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[SDCVO]

In the middle of my ride today about 150 miles from home in the middle of the mountains I stopped for lunch at a little place and when i came out and got under way I noticed the battery and engine light on. I rode about 70 miles to a dealer to shut it off in case it wouldn't start back up-which it didn't..
They were very nice and they jumped it and I filled up (yea, with the motor running) and rode to my dealer for a new battery. Mine is about 28 months old with around 22000 miles.
I have a 120r so Im sure that probably had something to do with it wearing out so quickly. I do keep it on a tender. I asked the dealer where I stopped (the parts mgr was working today and he was actually the one that helped jump me) and he said that was common for the stock battery to go out at around my mileage but he thought that would be the case with any battery..
I saw online the Shorai lithium ion replacement which is crazy expensive which I would still do if it was worth it as I don't want to go through what happened today again (ruined the rest of my day/ride).
What do you think?

[HILLSIDECYCLE.COM]

Interstate has a new line of "Power Performance" batterys.
Even the in-tank Softail version will whip over a 124" @ 11.7 cr.
As far as longivity, if those are remotely close to the standard counterparts, enough said.
Scott

[Cvostu]

I noticed mine too this weekend seemed to need a little help while starting.  I haven't been using a tender on it,, so now I am.  24k miles and it's about 21/2 yrs old.  So I guess a battery will be in my future too.   

[prodrag1320]

ive tried the "woop-de-do" hi-po battery and have found just a HD,stock battery to be best.make sure you've got good cables & keep them clean & tight

[grc]

I'm not sure why a dealership person would say something like "common for the stock battery to go out at around my mileage", since mileage really doesn't have much to do with it.  Perhaps he should have said it's becoming more and more common for the stock batteries to crap out at around three years, even though four to six years used to be the norm. 

Before you just assume the battery is the culprit you need to check out the charging system, as well as the basics like loose connections.  Something about how you were able to start the bike (which is pure battery power), but the battery and check engine lights were on tells me you might have something other than just a bad battery.  If the charging system isn't working the bike will keep running on battery power for awhile, but as in your example it won't last very long.

Jerry

[GMR-PERFORMANCE]

We use Deka they make the HD battery.  For a bagger the Deka has a higher CCA than the stock HD version. Either way they tend to last the longest. 

[redmtrckl]

WPX30L-LS 30ah 600cca Battery replaces Deka ETX30L
One bad ass battery and cheaper than a Harley OEM.
The Battery Giant store near me gave me a veterans discount of 10%

[HILLSIDECYCLE.COM]

Interstate has a new line of "Power Performance" batterys.
Even the in-tank Softail version will whip over a 124" @ 11.7 cr.
As far as longivity, if those are remotely close to the standard counterparts, enough said.
Scott

OE HD's bagger batterys are rated at 400 cca, as are Deka also.
Interstates Cycle-Tron are 400, Parts Unlimited are 385, and Tucker-Rocky brings up the rear at 310.
The new line of High-Perf Interstates are 500 cca, and as per the Syracuse, NY Interstate distributor, that is underated, as he said he has tested them at his facility north of 600.
Lot of phoney battery claims out there, these are not one of those.
200,000 dealers across North America can't be wrong.
Scott

[Zee110]

I have found a lot of electrical problems are atributed to a bad ground

[grc]

WPX30L-LS 30ah 600cca Battery replaces Deka ETX30L
One bad ass battery and cheaper than a Harley OEM.
The Battery Giant store near me gave me a veterans discount of 10%

I contacted the Lightning Start battery folks some time back to ask some questions about that claimed 600 CCA battery, and the only honest answer I got to my questions was about the origin of the battery (China).  As for the ratings and exactly how they were achieved, I got nothing but BS non-responses.  I'll be interested to see how they perform in the real world, as opposed to the advertising world.

Jerry

[HILLSIDECYCLE.COM]

I have found a lot of electrical problems are atributed to a bad ground

Yep.
Always start at the battery when chasing electrical issues.
Scott

[hrdtail78]

I have a 120r so Im sure that probably had something to do with it wearing out so quickly. I do keep it on a tender.

I saw online the Shorai lithium ion

Does the 120r have compression releases?  Battery tech has come a long way.  I usually see 5-6 out of the HD branded battery if I keep them on a tender.  But battery tech is not up to the lithium ion or others yet.  Don't waste the money..... yet.

[SDCVO]

Does the 120r have compression releases?  Battery tech has come a long way.  I usually see 5-6 out of the HD branded battery if I keep them on a tender.  But battery tech is not up to the lithium ion or others yet.  Don't waste the money..... yet.

Yes, automatic compression releases

[HILLSIDECYCLE.COM]

Only 2 years on one of those large group 30 battery's, is premature failure.
Sure you don't have a draw on it from somewhere?
Scott

[Jbbrown73]

I put an Odyssey battery in my Street Glide, and so far is a fantastic battery.  Even after 3 weeks of sitting the voltage doesn't drop enough during starting the bike for the radio to cycle.