Motorcycle Repair: motorcycle battery, 883 harley sportster, engine cranks

Question
Hi Mark,
I'm Putting a round oil tank onto my 1999 883 harley sportster and the original battery is much too big. I've been looking online and found a battery almost half the size and still 12 volts, is this okay to use or does amps effect anything.
could you please advise me on the smallest battery i could use
I have only a headlight  tail light and electric starter to power.  thanks for your time
and all the best

James

Answer
Hi James,

The starter motor needs a certain amount of amps to rotate the engine and overcome cylinder compression. This may be most noticeable in cold temperatures when oil has more drag on the crankshaft/engine.

Try the battery that you found. If it works, great. If the engine cranks too slowly, it's a waste of cash- look on. You'll find a battery that works.

You could try contacting a battery manufacturer or distributor. Inquire about available batteries that meets your H-D's needs and size characterists.

A few popular brands of MC batteries:

Deka
Interstate
Yuasa

Try this link for more about batteries.

www.batteryweb.com/motorcycles.cfm

Respectfully,
Mark Shively