Harley Starter Issue. Maybe Solved!

[Murray]

Another note. The starter shop confirmed to me that a low battery will show a high amp output compared to a fully charged like new condition battery. This boggles my mind, he kinda agreed with that. Strange but true

Not really the starter will have a power rating it needs to run (Guzzi Valeo is 1.2 kw or 1200 watts for example) and will require this power to run the battery will try to provide it, as the battery discharges the voltage drops so more current is drawn to make up for it.

[lrutt]

Problem since new you say? Have you confirmed timing is right, coil is good, spark is strong?

[Rick in WNY]

Interesting that the Odyssey website does not show a battery for the Harley Street Bob.

The CCA for the PC545 is listed as 150.

Motobatt shows a MBTX30U as being the correct battery with 385 CCA.

YUASA shows their YIX30L-BS with 400 CCA.

Even Harley recommends a battery with at least 315 CCA (their own brand)

I'd be worried that the battery is undersized for the bike.  While I know it seems to work in some folks bikes, I'd be suspicious of the low CCA if it is reporting slow or hard starting.

jdg

This was my first thought after reading the first post, because my wife's Softie has that same 96 inch engine, and I put a new battery in that last winter, and I remembered it was a lot more than a 150 amp battery. Yup... HD recommends a minimum 315 amp battery to provide enough juice to crank the starter and support all the electronics. Wife's Softie now has the 400 amp Yausa... good battery, fires it right up every time!

[fotoguzzi]

This was my first thought after reading the first post, because my wife's Softie has that same 96 inch engine, and I put a new battery in that last winter, and I remembered it was a lot more than a 150 amp battery. Yup... HD recommends a minimum 315 amp battery to provide enough juice to crank the starter and support all the electronics. Wife's Softie now has the 400 amp Yausa... good battery, fires it right up every time!

I wonder if the PC545 is just too small for a Harley? IIR my Buell had a pc 925.

[Tom H]

I'm thinking that you guys are right that the battery has too low CCA.

I have given this some more thought. I'm going to try the Motobatt mbtx20uhd. This is the size my bike uses per their web site. The 30 version is too big.

Tom

[Tom H]

Bought the Motobatt mbtx20uhd today. This is the size they list for my bike.

Put it in, forgot to check the voltage. They are supposed to be ready when you buy them. Not trying to start the bike, just cranking it over it spun very nicely. Sounded like it would have cranked for just about as long as I wanted/needed.

Checked the cranking amps, 180-220 mainly below 200. This is within spec per the book. Checked the voltage and it was 12.55.

So maybe all the issue was too low a CCA?? Time will tell..... Hope I don't have to buy a battery every year or two to keep this bike running??

At least I know the starter is good for now!

Again...Thank you very much to all that helped with this!!!!!!!!

Tom

[twowheeladdict]

No hand clapping emoticon so  and get out there and 

[cliffrod]

I haven't bought anything except Yuasa batteries for my shovel, Evo and iron sportster for the past 20 yrs.  that's all we recommend and the only brand regularly sold at the shop.   Those little push buttons suck up a lot of juice to crank these tractor engines.

They seem to be more like other batteries now in that (if) they last as long as they are rated, they may be dead at any time without warning.  If they pass away before their time, Yuasa/Tucker Rocky is very good about no-questions-asked replacement under warranty as long as we have the date scribed on the battery.  Think it's full replacement within the the first year, then pro-rated after that.

[Rick in WNY]

Bought the Motobatt mbtx20uhd today. This is the size they list for my bike.

......

So maybe all the issue was too low a CCA?? Time will tell..... Hope I don't have to buy a battery every year or two to keep this bike running??

At least I know the starter is good for now!

Again...Thank you very much to all that helped with this!!!!!!!!

Tom

Well Tom, that's listed as a 310 CCA battery. That's close enough to HD's 315 CCA recommendation that you're not going to notice a difference. However, that is a little over twice the cranking amps of the battery you replaced... and that will be a noticeable difference. It's nice to be able to give something back to this group, they've answered a lot of questions from me.

[Tom H]

Before I bought the Motobatt, I looked at the Harley bat and the Yussa GYZ20HL. I almost went with the Yussa, but back in the old wet cell days the Yussa never seem to hold up. This could be different now with them having the AGM batteries? When this one craps out I'll probably try the Yussa.

The Yussa has 10 more CCA, but 1 AH less than the Motobatt. Both were about the same price, about $150 with tax.

When I got my BMW from my friend I needed a bat for it. Read the forums for a bat the fit the R75/5. It was BMW, Yussa or the Odyssey PC 680 which fits perfect in the small tray. It held up for about 10 years. Never was on a trickle charger. I have been happy with their batteries, happy enough that I have the PC925 in both loops (I used to run a small car bat, worked great for about 5 years each bat) and my EV came with the PC545. They do not list the PC545 for the EV, they list the PC925, but you have to remove the emissions can that sits in the bat tray for it to fit.

Through all this I was sure it was the starter. Then I learned a few strange but true's about batteries

At least I did not have to buy a starter and then find out it was the bat all along. But now I have a perfectly good PC545, guess I'll save it, or install it now for the EV.

I was hoping that I would not get tossed off for a Harley question, but then again, I think that many here have one as well as many other brands. I know there is alot of knowledge here that I can trust!!

Thank you all very much again!!!
Tom