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Dead Battery

Discussion in 'Motorcycle Tech Talk' started by Hogdog, Dec 5, 2014.

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  1. Hogdog

    Hogdog Active Member

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    Is it true if you jump start a HD bike with a dead battery you can damage the charging system? I had heard the HD charging system can not recharge a dead battery.

    Live life, ride hard!!!
    Hogdog, Dec 5, 2014
    #1
  3. bguillory66

    bguillory66 Active Member

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    I jumped mine a few times with no bad results, of course its a 96 model, things have changed since then. Also mine won't charge the battery just idling, but will running around on it.
    bguillory66, Dec 5, 2014
    #2
  4. Hogdog

    Hogdog Active Member

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    Thanks for the note from our founding father, we as a free people must stand together against tyranny and oppression.

    Both my girls are pre-96, thanks for the reply
    Hogdog, Dec 5, 2014
    #3
  5. Fatboy128

    Fatboy128 Well-Known Member

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    Once a battery has gone dead it can be recharged BUT the life is cut short since the electrolyte that fell out of suspension in the acid can't be restored into suspension 100%. It may pay in security to replace the battery.
    Fatboy128, Dec 5, 2014
    #4
  6. hotroadking

    hotroadking Super Moderator Staff Member

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    you can jump start them, at least I've done it several times without
    ending the solar system as said by HD...
    hotroadking, Dec 5, 2014
    #5
  7. FLHTbiker

    FLHTbiker Moderator Staff Member

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    I had to jump start a guys bike once. His girl friend plugged her heated gear in one cool evening when at a event. The bike was not running and she ran that battery down dead. Yea he was a bit upset. However we put some jumper cables that I always carry and we put them on his bike. I had to let the good bike battery run for over five minutes to put enough charge on the dead bike to finally get it to turn over. It finally built up enough charge in it where with the good battery still hooked up and bike running were we finally got it to start. The guy had a 60 mile ride to get home and told him don't stop. He wouldn't let her plug in either and she never complained. So yes you can charge one up and still use it. This guy never did change his battery.
    FLHTbiker, Dec 5, 2014
    #6
  8. baggerpaul

    baggerpaul Well-Known Member

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    Hd charging systems are no different then a cars system an alternator is an alternator period! Therefore let me explain .an alternator is not a battery charger its there to maintain the battery's charge therefore alternates valtage as needed to keep the battery at 12.5 or 13.4.period .it is not a generator!.so if you jump a very low battery and ride it the alternator or stator assembly has to work its ass off to get that battery back to full charge and that's not what it was meant to do .the regulator full fields the alternator and kills it self do to temp! An alternator is not a generator. It alternates current as needed.
    Last edited: Dec 6, 2014
    baggerpaul, Dec 6, 2014
    #7
    Roadster guy likes this.
  9. charlie46

    charlie46 Well-Known Member

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    W T F ????????
    charlie46, Dec 7, 2014
    #8
  10. Lucifer

    Lucifer Well-Known Member

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    FLHT was taxing his alternator trying to get enough charge to start the guys bike...Then the guy was taxing his alternator for the 60 mile ride home...Once he got there he should have put it on a charger to try to bring it back up....An alternator will bring back up a slightly discharged battery but it has to work harder than it should to do it which = heat= shortened life of alternator,(put it on a charger after the boost)...but you can get away with it once in a while if it's not too discharged...You'll be replacing your alternator in short order if you try to charge a deeply discharged battery....

    http://centurybatteries.ca/?page_id=143


    http://www.optimabatteries.com/en-u...rs-are-not-designed-to-charge-dead-batteries/
    Lucifer, Dec 7, 2014
    #9
  11. FLHTbiker

    FLHTbiker Moderator Staff Member

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    Haha, I didn't use my bike to jump it. However I used my jumper cables. The guy had no choice but to ride it home as it was 8PM and yes, he put it on a charger when he got home. As I said he never did replace that batters and had no more problems with it after that. I also know for a fact he never had to replace the stator nor did the other bikes owner.
    FLHTbiker, Dec 7, 2014
    #10
  12. marc 55

    marc 55 Well-Known Member

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    I replace my battery every 3 years...Cheap insurance as they say...
    marc 55, Dec 7, 2014
    #11
  13. FLHTbiker

    FLHTbiker Moderator Staff Member

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    What type or brand of battery do you replace it with. I use only Harley or a equivant one. I won't use the cheap Walmart type batteries.
    FLHTbiker, Dec 7, 2014
    #12
  14. Lucifer

    Lucifer Well-Known Member

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    Heh..OK, your cables but not your bike...No,it won't fry the alternator right away,getting his azz home and putting it on the charger was the thing to do...It's a death by 1000 cuts kinda thing,the more you do it the quicker it's going to burn out... LIke BP said, it's just to maintain the battery...the battery runs the vehicles power,the alternator keeps the battery up...you try running the engine on the alternator alone it's not going to last....
    Lucifer, Dec 7, 2014
    #13
  15. marc 55

    marc 55 Well-Known Member

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    Only Harley...Won't use cheap chit either...
    marc 55, Dec 7, 2014
    #14
  16. FLHTbiker

    FLHTbiker Moderator Staff Member

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    These new bikes its to dang hard to get to your battery to even try to jump start another bike. The bike we used to jump start it was an older bike around a 02-04 vintage. I've carried a set of motorcycle jumper cables for years and think that was the first time I ever used them. He also got rid of that girl friend, think he said she was to expensive to keep around.
    FLHTbiker, Dec 7, 2014
    #15
  17. Fatboy128

    Fatboy128 Well-Known Member

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    +1
    Fatboy128, Dec 7, 2014
    #16
  18. bambidee

    bambidee Active Member

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    AS B/P said a charging system is to Maintain your battery by charging to top off battery and compensate for your accesories .Whenever an alternator fails or something gets left on in the perfect world the battery should be charged and checked to save wear and tear on the chargin system
    bambidee, Dec 7, 2014
    #17
  19. Fatboy128

    Fatboy128 Well-Known Member

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    +1 "Diehard" = Diefast!
    Fatboy128, Dec 7, 2014
    #18
  20. FLHTbiker

    FLHTbiker Moderator Staff Member

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    Also we keep our bikes on a real battery tender in the winter, especially the wife's bike.
    FLHTbiker, Dec 7, 2014
    #19
  21. Hogdog

    Hogdog Active Member

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    If I ever get a chick with a heating gear I will certainly remember this reply.

    Thanks for your reply, it fits my situation pretty closely, however no chick is involved....
    Hogdog, Dec 7, 2014
    #20
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