OK, here's the issue, kinda' long so bear with me.
I have a 2001 FLHRCI, the original battery lasted me over four years of whch I tought was good considering I didn't take very good care of it. Left it sit for weeks on end (In Texas) during the winter without any charger connected. Since replacing it last July 2005 the battery was dead last December. I took the bike to my local HD Dealer and all they could find was a lame excuse tha te bike was idleing too low to charge the battery. Oh well I left with the bike. Less that a week month later the battery was dead. (This was after installing a trickle charger) OK, took the battery back to the dealer and I was told this time that the battery had a dead cell. Got a new battery at this point in January of this year. Now it's July again and the battery is dead once more. Took this new 6 month old battery back to the dealer again and again I'm told it had a bad cell and the dealer replaced it. I installed the new battery and started the bike and checked the started system and it is putting out 12.6 volts. (Thinking over charging migh have had something to do with it) I'm afaid to ride the ike very far because the last time the battery went it left me standed a few counties over. Here is one more issue and I need to know if maybe this could have anything to do with it. When the bike is first started cold it idles just fine. (Remember fuel injction here) Once te bike gets good and hot it idles so low tha sometimes the motor dies. At that point with the motor hot, if I turn the bike of and restart it it will idle just fine. Drive it down the road a little and again it will idle so low that it wants to almost die. So any help? Is there a elctical issue here that is eating batteries and causing the bike not to idle right once it's hot? Any help wuld be apprecated!
Budo: 12.6 volts is only battery voltage, which you would expect if the bike is idling below 900 rpm. Are you reading that at idle or above 1000rpm? Above 1000 or so, you should have min 13.6 volts, max 14.6. My bike is set to idle around 800 rpm when hot, and won't charge the battery, but above 1000, the voltage goes to about 14. A good battery can run a Harley for only about half an hour on its own, so your bike must be charging ok.
If you are reading 12.6 volts above 1000rpm, you are just reading battery voltage and need to check your charging system.
The manual gives AC voltages to expect from the generator at certain rpm's, to help trouble shoot if there is a problem.
Good Luck!!!
Budo the issue you described is the exact same problem I am having with my 99 FLH as I posted this evening agter you posted yours, the only difference is that my battery is not dead the idle problem and the stalling are right there. I was told that the MAP sensors need to be reprogrammed. Either way it's trailer bound to the dealer on Monday. I'll let you know
Tayes1 & Axe,
I kinda felt that I needed to get the bike remapped to fix the idle problem. And I understand that idleing low will drain the battery some. But will this cause the battery to blow out a cell? That is what happened to the last two batteries. Either way I am going to try and get the bike in to have it remapped. I'll both you all know what the outcome is.
Thanks For The Info,
Bud
Budo,
Here it is as of right now they found freyed wires below seat, stripped out positve terminal on battery, MAP sensor out of whack and a fried ECM. total so far $1,500.00 and the bike sits at the repair shop all weekend.
Total for they year so far in repairs to a bike that is meticulously care for $2,400.00. Probably going to average $2.50 per mile with out gas for the year.
Good going H-D way to keep the economy strong.
I have battery problems too. My battery had stripped out terminals. Battery cables wood not stay tight , had this problem since day one. Replaced battery cables with ones i had made. to soon to tell if this fixes my problem. Whats up with harleys battery terminals? Mine were never overtightened that i know of. Helicoils in terminals just pulled out. I'm getting tired of removing the seat everytime i turn around. Is there a battery with heavey duty terminals available that will fit without jury rigging it?
We use Yuasa AGM batteries in all of our bikes. They use a seperate nut that slips inside the battery post, not a one piece threaded battery post like H-D's. If you manage to strip it out, you just replace the hardware easily. And yes, Yuasa is American made.
I had replaced my lead-acid regular battery with a H-D AGM and after 600 miles, the battery internally shorted and disconnected. Obviously, I did not even think a new battery would be the problem, so I tore everything apart and checked wiring and placement. Finally, I went to an independent shop where he quickly said the battery is shorted. Of course, when it died, it left me along side the road. So, I went back to the dealer and after a hassle, they replaced the battery with only a day left on the replacement warranty. A couple weeks later, this battery, too, failed by the same manner, although, this time, it occurred after going over some railroad tracks. This time, when it shorted, I lost every light on the bike except my neutral indicator during the surge when the battery suddenly failed. Again, another tow job. I have had the charging system checked twice, now. Each time, it is operating perfectly. I did not want a hassle again at the dealer's place, so I bought an Interstate Cycle-Tron standard cell battery. I figured that these have run well in the bike for 21 years. Wish me luck...I am on my way back to see what credit I can get at the dealer. Oh, my setup is mechanically stock except for a different seat and some hardware. Even the battery box is still stock with its little rubber shock absorber under the battery.
FLHRCI Battery 
H-D AGM Battery Problems Twice over 
Linear Mode
