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We explain how to easily test your motorcycle battery & charging system using a simple inexpensive digital multimeter right in your very own shop or garage. No need to go running to a dealership to spend money. Be in the know on whether you actually need a new motorcycle battery or not. Or you may find it's not the battery at all and a charging system problem instead.

• Here are links to the tools and items mentioned in this podcast episode

Your battery may even be holding a charge, but it's the cold-cranking amps that may determine if your battery needs replacement.

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We explain how to choose the correct settings on your multimeter & complete all the necessary tests.

Set the multimeter/voltmeter to DC volts (20v range). The particular multimeter listed on this page (left) has an actual 12v setting, making it very easy. Many voltmeters might only have a 20v setting, which is the one you should choose and will work the same.

Note: These multimeter settings will be used for all the below motorcycle battery and charging system tests. 

A must listen to Law Abiding Biker™ Podcast Episode and Article: Episode #134 (click link below)

• LAB-134-Harley-Davidson Alternators, Stators, Regulators, Rectifiers-Charging System | Complete Guide

A must listen to Law Abiding Biker™ Podcast Episode and Article: Episode #176 (click link below)

• Lead Acid vs. Lithium-Ion Motorcycle Batteries

Static Battery Voltage Test:

Make certain you have not recently charged your motorcycle battery. Let it sit for at least an hour after disconnecting it from a charger. Turn on your ignition so your headlights are on and other accessories for about two minutes and then turn the ignition off. This is to get rid of any surface charge.

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Place the voltmeter leads to the battery terminals. (positive to positive and negative to negative). A good battery should read between 12.4 to 12.6 volts, 12.6v being optimal. If it reads below those values then your battery is not keeping a full charge. ==> READ MORE AND SEE OUR VIDEO HERE

New Free Video Mentioned: 

• Install a Doohickey & Torsion Spring on a Kawasaki KLR650

Sponsor-Ciro 3D

• CLICK HERE!
• Innovative products for Harley-Davidson & Goldwing
• Affordable chrome, lighting, and comfort products
• Ciro 3D has a passion for design and innovation

Sponsor-RickRak

• CLICK HERE
• The Ultimate Motorcycle Luggage Rack Solution
• Forget those messy straps and bungee cords
• Go strapless with a RickRak quick attach luggage system & quality bag

New Patrons:

• Jessica Allison of Fort Scott, KS
• JC Moen of Fargo, North Dakota
• Keoni Kaloi of Richland, WA

If you appreciate the content we put out and want to make sure it keeps on coming your way then become a Patron too! There are benefits and there is no risk.

Thanks to the following bikers for supporting us via a flat donation:

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I'm excited to announce that on March 11, 2020, at 6:15 pm (PST) the Law Abiding Biker YouTube Channel hit 100k subscribers! I knew it was getting close, so I pulled up a website that counts YouTube channel, real-time subscribers. But the catch is that the counter only turns at intervals of 100. That means the channel hit 99,900 and I had no idea when it'd actually turn 100k. I was recording a quick video with my computer screen in the background hoping I could capture it and I did! At the very moment it turned 100k, I was recording. I posted a quick video of that and my excitement and posted it on our Facebook Page and Twitter at the time. I will follow up with a proper YouTube video when I receive our 100k subscriber award from YouTube.

Just days after, on March 16, 2013, we celebrated our 7 year Law Abiding Biker Podcast anniversary. Yup, our 1st podcast episode we ever released was on March 16, 2013, and we've been going strong ever since.

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I feel this is a big achievement because I have watched so many podcasts and YouTube channels come and go over the years. That's because it takes a ton of hard work and dedication to keep going year after year. It's a true grind and you have to remain passionate to keep creating content long term. There are no guides for this sort of thing and you learn as you go.  You have to be willing to change things and try new things.

Most of all, you must have a passion for what your true missions is. For us here at Law Abiding Biker Media it's easy. We want to help as many bikers as we can worldwide using media to educate, entertain, and build a trusted online biker community. And, to promote & sell quality trusted motorcycle related products online, backed with great customer support.

CHECK OUT OUR HUNDREDS OF FREE HELPFUL VIDEOS ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL AND SUBSCRIBE!

We look forward to seeing what the future brings and we simply could not continue to do this without the continued support of the biker community! We especially love our beloved Patron Members who support us each month and we reward them with benefits.

New Free Video Mentioned: 

• Python True Dual Head Pipes For Harley Touring | Install Tutorial & Review

Sponsor-Ciro 3D

• CLICK HERE!
• Innovative products for Harley-Davidson & Goldwing
• Affordable chrome, lighting, and comfort products
• Ciro 3D has a passion for design and innovation

Sponsor-RickRak

• CLICK HERE
• The Ultimate Motorcycle Luggage Rack Solution
• Forget those messy straps and bungee cords
• Go strapless with a RickRak quick attach luggage system & quality bag

New Patrons:

• Ken Hamilton of McAlester, OK
• Shawn Loftus of Wetaskiwin, AB, Canada
• Ron Levitt of Naperville, IL

If you appreciate the content we put out and want to make sure it keeps on coming your way then become a Patron too! There are benefits and there is no risk.

Thanks to the following bikers for supporting us via a flat donation:

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Matthew Levatich, the CEO of Harley-Davidson since 2015, stepped down recently. As he left, Levatich said, “I am proud of what we have achieved during my time as CEO, in one of the most challenging periods in our history.”

It's well known that Harley has been struggling for some time and sales have been declining steadily year to year. There’s just not a big demand for the bigger expensive touring bikes that make up the core of its model line. The company’s loyal base of older customers, who drove a Harley revival during the 1980s and 1990s, is aging and purchasing fewer new motorcycles.

Because the company needed to do something quickly, they selected Levatich as CEO back in 2015 to try to save the company.  Levatich joined the company back in 1994 and served as a chief operating officer from 2009 through 2015 prior to becoming CEO.  So, he had a good background and knowledge within the company.

SEE VIDEO: Harley-Davidson End Times! CEO Matthew Levatich Quits

What former Harley CEO Levatich did in 5 years

Levatich authorized dozens of new models for both the U.S. and foreign markets.  Harley certainly sees growth opportunities in the foreign markets and has clearly been targeting them. But that’s been tough because of competition from existing brands that are solid in those markets.

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Levatich expanded the output of motorcycles overseas, looking for more customers, especially in Asia.  But, the smaller motorcycles aimed at those markets are less expensive than the bigger touring Harley models that they rely on in the U.S. and that has hurt the company's overall sales revenue.

He also tried to get the company into different markets such as the Adventure Riding with the Pan America, which is supposed to be released in 2020.  And they created the Street Fighter to get into the sports bike market, but there’s no timeline on the release of that bike.

And of course, Harley created their first-ever electric motorcycle named “LiveWire.” However, it had some major issues after launch and a recall on it’s charging system that didn't help its reputation.

Additionally, Levatich attempted to offset declining sales with cost reductions.  The company closed its Kansas City, Mo., assembly plant in 2019, Conducted several rounds of layoffs, and voluntary buyouts for employees.  The company also shifted some of its productions overseas as well to avoid tariffs. And they took some consumer and political heat for doing such.

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Levatich had a mission to attract new riders with their ridership classes, which are basically a driver’s ed class for new riders.  These classes were not necessarily new, as these classes pre-dated Levatich, but the company just renewed its focus on promoting the classes.

Measuring progress toward the ridership goal created tension between Harley managers and its dealers and investors and this festered over time.  Dealerships complained the learn-to-ride classes were expensive and didn’t bring enough new motorcycle buyers.

Tensions between dealerships and Levatich rose even more as he READ MORE HERE & SEE MY VIDEO ==> 

New Free Video Mentioned: 

• 12 State Cross-Country Motorcycle Trip Documentary Film

Sponsor-Ciro 3D

• CLICK HERE!
• Innovative products for Harley-Davidson & Goldwing
• Affordable chrome, lighting, and comfort products
• Ciro 3D has a passion for design and innovation

Sponsor-RickRak

• CLICK HERE
• The Ultimate Motorcycle Luggage Rack Solution
• Forget those messy straps and bungee cords
• Go strapless with a RickRak quick attach luggage system & quality bag

New Patrons:

• Michael Jazwinski of ?? PENDING
• Phillip Baldwin of Cambridge, Maryland
• Gary Stone of Laconia, New Hampshire

If you appreciate the content we put out and want to make sure it keeps on coming your way then become a Patron too! There are benefits and there is no risk.

Thanks to the following bikers for supporting us via a flat donation:

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I am always testing a ton of different progressive motorcycle riding gear behind the scenes here at Law Abiding Biker Media. I eventually get around to reviewing each piece of gear on our YouTube Channel. But, it can take me some time to get the reviews released.

In this podcast episode, I share with you my top 6 favorite motorcycle riding gear items for 2019. I have ridden with all these items thousands of miles in many different conditions to include below freezing, over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and in the rain. I also released a YouTube video on my top 6 items of 2019.

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I personally lean more towards newer progressive Harley riding gear rather than leather. I love gear that has multiple functions, provides protection and looks good on and off the motorcycle. I love being able to just keep riding on as the weather changes w/o stopping and changing gear. Even better, I love getting off the bike to go walking around in gear that blends right in, such as protective riding jeans and shoes.

CHECK OUT OUR HUNDREDS OF FREE HELPFUL VIDEOS ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL AND SUBSCRIBE!

Lurch also reveals some new more affordable riding gear that he tested during the past year. Make sure you check out all the other motorcycle riding gear reviews I’ve already done on the YouTube Channel.

Here are the 3 items Lurch reviewed: (affiliate links)

• Olympia Durham Jacket
• Olympia Sentry Pants
• HJC RPHA 90 Helmet

HERE IS MY TOP 6 MOTORCYCLE RIDING GEAR REVIEW VIDEO AND LINKS TO THE GEAR DISCUSSED

Sponsor-Ciro 3D

• CLICK HERE!
• Innovative products for Harley-Davidson & Goldwing
• Affordable chrome, lighting, and comfort products
• Ciro 3D has a passion for design and innovation

Sponsor-RickRak

• CLICK HERE
• The Ultimate Motorcycle Luggage Rack Solution
• Forget those messy straps and bungee cords
• Go strapless with a RickRak quick attach luggage system & quality bag

If you appreciate the content we put out and want to make sure it keeps on coming your way then become a Patron too! There are benefits and there is no risk.

Thanks to the following bikers for supporting us via a flat donation:

• Wayne Duddlesten Jr of Grapeland, TX
• Daniel Grubb of Quakerstown, Pennsylvania
• Christopher Marshall of Monument, Colorado

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We were filming a Harley handlebar install on Popeye's new 2019 Street Glide. It was a long day and somehow when putting the ignition back on it got misaligned, which is a frustrating issue, to say the least. Then we checked my Street Glide Special to cross-check it and try to figure out what went wrong. In the process, we misaligned my Harley ignition.

See our awesome Harley Handlebar Install Videos and save yourself a large amount of money by doing the project yourself. There's no need to pay a dealership to do this and we can show you how.

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Anyways, over the next several days, I spent a lot of time figuring out how to actually take the ignition apart and fix it without having to buy a new one. Of course, I then shared it with the biker community on our YouTube Channel. Knowing this information will save you time, money, and frustration.

There are no instructions for fixing the internals of the ignition in the Harley service manuals because if something goes wrong they want you to replace the entire ignition at a cost of over $100 plus labor. You can't even buy the internal parts to the Harley ignition.

CHECK OUT OUR HUNDREDS OF FREE HELPFUL VIDEOS ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL AND SUBSCRIBE!

In my tutorial video, I show you how to remove the ignition switch from your Harley-Davidson touring model. I then show you how to re-install it. At times, the ignition can come out of alignment when removing the switch and the shaft won’t go back in or is stuck inside.

• SEE HARLEY IGNITION REPAIR VIDEO HERE 

Further, I show you how to take the entire ignition apart and fix the alignment problem. There’s no need to take your Harley to a mechanic for this and you can do it yourself. There is also a Harley ignition specialty tool that can help fix the issues and I'll show you how to use it.

GET HARLEY IGNITION TOOL HERE: (Affiliate Links Below)

AMAZON | J&P CYCLES

New Free Video Mentioned: 

• Harley Touring Ignition & Switch Removal & Alignment

Sponsor-Ciro 3D

• CLICK HERE!
• Innovative products for Harley-Davidson & Goldwing
• Affordable chrome, lighting, and comfort products
• Ciro 3D has a passion for design and innovation

Sponsor-RickRak

• CLICK HERE
• The Ultimate Motorcycle Luggage Rack Solution
• Forget those messy straps and bungee cords
• Go strapless with a RickRak quick attach luggage system & quality bag

New Patrons:

• Rich Nowakowski of Stevensville, MD
• Charles Durnil of Columbus, IN
• Jim Manley of Aledo, TX

If you appreciate the content we put out and want to make sure it keeps on coming your way then become a Patron too! There are benefits and there is no risk.

Thanks to the following bikers for supporting us via a flat donation:

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