[Retired Guy]

Either an allergy or a cold had me down for a while. Yesterday was fairly nice and I wanted to go for a ride on the Super Glide.

It's been on a battery tender but, it wouldn't start. When I tried to jump start it, I accidently hooked up cables up backwards!

When I reversed the cables, it still wouldn't start. Today I bought a brand new AGM battery. But I don't want to screw anything up worse than I already have so I haven't put the new battery in yet.

From what I have been able to find on-line, this can cause all kinds of problems or it might not be too bad. I'm thinking I need to haul the bike to a shop, with the new battery, and let a mechanic look at it.

I should post this in the stupid thread. :crying:

 

[Retired Guy]

Okay, I'll try that but I'll have to wait until tomorrow because of the Fall Festival thingamajig at the church. I don't usually attend church anymore, but I get volunteered to do things.

 

[Retired Guy]

Thank you all for your thoughts and encouragement. And I have good news. I went out to the shop and uncovered the bike. I have a small multi-meter and I though I would first see if there's any charge in the battery at all.

Yesterday, when I parked it back in the shop, I guess out of habit I plugged in the battery tender. Had green lights on it this morning.

Before I pulled the seat, I just turned the ignition ON. Checked the headlight low/high beam, left and right signals front and rear and brake lights.

Then I though "What the hell" I hit the starter and the darn thing started! Then I checked the odometer, tripometer, the clock and the gear/rpm, everything was working just like it's supposed to.

This bike is my first Harley, it's my newest bike and when I realized I might have fubar'ed it all to hades, I reckon I just went into full blown "What the heck have I done mode".

I did buy a brand new AGM battery and I think I will keep it and install it during some crappy weather time. But thank you all again for the encouragement.

 

[Retired Guy]

I went out and rode it. I rode a short distance (not too far to walk back home) shut it off and it restarted. Did that a couple times, then rode out to Beaver Dam.

Went to the overlook and shut it off. After 10 minutes or so, it started right up. I rode down below the dam and shut it off. Again it started just like it normally would.

Rode around 40 - 50 miles and all seems well. The only major difference between today and when it didn't start, it was 10 to 15 degrees warmer. Hmmmm....

I'm a fair weather rider with an ever fairer weather bike. They say "Live and learn" I'll be glad when I get to the learning part.

 

[Retired Guy]

This just hasn't been my week, and not just the motorcycle too. Maybe I'm starting to go senile or something.

Anyhow, I've got two brand new tires for the bike. Just got a new Harbor Freight motorcycle tire changer and the car tire changer base, the motorcycle tire changer mounts to.

I think I'm going to wait a day or few to see if these gremlins have moved on or if I'm still plagued. Try something easy like filling the truck with diesel. If that goes okay, well then maybe...

 

[Retired Guy]

Okay Gator. Wrote down all those numbers so I'll have them next time I go out to the shop.

 

[Retired Guy]

The old battery, after being off the battery maintainer for 15 to 20 minutes did not measure up to Gator's specs. Bike wouldn't start either. (Sent you a PM Gator with my numbers.)

With the new battery, right out of the box 12.7 volts, bike starts and charges 14.2 something volts.

The battery is a genuine HD battery, none of the month or year tabs were torn out so it might be the original battery and might be 7 years old. (Maybe)

Interesting to me is the only difference between the old and new battery was 0.3 volts (approximately), but all the numbers were above 12 volts.

Thanks to everyone,

 

[Retired Guy]

When I got everything all put back together, I plugged in the maintainer and after a few seconds, it went into charge mode.

Got a couple different problems now. My eye with the plastic lens is fubar'ed, so seeing is a problem and the other is, ah...rhoids. I can fix one but(t) not the other. Ageing can be frustrating but I'm not ready to thrown in the towel yet.

Pass the mentholatum please.

 

[Retired Guy]

I'll not touch that stuff. I'll not have anything to do with it. There are other, real "medicines" that I have to take, but I'll not buy the BS this is a wonder drug.

Politicians were bought off and now cannabis and cannabis oil is wonderful. I call BS on that. They're going to do more harm than good with this.

Now I haven't researched this myself, but I have a niece that has a green card so she can get this stuff. She told me yesterday, that when she was given her green card, she could no longer purchase a firearm.

Here, take this nice green card, all you have to do is give up your constitutional rights. That price is too high.

 

[Retired Guy]

That's it Gator. Had the cataract operation with the new plastic lens installed. Then just over a weekend, everything got all blurry. I need to go back to the eye doc and get it fixed. Is the laser work done under warranty?

Its getting to be a real PITA not trying to work on things I can't hardly see.