Check with the manufacture of your battery tender. The Battery Tender brand allows for their units to stay connected to a bike. Their units have a micro chip that keeps a battery at correct voltage...Doc
Question: i replaced my original battery with a HD Lithium LiFe battery. No I see on my portable HD lithium jump start pac instructions it says, "Danger, not to be connected to a Lithium battery". Now it seems from my research that lithium batteries should never be jump started, by any means, due to the danger of explosion (rapid overcharge of one cell). What do you think Doc?
Hi Doc, i have a new lithium battery in my road king. I also have a harley jump-start pack, is it ok to jump start my bike with the harley pack if it's gets flat on the road? Thanks for the great videos
NO! Instructions for charging a Lithium battery state you can not charge this type of battery if it has less than 8 volts. A jump start would be very dangerous....Doc
Thanks for the video. I'm miles from any dealership so I'll have to get one posted out & connect it myself...my questions is how do I connect it? I have a 2000 FXDX. Do I connect both terminals from the pigtail to the corresponding terminals on the battery or just connect the live to the live on the battery? and if so where do I connect the negative? to the negative earth bolt under the seat?
Hi great vid, ty....can i use a DEltran 3 amp trickle charge/maintaner for a 12 v 2005 fatboy HD batt. got it on 3 days now, and bike fires right up. But will i kill my battery, by leaving it on?? it does have a smart float though. But i wanna hear from you Doc, ty
I am not familar with that brand. If it is current, it probably has the smart tech to monitor the battery to keep it at it max voltage and not over charge....Doc
Very nice well explained video. I have a 2020 HD softail heritage classic and the quick connect for the battery tender comes standard on the bike. Very convenient! My only complaint is that the quick connect is proprietary to HD.
Hi Doc, quick question for you. Is it safe to jump a Harley through the battery tender cable that comes standard on new harley’s or is the wire size not big enough to handle the amps? Thanks
And as an added “ feature “ , I , after 47 YEARS of riding , bought a nice pair of electrically heated gloves ! They happen to be of the brand HOT WIRE , and they plug right into my Battery Tender harness ! Next - I plan I purchasing the jacket liner from said brand ; and the gloves plugs into it - and the jacket liner into the harness !
Be careful. The Tender was designed to handle low amp. I prefer heated items have there own fuse and wiring. Especially when adding more and more...Doc
To our knowledge in the past putting your kickstand on concrete could drain the battery. However, this was the case with old battery cases and is no longer an issue.
Very helpful, thank you Doc. My solar tender came with a 12 Vdc plug (cigarette lighter style). I'm wondering if I can just plug it into my 12 volt outlet on my 2018 FLHTK? Any advice?
I'm gonna have to order one of them. I went out to start my bike after sitting in the cold Canadian winter garage for a week and the poor baby is dead. The brand new never used battery tender shit the bed on me right away too, so ill order one when I go get my replacement tender from the shop tomorrow!
Hey Doc, I found a harness tucked up under my seat, 2018 SG , I have the battery tender harness I use all the time that the dealer installed, upon purchase. The harness I found has a third female staycon connection on it , do you know what this is for and although the harness the dealer installed has an inline fuse I think the one I found is connected to a fuse block, if you can, any info would be great. Cheers.
I believe you have found the factory tender plug. It is connected to the main fuse, (which is a hindrance when you take the main fuse out to do motor work and can’t charge the battery through this tender plug). I am curious why the dealer installed the other tender harness? Thanks ~ Doc
Thanks for your videos. They are very useful for new motorcyclists like myself. I have a question in my head I was hoping to find an answer for, in this video. Unfortunately it wasn't addressed. Do new motorcycles also need to be hooked up to the tender? If not, what's a typical age for the bike to start needing a battery tender?
A tender is good to use at any age of a motorcycle. Especially a full dresser with stereo and security. Batteries are very expensive today. Using a tender of the right amperage will extend a battery life. Thanks ~ Doc
Thanks Doc, for the video! Question; My HD tender used to blink a steady slow blink (without the tender plugged in)...now it doesn’t any longer after the battery died and I put a battery charger on it. Did I hurt the tender or as you state the battery is good and the LED only comes on when the charge is low? Should I have disconnected the tender before I put the charger on the battery? I thought the blink was a good thing.
Going after that beer after riding is a habit.....not hard to start a habit but horrible to try and stop one I never considered plugging in after every ride.......having 4 bikes, I do plug in if I won't be riding this one for week.....and we have winter, they are plugged in all winter and if get a riding day then it is plugged back in after ride Riding season is very rare for any of my bikes to go 7 days without riding The only problem I've had is the wide glide and that was the negative terminal got loose
Last year i bought new battery for my softail 2011, only one year and my batrry ded agean, i have not the charger, my qustion is u thing because i don't have charger? 😭
You bought a Harley-Davidson battery? There are many reasons for a battery to go dead in one year. A Harley-Davidson not used in a year will drain a battery. Short rides with the motor rpm less than 2500 will not allow the charging system to keep a battery charged. Accessories can drain a battery. Extreme heat and cold can take away cold cranking amperage. A bad connection or cable at the battery can stop a battery from being charged. Corrosion in the electrics can also stop a battery from working correctly. Thanks ~ Doc
@@LowCountryHarleyDavidson thank u for your replay, you are right what u seid i have to take it to the delar today to fix the problem as soon 🙏😘😘😘👍🏿regard 😍😍😍😍😍😍
I just purchased a 2020 Street Glide Special. Very annoyed at not being able to find the damn pig tail to place on tender. Please let us know where it is located on new bikes. Thank you
@@206-HoneyBadger I know the feeling. I reset my bikes alarm while plugged into the tender and the tender stopped working. Shit! I went crazy looking for the tender fuse. Every video says fuse located Inline on the battery positive side. Well, mine is located in the main fuse compartment.
Where is the fuse for that factory installed tender cable? My tender cable goes inside a harness and there isn't a connection near the battery I can see!
It is connected to the Main Fuse. So if you pulled the main fuse before putting your bike in winter storage with a battery tender hooked up. The tender will NoT be charging the battery….Doc
@@LowCountryHarleyDavidson Is it the one #3 marked as Battery 5A on the manual? I think it is blown because my tender (HD) keeps blinking green and red and ok on my other bike!
Thanks for the video. You folks may want to write a keyword-rich description and include your url (website address) in the description. Use the "tag"s feature also. Then these videos will drive search engine crawlers to your website and people watching the video are only a click away from your website as well. If you're going to go to the trouble of producing videos, you might at least get the most value for your effort. :)
My new HD has the tender wire but I dont have the same connection on my battery charger or trickle chargers. Is there an adapter I can buy since mine all have the typical battery clamps
Hi, what's wrong with my harley davidson batter tender model #021-0123? It used to lights up when charging, either red or green lights. Now, it's gone. no lights at all.
Green light yes but yellow light on all the time no. Your tender came with alligator clips? Attach these to the battery and monitor the light later. If green the tender lead from the factory is bad or the P&A fuse is blown…..Doc
I have had a Harley Battery last 10 years and others only 4 years , I never use a tender , I pull that junk off . if your battery is not charging the stator is week or you have a short , I had a 1200 that would discharge from the starter in 4 days the battery was dead , did 3 starters on it and for some reason the 1990 1200 starter was grounded and would drain . if you have to use a trickle charger to keep up a battery something is wrong , only way to find short is have it checked or do it yourself . My FLT/C with radio and CB keep a battery charged as long as you did not have the radios on when not running . my Road king has never lost any power till the battery lost 2 cells , the Sealed Batteries harley has last a long time. The 2012 to 2018 FL with clock digital readout GPS , if your going to let the bike sit 3 or 4 months remove the battery .
I will claim the wrong battery tender will destroy your battery. I feel a very well known battery tender has destroyed at least 4 of my motorcycle batteries and I believe it because I tested it two of them and they continued to charge the battery even though it was fully charged evaporating the the distilled water (sealed batteries). I changed to the interacter fully auto digital battery charger and never had a problem again. Be careful. If you tender continues to charge a charge battery dump it. Or if you keep going through batteries year after year even though you use a tender dump the tender.
That's 10 years ago. If not they only cost about $6-$10 dollars, no big expense. Usually they come supplied with the ($20) trickle charger. So in essence it's free. Go to Amazon.com.
It just depends on the dealership... I have gotten a 2017 iron 883, and just last month a 2016 dyna low rider s from my local dealer and both came with the battery tender installed already. And it has nothing to do with climates or weather cause I live in Central Texas where it's hot AF.
If you ride your bike weekly DON'T, repeat DON'T plug it into your battery tender... if you have a electrical issue and your bike is not charging your battery it's way better to find out at home when your bike won't start than it is when you are out and about and it won't start.
Having a constant charge is complete bs. I have to charge my fucking battery once or twice a week if im not connected to that tender. Added features that need constant electric is bs. No matter the year should have a kick start. .
I agree but this is a world of consumers who are not in tune with motorcycles. It used to be you rode the motorcycle that you could kick start and nothing that you could not. That separated riders from passengers and onlookers. Electric starters have allowed anyone, even woman to ride the biggest motorcycles, so they can sell more. Such is progress. I still have my 1976 Triumph T140V Bonneville 750 and it always starts on the first kick. If it doesn't then either I was not concentrating on what I was doing or it was time for a tune up. When I got my first Harley-Davidson in 1994 I was disappointed that it had no kick starter. Now I also have a 2015 FLHP Road King Police. To be honest at age 67 with a rod in my right leg I think I would have some difficulty kick starting an 103 cu. in. engine or 1680cc for you metric types (puke). That would just mean that the FLHP is now too muck motor for 67 year old, injured me. I keep my battery tender right next to my motorcycles. I always put that trickle charger on. If you do this your battery should last 6 to 8 years. Well worth the effort. it takes my 20 seconds to attach the charger. My batter is always fully charged. Oh and I don't need no stinking red LED to inform me to connect my Trickle charger.
I think that is a smart idea. My Triumph would start even with a mostly dead battery. Just kick it over. It had no electric start. My Triumph is more dependable than all the electric start motorcycles. I never understood how my Triumph would still kick over and run because it was still a 12v battery system. I had always read that you need a Magneto to start without a battery as the Magneto provides the current as you kick the engine into life. That's why I wrote "mostly dead battery" up above. Nothing electric working, no lights, no horn but could still be kick started.
Doc Harley is the man. He is sharp and I love all his videos. Very informative.
Thank you Mike for your support...Doc
5 years late but better than never? I’m away for 2 months at a time, is it ok to leave the Tender on the bike charging ? Thanks
Check with the manufacture of your battery tender. The Battery Tender brand allows for their units to stay connected to a bike. Their units have a micro chip that keeps a battery at correct voltage...Doc
Question: i replaced my original battery with a HD Lithium LiFe battery. No I see on my portable HD lithium jump start pac instructions it says, "Danger, not to be connected to a Lithium battery". Now it seems from my research that lithium batteries should never be jump started, by any means, due to the danger of explosion (rapid overcharge of one cell). What do you think Doc?
Lithium is a breed of it's self..follow all instruction. You are correct not to use a Non Lithium charger and Not to jump a low battery....Doc
Hi Doc, i have a new lithium battery in my road king. I also have a harley jump-start pack, is it ok to jump start my bike with the harley pack if it's gets flat on the road? Thanks for the great videos
NO! Instructions for charging a Lithium battery state you can not charge this type of battery if it has less than 8 volts. A jump start would be very dangerous....Doc
Thanks for the video. I'm miles from any dealership so I'll have to get one posted out & connect it myself...my questions is how do I connect it? I have a 2000 FXDX. Do I connect both terminals from the pigtail to the corresponding terminals on the battery or just connect the live to the live on the battery? and if so where do I connect the negative? to the negative earth bolt under the seat?
Hi great vid, ty....can i use a DEltran 3 amp trickle charge/maintaner for a 12 v 2005 fatboy HD batt. got it on 3 days now, and bike fires right up. But will i kill my battery, by leaving it on?? it does have a smart float though. But i wanna hear from you Doc, ty
I am not familar with that brand. If it is current, it probably has the smart tech to monitor the battery to keep it at it max voltage and not over charge....Doc
Very nice well explained video. I have a 2020 HD softail heritage classic and the quick connect for the battery tender comes standard on the bike. Very convenient!
My only complaint is that the quick connect is proprietary to HD.
Hi Doc, quick question for you. Is it safe to jump a Harley through the battery tender cable that comes standard on new harley’s or is the wire size not big enough to handle the amps? Thanks
You answered it correctly. The Tender wires can not handle starting amperage....Doc
Hey doc is there a fuse on the pig tail between the battery, battery new won’t take the tender
No, that has been an issue with me. The tender goes directly through the main fuse. Remove this and the bike won’t charge through the tender line….Doc
If you want to keep your battery charged, just ride your bike more. :)
One word......Canada.
😂😂😂
🙄
Riding frequently is not always an option, especially if you travel alot.
And as an added “ feature “ , I , after 47 YEARS of riding , bought a nice pair of electrically heated gloves !
They happen to be of the brand
HOT WIRE , and they plug right into my Battery Tender harness !
Next - I plan I purchasing the jacket liner from said brand ; and the gloves plugs into it - and the jacket liner into the harness !
Be careful. The Tender was designed to handle low amp. I prefer heated items have there own fuse and wiring. Especially when adding more and more...Doc
@@LowCountryHarleyDavidson
Oh …
Perhaps I be “ satisfied “ with warm hands .
Lol !
Thanks Doc !
Do you put the kickstand on a rubber mat or something similar to prevent the frame, through the kickstand, from reaching ground?
To our knowledge in the past putting your kickstand on concrete could drain the battery. However, this was the case with old battery cases and is no longer an issue.
If the kickstand is on the ground then your bike is grounded.
Its 2019. And if all fails read your book. #Not trying to sounds sarcastic.
They have a disc specifically for your Jerry. That concrete "rule" only applies to the old school wet batteries.
Very helpful, thank you Doc. My solar tender came with a 12 Vdc plug (cigarette lighter style). I'm wondering if I can just plug it into my 12 volt outlet on my 2018 FLHTK? Any advice?
Interesting idea. I am not sure the accessory circuit there will charge the battery with the bike off....Doc
I'm gonna have to order one of them. I went out to start my bike after sitting in the cold Canadian winter garage for a week and the poor baby is dead. The brand new never used battery tender shit the bed on me right away too, so ill order one when I go get my replacement tender from the shop tomorrow!
Hey Doc, I found a harness tucked up under my seat, 2018 SG , I have the battery tender harness I use all the time that the dealer installed, upon purchase. The harness I found has a third female staycon connection on it , do you know what this is for and although the harness the dealer installed has an inline fuse I think the one I found is connected to a fuse block, if you can, any info would be great. Cheers.
I believe you have found the factory tender plug. It is connected to the main fuse, (which is a hindrance when you take the main fuse out to do motor work and can’t charge the battery through this tender plug). I am curious why the dealer installed the other tender harness? Thanks ~ Doc
Thanks Doc much appreciated , maybe this dealer didn’t know about the factory installed plug.
Hi, how do I connect the battery tender with street 500. Kindly help me out plz
Battery positive with the red lead...left side of bike negative stud with the black lead...Doc
Why is HD tender plug 3 prong instead of two? What is the third smaller prong for?
It's a multi use plug that fits large and small chargers.
Thanks for your videos. They are very useful for new motorcyclists like myself. I have a question in my head I was hoping to find an answer for, in this video. Unfortunately it wasn't addressed.
Do new motorcycles also need to be hooked up to the tender? If not, what's a typical age for the bike to start needing a battery tender?
A tender is good to use at any age of a motorcycle. Especially a full dresser with stereo and security. Batteries are very expensive today. Using a tender of the right amperage will extend a battery life. Thanks ~ Doc
@@LowCountryHarleyDavidson Thanks so much for taking time to reply to me. Appreciate it!
Question, Is it possible to jump start a battery via the battery tender pigtail?
NO NO AND AGAIN I SAY NO! The battery tender guage wires were not meant to handle more than 2-5 amps. Your starter demands more. Thanks ~ Doc
@@LowCountryHarleyDavidson Got it!! Thank you.
I didn't keep my tender on the bike and the battery went bad. I replaced the battery and now it turns over but will not start? HELP!!!
Too many questions I have to ask for this issue. Bring it to your Dealer for a complete Diag....Doc
Thanks Doc, for the video!
Question; My HD tender used to blink a steady slow blink (without the tender plugged in)...now it doesn’t any longer after the battery died and I put a battery charger on it. Did I hurt the tender or as you state the battery is good and the LED only comes on when the charge is low?
Should I have disconnected the tender before I put the charger on the battery?
I thought the blink was a good thing.
KyCavalier yes you should disconnect the tender before charging the battery
I have a 2020 harley davidson softail standard the factory battery tender cord not working. Thanks
Going after that beer after riding is a habit.....not hard to start a habit but horrible to try and stop one
I never considered plugging in after every ride.......having 4 bikes, I do plug in if I won't be riding this one for week.....and we have winter, they are plugged in all winter and if get a riding day then it is plugged back in after ride
Riding season is very rare for any of my bikes to go 7 days without riding
The only problem I've had is the wide glide and that was the negative terminal got loose
Last year i bought new battery for my softail 2011, only one year and my batrry ded agean, i have not the charger, my qustion is u thing because i don't have charger? 😭
You bought a Harley-Davidson battery? There are many reasons for a battery to go dead in one year. A Harley-Davidson not used in a year will drain a battery. Short rides with the motor rpm less than 2500 will not allow the charging system to keep a battery charged. Accessories can drain a battery. Extreme heat and cold can take away cold
cranking amperage. A bad connection or cable at the battery can stop a battery from being charged. Corrosion in the electrics can also stop a battery from working correctly. Thanks ~ Doc
@@LowCountryHarleyDavidson thank u for your replay, you are right what u seid i have to take it to the delar today to fix the problem as soon 🙏😘😘😘👍🏿regard 😍😍😍😍😍😍
Do you have to remove the fuss before you plug in the trickle charger?
No, in fact on some Harley motorcycles the fuse must be in to charge.
@@LowCountryHarleyDavidson thanks for the response Doc...really enjoy your videos as well
I just purchased a 2020 Street Glide Special. Very annoyed at not being able to find the damn pig tail to place on tender. Please let us know where it is located on new bikes. Thank you
Open the left side panel, torx screw, It should be there. Once you get to it leave the pigtail outside the cover.
@@tonyj8947 Finally found it after a couple of dark nights searching. Thank you anyway.
@@206-HoneyBadger I know the feeling. I reset my bikes alarm while plugged into the tender and the tender stopped working. Shit! I went crazy looking for the tender fuse. Every video says fuse located Inline on the battery positive side. Well, mine is located in the main fuse compartment.
It's now an orange light now instead of either green or red... What does it mean?
How much? $99 ?
Where is the fuse for that factory installed tender cable? My tender cable goes inside a harness and there isn't a connection near the battery I can see!
It is connected to the Main Fuse. So if you pulled the main fuse before putting your bike in winter storage with a battery tender hooked up. The tender will NoT be charging the battery….Doc
@@LowCountryHarleyDavidson Is it the one #3 marked as Battery 5A on the manual? I think it is blown because my tender (HD) keeps blinking green and red and ok on my other bike!
@@LowCountryHarleyDavidson Thank you Doc, that was very prompt answer, thank you trully!
Thanks for the video. You folks may want to write a keyword-rich description and include your url (website address) in the description. Use the "tag"s feature also. Then these videos will drive search engine crawlers to your website and people watching the video are only a click away from your website as well. If you're going to go to the trouble of producing videos, you might at least get the most value for your effort. :)
My Tender gets unplugged and put into a cabinet where I can't find it, so there is that
My new HD has the tender wire but I dont have the same connection on my battery charger or trickle chargers. Is there an adapter I can buy since mine all have the typical battery clamps
I think they do that so you have to buy a HD battery tender.
Hi, what's wrong with my harley davidson batter tender model #021-0123? It used to lights up when charging, either red or green lights. Now, it's gone. no lights at all.
We use them. Excellent.
Great info. Thanks
These things save my battery
My light stays on 24/7 when the bike isnt running, even with a brand new battery 🤷🏻♂️
Green light yes but yellow light on all the time no. Your tender came with alligator clips? Attach these to the battery and monitor the light later. If green the tender lead from the factory is bad or the P&A fuse is blown…..Doc
@@LowCountryHarleyDavidson Red led on the pigtail itself
Oh wow, that's what that light is
I have had a Harley Battery last 10 years and others only 4 years , I never use a tender , I pull that junk off . if your battery is not charging the stator is week or you have a short , I had a 1200 that would discharge from the starter in 4 days the battery was dead , did 3 starters on it and for some reason the 1990 1200 starter was grounded and would drain . if you have to use a trickle charger to keep up a battery something is wrong , only way to find short is have it checked or do it yourself . My FLT/C with radio and CB keep a battery charged as long as you did not have the radios on when not running . my Road king has never lost any power till the battery lost 2 cells , the Sealed Batteries harley has last a long time. The 2012 to 2018 FL with clock digital readout GPS , if your going to let the bike sit 3 or 4 months remove the battery .
part number??
I will claim the wrong battery tender will destroy your battery. I feel a very well known battery tender has destroyed at least 4 of my motorcycle batteries and I believe it because I tested it two of them and they continued to charge the battery even though it was fully charged evaporating the the distilled water (sealed batteries). I changed to the interacter fully auto digital battery charger and never had a problem again. Be careful. If you tender continues to charge a charge battery dump it. Or if you keep going through batteries year after year even though you use a tender dump the tender.
All Harleys have the harness from the factory? Did they come from the factory in 07?
That's 10 years ago. If not they only cost about $6-$10 dollars, no big expense. Usually they come supplied with the ($20) trickle charger. So in essence it's free. Go to Amazon.com.
My new 2018 road king came with one.
Dennis Morris same with my 2018 fxbb
0:38 -- I can create habits out of duct tape and WD40
Two essential tools on a road trip....Doc
Its would be nice if you answered some of their questions, just sayin. ty though.
I have a leaky pecok can you make a video
my pecock leaks also
We’ve added it to our suggested list
I take pills for that. Talk to your primary care physician.
Thats because you bent your johnson rod.
You need to use it more often or plug it in when it's going to sit for awhile!
Dealer never gave me one on a 2018 bike
They don't put them on most bikes, they tend to put them on bikes in colder regions (I am in Canada and my 2018 48 came with one)
It just depends on the dealership... I have gotten a 2017 iron 883, and just last month a 2016 dyna low rider s from my local dealer and both came with the battery tender installed already. And it has nothing to do with climates or weather cause I live in Central Texas where it's hot AF.
If you ride your bike weekly DON'T, repeat DON'T plug it into your battery tender... if you have a electrical issue and your bike is not charging your battery it's way better to find out at home when your bike won't start than it is when you are out and about and it won't start.
Having a constant charge is complete bs. I have to charge my fucking battery once or twice a week if im not connected to that tender. Added features that need constant electric is bs. No matter the year should have a kick start. .
I agree but this is a world of consumers who are not in tune with motorcycles. It used to be you rode the motorcycle that you could kick start and nothing that you could not. That separated riders from passengers and onlookers. Electric starters have allowed anyone, even woman to ride the biggest motorcycles, so they can sell more. Such is progress.
I still have my 1976 Triumph T140V Bonneville 750 and it always starts on the first kick. If it doesn't then either I was not concentrating on what I was doing or it was time for a tune up.
When I got my first Harley-Davidson in 1994 I was disappointed that it had no kick starter. Now I also have a 2015 FLHP Road King Police. To be honest at age 67 with a rod in my right leg I think I would have some difficulty kick starting an 103 cu. in. engine or 1680cc for you metric types (puke). That would just mean that the FLHP is now too muck motor for 67 year old, injured me.
I keep my battery tender right next to my motorcycles. I always put that trickle charger on. If you do this your battery should last 6 to 8 years. Well worth the effort. it takes my 20 seconds to attach the charger. My batter is always fully charged.
Oh and I don't need no stinking red LED to inform me to connect my Trickle charger.
PeterDad60 i agree , but having a kickstart for back up should be there from factory.
I think that is a smart idea. My Triumph would start even with a mostly dead battery. Just kick it over. It had no electric start. My Triumph is more dependable than all the electric start motorcycles.
I never understood how my Triumph would still kick over and run because it was still a 12v battery system. I had always read that you need a Magneto to start without a battery as the Magneto provides the current as you kick the engine into life. That's why I wrote "mostly dead battery" up above. Nothing electric working, no lights, no horn but could still be kick started.