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[mjb765]

Anybody buying the new LI batteries?? And then I need a new tender--right??

[Threephase]

Yes. The new lithium ion battery requires a different battery tender.

[mjb765]

Yes. The new lithium ion battery requires a different battery tender.

That's what I thought.....crap.....I have a nice 2 bike tender too 

[Bobs14Limited]

Another consideration is the highly debatable value of the “Harley Kickstand Frisbee” that was included with new bikes and is sold over the HD Parts Counter.

It supposedly eliminated the kickstand to concrete dead ground effect which could/would drain batteries. I tried and couldn’t determine any measurable difference in voltage drop with and without the Frisbee.

I have a collection of these in my garage parts drawer and honestly I did get in the habit of sliding one under my stand when parking in my garage and hooking up the tender after a ride. 

Over the years and many bikes, my experience with Harley batteries been great I think primarily due to the Battery Tender and not the HD Frisbee.

Regards

Jerry

I seem to remember that Harley used to include one of those jiffy stand frisbees with a CVO bike.
I never did get one.

[iski]

The logic is that all of the various grounds on the bike are grounded to the frame and when the kickstand is placed on concrete it draws the voltage down. 

I have seen someone try to charge a car battery after placing it directly on the concrete garage floor and find the battery was still dead as a doughnut after 12 or so hours. Then they place wood under the battery tolift it off of the concrete and it charged up in a few hours.

Makes sense to me, had not thought of the bike kickstand as ground contact.  BTW - I always use a frisbee when parking the bike in the garage. 

Long time back I worked at a full service gas station - early 1970s.  We never charged a car battery on concrete.  We never stored a battery on concrete - we put them on wood pallets if they were out of the box.  Same reasons you have listed.

[CVODON]

My last three bikes have never sat on the kickstand at home. Always in a Condor. Religiously use a Tender. Battery life has gotten shorter over the years. 05 Bike OE Battery lasted it's life with me, was still in bike when I sold it in 09. 09 Bike OE battery lasted 3.5 years, 15 Bike OE battery lasted 2.5 years, Replaced with Big Crank, it lasted exactly, to the month 3 years. Big Crank never slowed down, drug or had any problem, was fine on Sunday, Dead on Monday, total failure, but I bought another one. HD batteries at least gave some indication of pending failure.
Kickstand definitely had no effect on any of these.

[OBB]

My last three bikes have never sat on the kickstand at home. Always in a Condor. Religiously use a Tender. Battery life has gotten shorter over the years. 05 Bike OE Battery lasted it's life with me, was still in bike when I sold it in 09. 09 Bike OE battery lasted 3.5 years, 15 Bike OE battery lasted 2.5 years, Replaced with Big Crank, it lasted exactly, to the month 3 years. Big Crank never slowed down, drug or had any problem, was fine on Sunday, Dead on Monday, total failure, but I bought another one. HD batteries at least gave some indication of pending failure.
Kickstand definitely had no effect on any of these.

Agree with the kickstand theory. I just don't see how the plastic battery case can be a conductive surface to ground. Maybe years ago something was different but I doubt it. You'd have a ground potential for damn near everything with it in the bike.

Sent from my boring Droid phone.

[KGB]

Agree with the kickstand theory. I just don't see how the plastic battery case can be a conductive surface to ground. Maybe years ago something was different but I doubt it. You'd have a ground potential for damn near everything with it in the bike.

Sent from my boring Droid phone.

You are correct, back in the day you didnt want to store the battery on a cement floor because it would take on moisture, they had glass cells and wooden boxes, if the box warped the glass cells could break, modern day battery's should have no problem on a cement floor, some may say the temperature can cause the battery to discharge faster, may or may not, I never tested it.

[Twolanerider]

You are correct, back in the day you didnt want to store the battery on a cement floor because it would take on moisture, they had glass cells and wooden boxes, if the box warped the glass cells could break, modern day battery's should have no problem on a cement floor, some may say the temperature can cause the battery to discharge faster, may or may not, I never tested it.

Modern batteries are fine on concrete.  In fact it's a good storage for them. 

I grew up hearing the same thing though.  Started working at a gas station in 1971 when I had to carry a milk crate out to the gas island to reach across the car windshields (most of them).  Then it was preached (rightly) not to put a battery on concrete.  Takes a long time to unlearn the lessons of our youth.

[Fired00d]

Modern batteries are fine on concrete.  In fact it's a good storage for them. 

I grew up hearing the same thing though.  Started working at a gas station in 1971 when I had to carry a milk crate out to the gas island to reach across the car windshields (most of them).  Then it was preached (rightly) not to put a battery on concrete.  Takes a long time to unlearn the lessons of our youth.

Oh this was just to easy.... Ok... so what has changed since then... I did read you had taken the Fat Cat off your RG so you do not have to be concerned about standing on tip toes to avoid burning your leg? Just sayin'...

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

[iski]

 

[Twolanerider]

Oh this was just to easy.... Ok... so what has changed since then... I did read you had taken the Fat Cat off your RG so you do not have to be concerned about standing on tip toes to avoid burning your leg? Just sayin'...

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

What really sucks is carrying that milk crate along every ride so I can get on and off....

[iski]

 

[Fired00d]

What really sucks is carrying that milk crate along every ride so I can get on and off....

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d