[qcrider]

In about 1988 my 80 FLT was going through batteries like crazy - took me forever to figure out the problem - In the meantime I improvised.

I know what your thinking wasn't it awfull heavy on that side - not to worry the other side was full of tools.

[attachment=0:21qku209]battery.jpg[/attachment:21qku209]

Ernie

 

[JeyLux]

so, this begs the question,
what was the problem?

 

[qcrider]

so, this begs the question,
what was the problem?

awh - I was afraid someone would ask.

I had a mechanical problem that was related, but I wasn't putting two and two together. I should add that I had just bought the bike the year before and the mechanical problem had always been there.

I hate to admit it but I replaced two or three batteries, in short order, a couple of regulator retifiers (both of which were probablly good) and two starters. That's the one that should have tipped me off they were completly worn out.

My mechanical problem was with the clutch it always kind of lurched when taking off from a dead stop. On a harley the starter runs on a ring gear on the clutch basket. One day I was tinkering with that and had the primary cover off. I decided to turn it over with the starter and watch the clutch mechanism, when I did I saw it. The mainshaft in the tranny was bent when it rolled around to the high spot it was putting a hell of a bind on things. That's what was sucking down the battery and weariing out the starters.

One night even with the big ol' car battery I was leaving a local watering hole and had to have push to get her to start. I knew I was gonna catch some ribbin' over that, so I swung around, left her running, jumped off and yelled that does it I'm buying a bigger battery.

The whole experience did teach me a lesson though not to become too focused and consider possibilities other than the obvious - I couldn't get beyond the charging system when trying to diagnose the problem.

Ernie

 

[tbpmusic]

Considering all the problems we have with batteries on these old bikes, that's not such a bad idea.
I've often said I'd gladly give up up 10-15 pounds for a bigger battery......

 

[JeyLux]

so, this begs the question,
what was the problem?

awh - I was afraid someone would ask.

I had a mechanical problem that was related, but I wasn't putting two and two together. I should add that I had just bought the bike the year before and the mechanical problem had always been there.

I hate to admit it but I replaced two or three batteries, in short order, a couple of regulator retifiers (both of which were probablly good) and two starters. That's the one that should have tipped me off they were completly worn out.

My mechanical problem was with the clutch it always kind of lurched when taking off from a dead stop. On a harley the starter runs on a ring gear on the clutch basket. One day I was tinkering with that and had the primary cover off. I decided to turn it over with the starter and watch the clutch mechanism, when I did I saw it. The mainshaft in the tranny was bent when it rolled around to the high spot it was putting a hell of a bind on things. That's what was sucking down the battery and weariing out the starters.

One night even with the big ol' car battery I was leaving a local watering hole and had to have push to get her to start. I knew I was gonna catch some ribbin' over that, so I swung around, left her running, jumped off and yelled that does it I'm buying a bigger battery.

The whole experience did teach me a lesson though not to become too focused and consider possibilities other than the obvious - I couldn't get beyond the charging system when trying to diagnose the problem.

Ernie

That would probably be the last place i would look for a battery issue.

Although the worn starter would raise the question soon enough...

The bent tranny shaft didn't effect anything else noticeably in the balance of the running engine?

 

[jayel]

there are a few things wrong with just throwing in a giant battery,
a battery doesn't start charging until it reachs almost a 100°F, one of the quickest ways to get it to a 'ready to charge' state is to use the electric starter, a large battery won't discharge enough amps to start charging, so it will slowly run down over time, this is why a smaller battery is matched to the starting and charging system, it's all a compromise

 

[qcrider]

there are a few things wrong with just throwing in a giant battery,
a battery doesn't start charging until it reachs almost a 100°F, one of the quickest ways to get it to a 'ready to charge' state is to use the electric starter, a large battery won't discharge enough amps to start charging, so it will slowly run down over time, this is why a smaller battery is matched to the starting and charging system, it's all a compromise

A harley bagger has a 32 to 40 amp charging system - depending on year and model, the battery is sitting on top of the muffler heat was not a problem. The big battery was never in a state of discharge - I checked it frequently. I'm convinced the only reason it didn't start that one time with the big battery was that it came to rest at or just before the high spot on the bent shaft.

 

[qcrider]

The bent tranny shaft didn't effect anything else noticeably in the balance of the running engine?

As best I can remember - it was 20 years ago - the rough clutch engagment was all I noticed. The FLT had a ruber mounted engine and they all tended to shake pretty good at idle also it was my first harley and I had nothing to compare it to.