Let’s discuss a few things that will help in keeping your Big Dog happier.

1.  Battery Tender.  I cannot stress this enough.  These big inch motors demand a lot from a battery when she cranks over.  Big Dog’s new 40 amp charging system does an outstanding job re-energizing that battery to full charge, but sitting in a cold garage or for a long time without riding will begin to erode the cold cranking capability of the battery.  A battery tender puts a nice trickle charge on it and keeps it to it fullest capacity.  Without a battery tender, I see battery’s lasting about a 1 1/2 years.  Now I know, your buddy’s Harley has had the same battery for 20 years, but to steal a phrase from the past, “This ain’t your father’s Buick.”  A big cubic inch, high compression engine makes a battery work overtime.  I tell most of my customers, the time your old battery will give up the ghost is when you’re in Defiance, MO and it’s about 1:30am.  No battery tender, replace the battery each Spring to be safe.  Or for less money, buy that battery tender and you’ll be amazed how much more service you’ll get from that battery.

2.  Starting the beast is very cold weather.  In short, a cold battery does not have the cranking amps that a warm or hot battery has, and it does not matter how old/new the battery is.  Warm battery, high cranking amps.  Cold battery, she’s going to crank slowly and sometime not at all. 

3.  Jump Starting.  You cannot be too careful when doing this.  One wrong slip with the positive cable gets very expensive.  Mucho care must be taken.  I like to always have someone helping hold the cables securely.  Nuf said.

Finally, there are several battery maintenance chargers available. 
Xtreme Charge is one of the best we have.  It will keep the battery strong and will in many cases even bring new life back into a battery that has otherwise gone flat. 

Battery Tender is another fine unit. 

The idea is to use them all the time when the bike is parked in your garage, not just winter-time. 
As an added benefit, you can also use it on the riding lawn mower, Car, Truck or Boat…

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