charging wet, gel, EFB, MF and calcium batteries with 6 volts. If this is selected, the 6V white LED lights up. – 7.25 VI 1 A | Batteries up to 30 Ah
Force mode (forced charge) Press and hold (5 seconds)
To charge batteries with a voltage lower than 1V. Press and hold for five (5) seconds to activate Force Mode. Then the selected charging mode will operate in force mode for five (S) minutes before switching back to standard charging in the selected mode. – 1A | Batteries up to 30 Ah
There are other chargers from Harley-Davidson. If you need a little more current, you can use the 5 amp device. If you have several vehicles parked together, you can find the dual mode battery charger for up to 4 batteries in the Harley-Davidson portfolio.
Questions and answers about the battery for your Harley-Davidson
How long does a battery have to charge?
Under normal circumstances, with an appropriate battery charger, an intact battery needs approx. 12 hours to be sufficiently charged.
How powerful should a battery be for a Harley-Davidson?
A Harley-Davidson starter battery should have sufficient starting current. Harley-Davidson engines usually have a very large displacement, which requires a lot of power, especially when cold.
Why an AGM battery?
Electrochemical processes take place in batteries. Electrolytes transport electrical charge. An AGM battery binds the electrolytes into a fiberglass fleece. One of the most important points is that it is not as susceptible to vibrations, where a short circuit can quickly occur with conventional batteries as they get older. AGM batteries do not leak and can withstand tilted positions.
How long does a battery usually last?
With good care, it is not uncommon for batteries to last longer than five years. In Harleysite Facebook comments, there have been reports of batteries lasting as long as 12 years when properly cared for using a battery trickle charger.
Avoid deep discharge
One of the biggest dangers to a battery is when it becomes deeply discharged. This can happen if consumers continue to run after a long period of idle time; digital clocks and especially alarm systems are known for this.
Charge the battery without a 220 volt connection?
What to do if you don't have a 220 volt connection nearby? For example, there is a battery charger from Optimate that has a DC-DC connection. The OptiMate DC-DUO 12V 2A charger can be connected to a car battery and then used to charge a motorcycle battery.
Text & image credits: Harleysite – Some links are affiliate product links.
