The Best Batteries for Your Harley Davidson Motorcycle

Crisscrossing the nation on a roaring Harley Davidson motorcycle is a dream for many people. The landscape whipping past you won’t be your view today, however, if the bike won’t start up in the morning. The culprit is an improper battery. Educate yourself about the best batteries for your Harley Davidson motorcycle. Reliability depends on a specific design.

1. Those Vintage Years

The best battery for Harley Davidson is a product that takes a motorcycle’s age into consideration. Although the terms are used loosely, your bike might be vintage if it has these traits, such as:

  • Built in the mid- to late-twentieth century
  • Historical significance
  • Older than 20 years

Every part on a vintage bike will draw more power from the battery than modern equivalents. You’ll need a battery that has a lot of amperage on every startup sequence.

2. Adding Every Accessory to the Ride

You might be a big fan of customizing your bike. From winches to LED lights, these accessories are all powered by the battery. Upon ignition, the engine and accessories draw an incredible amount of power from the battery.

As you search for motorcycle batteries near me, be aware of the specifications surrounding each product. You need a relatively high cranking-amps value in order to power your ride. Be ready to splurge a bit on a more expensive battery so that the bike can start up without hesitation in the future.

3. Picking a CCA Value

The best battery for Harley Davidson will typically have a higher CCA rating than standard batteries. Cold-cranking amps provide reliable startups in cold weather, states Ultimate Motorcycling.

Ideally, look for a battery with at least 300 CCA. The value should be easily located on the battery’s outside housing. The battery should serve you well through moderate conditions.

If you live in an extremely cold area, you may want to upgrade to a 500 CCA battery. It will be more expensive than other models, but you’ll have the power to start up the bike in almost any weather.

4. Go For Spillproof

Pep Boys suggests AGM or absorbed glass mat batteries for your motorcycle or car. The best motorcycle battery doesn’t require extra maintenance or threatens leak problems. There’s no water reservoir in these spillproof products.

You need a Harley Davidson motorcycle battery that can take some unusual positions. Bikes lean deeply into those road curves, for example. The battery should be able to operate at practically any angle.

Using an older battery with a reservoir can lead to riding interruptions. Finding distilled water on the road to fill a spilled battery can be a chore.

5. Consider Cost

A Harley Davidson battery doesn’t have to be extremely expensive. There are a few batteries that cost less than $100. Be aware that these batteries are designed for basic bikes. Modified engines, numerous accessories and other features cannot be supported by a low-cost battery. It’ll run for a few months, but the Harley Davidson motorcycle battery might rely on a trickle charger to keep up any form of a charge later on.

6. Be Aware of Terminal Designs

The best motorcycle battery will fit into your bike with easy access to the terminals. As you narrow down your purchasing options, pay careful attention to the terminal design. It might have top- or side-connection terminals, for example. Today’s batteries may even have old-fashioned mounts.

Perform an online search for motorcycle batteries near me. You’ll see Northeast Battery’s website on that list. Examine each battery’s image online so that you know exactly what you’re purchasing. Every battery should be a quick swap when it’s properly fitted to your ride.

Find out more about the best Harley Davidson battery options by contacting Northeast Battery today. Tell us all about your next trip so that we can point out the proper battery type. Hit the open road with confidence. Your Harley should erupt with roaring ease as a strong battery powers the ride.

Deciphering the Lingo: Cranking Amps Versus Cold-Cranking Amps

There’s a lot of industry jargon when it comes to car batteries. From post locations to voltage drops, the standard car battery has a lot of specifications. You might be familiar with two terms associated with these power sources: cranking amps and cold-cranking amps. Learn how to decipher between these two terms so that you can pick the right battery for your application.

1. Why Cold Temperatures Matter

You might wonder why the cold is such a concern with starting batteries. The answer lies in the physics surrounding battery basics. Charging and discharging a battery relies on rapid movements of electrons. At room temperature, they jostle around at an agreeable rate, which leads to healthy charging or powering your vehicle.

As temperatures dip down to the freezing point, electrons start to slow down. Charging or powering up the battery becomes more difficult. For this reason, battery manufacturers add cold cranking amps to their advertised specs.

2. Mild Temperatures

If the period of time that a battery remains in operation is always filled with mild to moderate temperatures, the cranking amps or CA would be the only value that you need. This value reflects the current entering each battery cell at 32 degrees Fahrenheit, reports MotorWeek. Their values can be quite impressive too.

In reality, most batteries don’t operate under perfect conditions. It’s either too hot or cold. The CA covers these moderate conditions, but they don’t offer a true picture of the battery’s abilities under true pressure.

3. Downright Cold Conditions

What are cold cranking amps? They’re actually a true account of the current that moves into each battery cell at 0 degrees Fahrenheit. When it gets really cold outside, the battery needs extra power to jolt it back to life, reports NAPA. Without sufficient cold cranking amps, the battery remains inert.

Because many of NEB’s customers deal with cold weather at least part of the year, it makes sense to prioritize this value listed on the battery’s exterior surface. A high value of CCA will turn over almost any engine during the winter.

4. Confusion Revolving Around Reserve-Capacity Values

It’s important to know that CA, CCA and reserve capacity or RC are all separate values. What are cold cranking amps? They’re a measurement of current, whereas RC refers to the period of time that a battery has to power the vehicle’s loads.

These loads are usually varied, such as the radio and internal computers. In fact, the on-board computers tend to draw the most power. Choose a high RC rating if you have many accessories attached to the car’s electrical system.

5. Picking the Right Battery

Whether you’re looking for car or motorcycle batteries, picking the right one is based on the manufacturer’s instructions. Verify with the vehicle’s maker about CCAs and reserve capacity. Ask how many amps is a car battery to see which battery will work for your needs.

At Northeast Battery, we trust in a handful of brands to keep up with those extreme temperatures. From Odyssey to UltraPower batteries, we have the top brands that will adhere to strict parameters. When you need to rely on a battery, our inventory gives you real solutions.

6. What About the Heat?

The concern over CCA quickly diminishes when the warmer seasons arise. Hot conditions affect starting batteries too. In fact, the water found within batteries will evaporate, which leads to power-drain issues.

How many amps is a car battery? Many models come with 48 amp hours when they’re fully charged. If the battery is constantly battling hot conditions, the electrons can move but evaporation makes the current harder to move across the cells. You’re left with a faulty battery at some point.

Our team can cover cold cranking details so that you understand the technology on a deeper level. Keep your vehicle running with a quality battery. Those specifications will tell you exactly how long a battery can last.