How many times have you waken up for a big day of riding and you go to start your motorcycle and nothing? Okay maybe a few clicks. A dead battery! That's the worst. I'm gonna give you some tips on keeping your batteries in tip top shape.
First, if you don't have a "pig tail" on your battery, then what are you waiting for? If you don't know what I mean when I say "pig tail". I am referring to a plug that can be connected to your battery that will stay on your bike all the time. It is made to be plugged into a battery charger. But not just any charger. I'm talking about a smart charger. There are several different brands of chargers. The cool thing about these chargers are that they are small and they charge your battery to the appropriate voltage and then shut down. And if the voltage drops again it comes back on. This can give your battery a much longer life. Bikes these days are so advanced with more electronics and security systems. These systems can draw voltage from your battery even when the bike is turned off. These chargers are inexpensive and are a good investment, unless you like buying new batteries every year. And for you guys or gals that think starting up your motorcycle in the winter time letting it idle for few minutes helps charge your battery this is not the case.
Second, a clean battery is a healthy battery. I know you spend a lot of time cleaning your ride. Now you have to clean your battery too. Well probably not as often. It may sound impossible but dirt and debris on your battery can also draw voltage from it. So give it some attention. Also, your connections should be kept clean from corrosion. To help prevent this, some dielectric grease will work wonders.
Third, make sure those connections are tight! Even if a connection is a little loose you are asking for trouble. You can have a fully charged battery and your connections are loose you still get no power. This could send you on a wild goose chase of checking wires, and fuses. Here you had a loose battery cable all the time. Been there, done that!
If you are not sure of the condition of your battery, then I would take it to your local dealer and have it tested. Most places probably won't even charge you for this.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Syn 3 or not Syn 3
So what is Syn3? It is Harley Davidson's Screamin Eagle synthetic motorcycle lubricant. This is a full sythetic lubricant that can be used in all three cavities of Harley Davidson motorcycles. So, is Syn3 for you? Well, let's look at some of the key benefits of Syn3. Like I had mentioned before you can use it in the engine, primary chaincase, and the transmission. This gives the consumer the convenience of a muti-use product that will lessen the chance of mixing incompatible lubricants or filling a cavity with the wrong product. Another benefit of Syn3 over Harley's HD360 motorcycle oil is it's improved film strength for better wear protection, improved deposit control and overall performance.
So with this information you may be asking yourself, is Syn3 going to replace Harley's HD360 oil? Syn3 is not ment to replace HD360 but for Harley-Davidson to give consumers an alternative product. So, if you are the average Joe that keeps his or her motorcyle stock or maybe doesn't ride in hot climate applications HD360 oil may be fine for you. But, if you like your motorcycles bored out and like lots of horsepower and torque you may consider Syn3 as an alternative lubricant product that will keep those engines running smoothly.
Will Syn3 lengthen my service intervals? The answer is no. Harley-Davidson recommends that you still follow the proper service schedule found in your owner's manual. Although Syn3 is a high performance lubricant you still need to follow the regular service intervals so optimum performance is maintained for your motorcycle.
Another cool thing about Syn3 is that can put it in your new Harley without voiding your warranty. Syn3 is approved by Harley-Davidson for use in all stages of engine life and is not detrimental to the engine break-in cycle. If switching to Syn3 it is recommended to completely drain all cavaties that are going to be filled. Syn3 is not to be mixed with other lubricant products.
Not all of Harley Davidson powertrains can use Syn3. The only powertrains Syn3 should be used in is the Evolution XL, Evolution 1340, Twin Cam 88, Twin Cam 96(all displacements), Revolution and all Buell models. All other powertrains are not recommended to use Syn3 because Harley-Davidson did not test Syn3 in these engine configuration.
Another difference between Syn3 and Hd360 is price. Your looking at a four dollar per quart price difference between the two. Syn3 retails at $9.95 per quart, where as HD360 oil retails at $5.95 per quart.
Please feel free to leave your comments and questions.
So with this information you may be asking yourself, is Syn3 going to replace Harley's HD360 oil? Syn3 is not ment to replace HD360 but for Harley-Davidson to give consumers an alternative product. So, if you are the average Joe that keeps his or her motorcyle stock or maybe doesn't ride in hot climate applications HD360 oil may be fine for you. But, if you like your motorcycles bored out and like lots of horsepower and torque you may consider Syn3 as an alternative lubricant product that will keep those engines running smoothly.
Will Syn3 lengthen my service intervals? The answer is no. Harley-Davidson recommends that you still follow the proper service schedule found in your owner's manual. Although Syn3 is a high performance lubricant you still need to follow the regular service intervals so optimum performance is maintained for your motorcycle.
Another cool thing about Syn3 is that can put it in your new Harley without voiding your warranty. Syn3 is approved by Harley-Davidson for use in all stages of engine life and is not detrimental to the engine break-in cycle. If switching to Syn3 it is recommended to completely drain all cavaties that are going to be filled. Syn3 is not to be mixed with other lubricant products.
Not all of Harley Davidson powertrains can use Syn3. The only powertrains Syn3 should be used in is the Evolution XL, Evolution 1340, Twin Cam 88, Twin Cam 96(all displacements), Revolution and all Buell models. All other powertrains are not recommended to use Syn3 because Harley-Davidson did not test Syn3 in these engine configuration.
Another difference between Syn3 and Hd360 is price. Your looking at a four dollar per quart price difference between the two. Syn3 retails at $9.95 per quart, where as HD360 oil retails at $5.95 per quart.
Please feel free to leave your comments and questions.
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