Your Indian Motorcycle comes with an Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) battery. It is a sealed, maintenance-free battery.
Sealed batteries are already filled with electrolyte and have been sealed and fully charged at the factory. If they're not fully charged before use, battery life will be significantly reduced.
Do not remove the battery cap strip for any reason or add any other fluid to the battery. Never add electrolyte or distilled water to a low-maintenance battery. Doing so will damage the case and shorten the life of the battery.
Battery Removal and Installation
For step-by-step instructions for removing and installing your battery, click on your model below.
Scout, Scout Sixty, Scout Bobber, Scout Sixty and Scout Bobber Twenty
Indian Vintage and MY20 and Older Chief
Battery Maintenance and Safety Tips
- Keep the battery connections clean and tight at all times. Batteries will self-discharge more quickly when dirty. Periodic cleaning of the battery terminals, using a terminal brush, will help maximize battery life. Wash terminals with a solution of one tablespoon baking soda and one cup water. Rinse well with tap water and dry off with clean shop towels. Coat the terminals with dielectric grease or petroleum jelly. Battery connections should be tightened to the correct torque during installation. This will reduce voltage drop and ensure a reliable connection between the regulator/rectifier and battery.
- Improperly connecting or disconnecting battery cables can result in an explosion and cause serious injury or death. When removing the battery, always disconnect the negative (black) cable first. When reinstalling the battery, always connect the negative (black) cable last.
- The single most important thing about maintaining a sealed battery is to keep it fully charged. Since the battery is sealed and the sealing strip cannot be removed, you must use a voltmeter or multimeter to measure DC voltage.
- An overheated battery may explode, causing severe injury or death. Always watch charging times carefully. Stop charging if the battery becomes very warm to the touch. Allow it to cool before resuming charging.
- Battery electrolyte is poisonous. It contains sulfuric acid, and contact with skin, eyes or clothing can result in serious burns. For external exposure, flush with water. For internal exposure, drink large quantities of water or milk. Follow with milk of magnesia, a beaten egg or vegetable oil. Call a physician immediately. Flush eyes with water for 15 minutes and get prompt medical attention.
- Batteries also produce explosive gasses. Keep sparks, flames, cigarettes, etc. away from them. Ventilate when charging or using in an enclosed space. Always shield your eyes when working near batteries. Keep them out of the reach of children.
For more battery maintenance tips and procedures, consult your Owner's Manual.
Battery Maintenance During Storage
If your Indian Motorcycle will not be used for four weeks or longer, a maintenance charger should be connected to the battery. Maintenance chargers are available for purchase from Indian Motorcycle Dealers. Indian Motorcycle recommends using the BatteryMINDer® 2012 AGM 2-AMP charger (part number 2830438) to charge and maintain AGM batteries.
The BatteryMINDer® Ring Terminal (part number 2830437) attaches to your battery, where it can stay until you need to charge it. The twin terminal plug attaches to a BatteryMINDer® charger.
To help prolong battery life, it is recommended to remove the battery from a motorcycle stored one month or longer. To maximize the life of stored batteries, they should be kept in a cool, dry location. Batteries will self-discharge more rapidly when stored in extreme temperatures. Batteries should be maintained using the recommended battery charger while in storage.
Following the charger manufacturer’s instructions, use a battery charger designed for use with 12-volt batteries. The charger should have a maximum charging rate of 1.8 amps. Charge the battery for approximately 10 hours at a rate of 1.8 amps. If you use a taper or trickle charger, it will take longer to charge the battery.
After charging the battery, allow the battery to sit 1 to 2 hours before checking the state of charge with a DC voltmeter. The charge should be a minimum of 12.5 DC volts. Repeat the charging cycle if the charge is less than 12.5 DC volts. Replace the battery if it fails to reach 12.5 volts after the second charge.
Batteries that fall below 12.5 volts run the risk of sulfation, a condition whereby sulfate crystals form inside the battery and significantly reduce performance. AGM chargers are designed specifically for charging AGM type batteries and use high frequency pulses to partially reverse sulfation.
The use of non-AGM battery chargers or non-AGM battery tenders may result in a misleading "battery not found" or "open cell" fault message. Please ensure you are using the recommended AGM charger when charging AGM type batteries.
FTR 1200 motorcycles are conveniently equipped with a SAE bullet-style connector for quick access to charging the battery. The recommended BatteryMINDer® 2012 charger comes with the mating connector for easy plug-and-play maintenance. The connector is located behind the left-hand side V cover and taped to the chassis harness. Carefully remove the tape to expose the connector and length of wire. Be sure to properly secure the wire and connector before operating the vehicle.
Consult your Owner's Manual for further details on battery removal, installation and charging.
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