Your Harley Davidson’s battery is responsible for keeping your bike alive so why invest in a Cheap Battery? The first and most significant is to provide sufficient current to start the engine. The battery sends current to the starter, ignition, and fuel system to start the engine when you push the start button.
The alternator takes over after the engine is started and the bike starts going. Its job is to supply the engine with the necessary power while also charging the battery to refill the power needed to start the engine.
The other role of the battery is to provide supplementary current when the bike needs more than the alternator can provide. When the revolutions per minute are low, and the power requirement is heavy, this occurs. This situation might escalate if you are stuck in a traffic jam with your lights, stereo, or GPS turned on.
Given the three primary functions of a battery in a motorcycle, you should have a good understanding of how critical a battery is and how negatively a Cheap Battery can impact your Harley.
Impacts of a Cheap Battery on your Harley:
A defective battery does not show any immediate and direct effects on the efficiency of your Harley, but it does have indirect impacts in a variety of ways. A few of the complications are mentioned below.
Strained Alternator:
It usually only takes a few minutes to fully charge the battery. As a consequence of a weak battery, the alternator continues to charge the battery so that it never reaches maximum charge. The alternator is overworked as a result of this.
Alternators are not designed to operate at maximum capacity all the time. They are made to provide a burst of high current to recharge what has been used up, then gradually reduce the supply. But since a weak battery forces the alternator to operate at maximum capacity for the ride duration. As a result, the alternator overheats and inevitably dies out.
Overheat:
The starter fails to do its job while the battery voltage is low, and it overheats. Cables, terminals, and other nearby pieces will overheat and be harmed over time.
Current pull increases as battery voltage decreases. The higher the current draw, the hotter it becomes. The vicious cycle will occur if little is done, and the combined effect will inevitably affect the overall performance of your Harley.
Poor Output of Accessories:
Dim lights are a typical sign of a failing battery pack. Lights and accessories such as the clock and stereo system fail when the battery produces insufficient current. The lights may fade or go out entirely. All settings in any of the adapters would be disabled if the battery dies and you have to kick start it.
Check out our article on the Top 6 Best Harley Davidson Tour Packs
Decreased Fuel Economy:
When it comes to fuel, a bad battery has an indirect impact on your pocket. Fuel injectors fail to supply fuel to the cylinders as quickly as possible as long as the battery is weak. You would also find that you require more gasoline to travel the same routes as you usually do.
Weak batteries also limit the performance of oxygen sensors as well as other gas sensors. When these sensors malfunction, the machine cannot calculate the rate at which exhaust fumes are generated correctly. As a result, more fuel is absorbed and wasted into the exhaust system.
How to Detect a Faulty Battery?
Since you have examined the issues that a bad battery can cause, prevention is superior to cure. Below are given some signs of a faulty battery. If you notice any of the symptoms of a poor battery until it is too late, consider repairing or replacing the Harley-Davidson battery to prevent more damage to the bike and future inconvenience.
Inspect the Battery:
Examine the battery thoroughly. Look for discolouration, any leaks, bulges, bent terminals, bumps, or cracks in your motorcycle battery. A quick physical examination can often decide whether or not the battery has gone wrong.
Terminals that are broken or loose can trigger a short circuit. Cracks, breaks, and holes would not cause a battery to stop running, but the battery will be identified as dangerous to use for safety purposes.
Conduct a Voltage Reading:
The voltage of a battery can be used to calculate its state of charge. If the battery reads 0 volts, the battery likely suffered a short circuit. If the battery cannot exceed more than 10.5 volts when charged, it has a dead cell. The battery is sulfated if it is wholly charged as per the battery charger, but the voltage is 12.3 or less.
Load Test the Battery:
To load test the battery, you would need a digital voltmeter. The battery must be charged completely for any load test to be correct. A stable 12-volt motorcycle battery can hold a voltage range of 9.0 – 10.5 volts under load for at least 30 seconds. There is an issue if the battery starts to maintain but then slowly decreases in voltage.
We have already discussed the essential roles that batteries play. A cheap battery will not immediately impact your Harley, as the engine will start, and the bike will run normally. However, it has a series of unintended consequences that can do significant harm to your bike and pocket if not fixed promptly.
