power to the motorcycle. Compared to the later models, the electrical systems are more complex and

sometimes need extra steps to deactivate all modules before removing the main fuse. See the appropriate
service manual for the correct power disconnect procedure.
Advise the customer that they include a battery charger with the purchase of their new vehicle and make it part
of the sale or offer them a special promotion. This is an opportunity to educate the customer and encourage the
use of a battery charger. For 2017, all models except V-Rods have a battery charger connection incorporated
into the vehicles harness. For pre 2017 models and V-Rods, a charging harness is available separately for
installation.
Anytime a vehicle experiences an extended period of non-use, such as storage, connect a battery tender to
maintain battery charge. Verify the battery is fully charged before putting it back in service. If the voltage is low,
perform a battery test using the HD BATTERY DIAGNOSTIC STATION (Part Number:GRX-3110HD), follow
instructions on station and on print out.
If a vehicle has a security system, Harley-Davidson recommends that a battery tender be used to maintain
battery charge during extended periods of non-use. If a tender is not used, remove the main fuse to prevent an
unnecessary draw on the battery. Verify the power disconnect in the appropriate service manual of the vehicle
the procedure is being performed on. Also, it is best to wait to activate the security system just before delivery of
a new vehicle to the customer. This stops the draw of the security system on the battery when not in use.
If a security system is purchased as an accessory, the dealer should explain to the customer the increased draw
on the battery when the vehicle is armed. Also, recommend the purchase of a battery tender or charger to allow
them to keep the security system active during extended periods.
Verify new batteries are fully charged (12.7 V) before placing into service. If the battery is an over-the-counter
sale, include the GRX-3110HD printout along with the sales receipt.
When replacing a battery over-the-counter, recommend that the customer have the vehicle charging system
tested to verify that it is functioning properly. A dead battery due to a failed charging system will not be covered
by warranty.
When a customer brings a battery in for testing or charging, ask the customer about the history of the battery,
such as driving style, maintenance history, etc.
Before testing a charged battery with the GRX, always allow the battery to sit for at least one hour after
removing from the charger. If the battery still does not meet the test criteria, assume the battery is defective and
should be replaced.
If the battery charges and tests properly, verify the vehicle's charging system is functioning correctly. Tests
should include checking for clean, tight connections at the battery terminals, ground stud connections (using
proper torque values on both battery terminals and ground stud), and voltage regulator connections. Often loose
connections are the cause of a charging problem.

Battery Testing Best Practices
Enter the correct battery part number to make sure the correct Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) value is used for
testing. The GRX requires this value for accurate testing.

Verify that the battery cables are not worn or frayed. Worn cables have increased resistance which be attributed
to the battery and potentially have a negative effect on some battery test results.
Trust the initial GRX test results. Do not run more than one diagnostic charge on a battery back-to-back.
Diagnostic charging changes the chemistry of the battery and subsequent results will not be as accurate due to
that change.
Avoid stopping and starting a GRX battery test after it has started, back-to-back testing can give incorrect
results.
Batteries are not to be charged or placed on a battery tender before testing on GRX. The use of battery tenders
or chargers before the diagnostic charge can mask issues. Also, the battery may not be able to sustain the rise
in values that is caused by increased voltage and amperage. If a customer rides the vehicle in, testing the
battery with the GRX is approved.

STORAGE - AGM
To make sure maximum battery life, proper charging before storage is the most important factor. A fully charged
battery is less likely to freeze, crack or sulfate. If the battery is left in the vehicle and a battery tender is NOT used,
remove the main fuse to prevent parasitic loads (radio, Electronic Control Module (ECM), Body Control Module
(BCM), etc.) from draining the battery during prolonged storage. Verify the power disconnect in the appropriate service
manual of the vehicle the procedure is being performed on. Encourage the customer to purchase a battery tender,
allowing the battery to remain connected and the security system, if equipped, to remain armed.

Battery Stocking and Sales
All Harley-Davidson dealers must maintain a fresh stock of batteries by rotating and selling them on a "first in, first out"
basis. All batteries must be sold within 12 months of the date of manufacture code which appears on the battery
warranty/date code label on the side of the battery.
When a new battery is sold from dealer inventory, the battery label should reflect the date of sale. To do this, peel off
both the month and year dots from the warranty label. If the date of sale occurs after the 15th day of the month,
advance the date to the next month. To determine the correct number to peel off for the year, reference only the last
digit of the current year.
NOTE
Dealer staff must monitor voltages on batteries in inventory to verify that voltage is above 12.7 V when a battery is sold
over the counter. If voltage is under 12.7 V, charge the battery before the sale.

Battery Date Codes
The battery warranty/date code label has two date codes. One is for the date of manufacture and the other is for the
date of activation.
See Figure 1. The date of manufacture code contains of:
Old: Single letter (1) for the month and two digits for the year (2). See Table 8 for month and Table 10 for the
year.
New: Two digits (3) for both the month and for the year (2). See Table 9 for month and Table 10 for the year.
The date of activation code consists of a two-letter code for the month and a single-digit code for the year.
Table 8. Old - Battery Date Codes: Month
MANUFACTURE CODE

MONTH

MANUFACTURE CODE

MONTH

MANUFACTURE CODE

MONTH

MANUFACTURE CODE

MONTH

A

January

G

July

B

February

H

August

C

March

J

September

D

April

K

October

E

May

L

November

F

June

M

December

Table 9. New - Battery Date Codes: Month
MANUFACTURE
CODE

MONTH

MANUFACTURE
CODE

MONTH

1

January

7

July

2

February

8

August

3

March

9

September

4

April

10

October

5

May

11

November

6

June

12

December

Table 10. Battery Date Codes: Year
DIGIT

YEAR

DIGIT

YEAR

15

2015

20

2020

16

2016

21

2021

17

2017

22

2022

18

2018

23

2023

19

2019

24

2024

(1) Manufacture date will have a letter and two digits. Activation year will always be a single digit.

View interactive image
1. Old - Battery Date Codes: Month.
2. Battery Date Codes: Year.
3. New - Battery Date Codes: Month.
Figure 1. Battery Date Codes

LITHIUM-ION (LI-ION) 12 VOLT BATTERIES (4 Ah AND ABOVE )
TESTING EQUIPMENT - LI-ION
The battery status indicator that is located on top of the battery gives a general state of charge of the battery. Voltage
should be checked with Digital Volt Ohm Meter (DVOM) to verify that it is fully charged before delivering to customer
or installing in a vehicle.
At this time, a DVOM is the only test equipment recommended by Harley-Davidson for use with Li-ion batteries.

Fluke Digital Multimeter
DVOM is a hand-held device useful for basic fault finding and field service work or a bench instrument which can
measure to a very high degree of accuracy.
The Fluke 78 and 88 have been discontinued but will still work for all functions needed in testing electrical circuitry.
Fluke has replaced these models with the Fluke 789. Refer to Table 5.

CHARGING EQUIPMENT - LI-ION
Use the appropriate Harley-Davidson dual mode lithium ion changer (or equivalent) to fully charge battery to 13.4 V.
Refer to Table 11.
Standard chargers used on any Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) battery will not fully charge the Li-ion battery to
13.4 V. For this reason Harley-Davidson recommends using a charger with Li-ion mode to fully charge the Liion battery.
Li-ion chargers (when in Li-ion mode) are not to be used on AGM batteries. These chargers will overcharge
and damage an AGM battery.

With the battery connected, all vehicles use a small amount of power even when stored. A Harley-Davidson constant
monitoring battery charger or tender is recommended to maintain a full charge between rides or when a motorcycle will
not be ridden for more than two weeks. The Lithium LiFe battery should be on an appropriate battery tender to ensure
that the battery does not drop below 8 V.
Table 11. Harley-Davidson 800 mA Charger
COUNTRY

PART NO.

CHARGING TIME

U.S., Canada, Mexico, South America

66000181

5–9 h

Europe

66000182

United Kingdom

66000183

Australia

66000184

Japan

66000185

VEHICLE CHARGING SYSTEM - LI-ION
Changes to the vehicle charging system are not needed. The different chargers are required because the Li-ion
battery charges to a higher voltage than an AGM battery. The vehicle alternator already outputs this higher voltage and
does not need anything different.

INITIAL BATTERY CHECK - LI-ION
Due to some shipping regulations, Li-ion batteries are shipped at a low state-of-charge (voltages will vary). Dealers
should perform the following:
Verify battery voltage is equal to or greater than 8 V before charging battery.
1. If less than 8 V, file a warranty claim noting the voltage in the comments.
Dealer must fully charge the battery to 13.4 V prior to sales or installation. Refer to Table 11.
NOTE
A low state-of-charge Li-ion battery may take up to 5–9 h to fully charge to 13.4 V.

BATTERY MAINTENANCE - LI-ION
The Li-ion battery should be on an appropriate battery charger or tender (see Table 11 ) to verify that the battery does
not drop below 8 V. Between rides or when not riding the vehicle for more than two weeks, Harley-Davidson
recommends a constant monitoring battery charger or tender intended for use with Li-ion batteries to maintain a fully
charged battery.

DEALERSHIP BATTERY MAINTENANCE - LI-ION
Non-operational
The Li-ion battery maintains a charge longer than the AGM battery when not connected to the vehicle. Verify every six
months that the battery's state of charge has not gone below 8 V.
Parts Inventory

Vehicles Demonstrating BOOM! Box Audio System
It is not recommended to use a Li-ion battery to demonstrate any sound system. If the dealer chooses to use a Li-ion
battery, verify that the battery is connected to a proper Li-ion battery tender at all times.

Parts Inventory
Must be fully charged to 13.4 V prior to sales/installation.
Verify battery voltage is equal to or greater than 8 V before charging battery.
1. If less than 8 V, file a warranty claim noting the voltage in the comments.
Dealer must fully charge the battery to 13.4 V prior to sales or installation. Refer to Table 11.
NOTE
A low state-of-charge Li-ion battery may take up to 5–9 h to fully charge to 13.4 V.

CUSTOMER PERSONAL STORAGE - LI-ION
The Li-ion battery can be safely stored down to -29 °C (-20 °F). The Li-ion battery loses performance at colder
temperatures. Once the battery warms up the battery will have its full capacity. Refer to Table 12.
Table 12. Cool Weather CCA
LI-ION VS AGM BATTERIES
CCA

LI-ION BATTERIES
AH

AGM BATTERIES
AH

8

6

4

28

19

12

CCA @
-6.7 °C (20 °F)

320

240

160

405

315

225

CCA @
15.6 °C (60 °F)

480

420

240

Harley-Davidson recommends connecting the proper battery charger or tender for any battery that is in storage,
connected or disconnected from the vehicle.

VEHICLE TRANSPORT MODE (Security Systems Only) - LI-ION
Transport Mode arms the security system, but disables motion detection, for one ignition cycle. Transport Mode allows
movement of the vehicle in an armed state.

Dealership Personnel
During a new vehicle purchase, the person familiarizing the customer with the vehicle needs to explain Transport
Mode.
Upon delivery:
Use Transport Mode if the vehicle is being transported.

Verify the person delivering the vehicle informs and demonstrates to the customer, the operation of Transport
Mode.
Verify that the customer is aware that the battery is fully charged at the time of delivery to 13.4 V.

FITMENT KITS - LI-ION
Included with the purchase of the battery is the fitment kit. Depending on the platform of the vehicle, the fitment kit will
vary. Refer to Li-ion I-Sheet.
Some older motorcycles will need an additional hardware kit for the battery cables to fit correctly. Refer to Table 13.
Table 13. Hardware Kit
YEARS

MODELS

2004 2007

Touring, CVO Touring,
Touring Police, Trike

2004-2007

Softail

2004-2013

Sportster

2004-2017

V-Rod

PART NO.
66000234

BEST PRACTICES THAT YIELD RESULTS - LI-ION
Battery Best Practices
Dealer should help the customer to determine if the:
a. longer life of the Li-ion battery is desired.
b. Or, if the larger Ah capacity of the AGM battery is desired.
Standard chargers used on any AGM battery will not fully charge the Li-ion battery to 13.4 V. For this reason
Harley-Davidson recommends using a charger with Li-ion mode to fully charge the Li-ion battery.
The electrical system on early model vehicles typically only required the removal of the main fuse to disconnect
power to the motorcycle. Compared to the later models, the electrical systems are more complex and
sometimes need extra steps to deactivate all modules before removing the main fuse. See the appropriate
service manual for the correct power disconnect procedure.
Li-ion chargers (when in Li-ion mode) are not to be used on AGM batteries. These chargers will overcharge
and damage an AGM battery.
Accessory Mode Usage: Li-ion technology provides upgrades, but with these upgrades come a reduced
Ampere-hour (Ah) rating. Due to the reduced Ah rating, the battery has less overall capacity. As a result, the
vehicle will need to be placed on the battery tender sooner than an AGM battery or a higher Ah capacity.
Heated Gear and Other P&A Add-ons: There is no difference between the Li-ion or the AGM batteries when
it comes to adding on equipment on the vehicle. When adding on any P&A electrical device, the technician
should verify that the vehicle can handle the additional amperage draw on the electrical system. What

determines the add-on is if the charging system can handle the additional draw and still maintain a charge to the
battery, as for operating the device in accessory mode, see Accessory Mode Usage above.

Battery Testing Best Practices
Suspected lithium ion battery failure:
Verify battery voltage with a DVOM.
1. Equal to or greater than 8 V: Fully charge battery to 13.4 V with a recommended Li-ion battery charger.
Refer to Table 11.
2. Less than 8 V: Do not charge battery. If within the applicable warranty period, submit a warranty claim.
NOTE
Enter the state-of-charge (voltage) found when battery was tested into comment section of claim.

WARRANTY - LI-ION
Warranty length: 1-year on the Li-ion batteries.
Warranty process: If the battery fails the Battery Testing Best Practices above, follow the normal Parts and
Accessories (P&A) over the counter warranty claim process.

LITHIUM-ION (LI-ION) 12 VOLT BATTERY (2 Ah )
GENERAL
This Li-ion battery is a 2 Ah unit that is maintained in the Electric Vehicle (EV) platform.
Use a lithium battery capable charger connected to the 12 V battery with a charge rate between 4–5 A when
reflashing LiveWire modules to support the 12 V lithium battery.