4 Of The Best Batteries For Harley-Davidson Motorcycles (According To Riders)

There are few motorcycle brands on the market today, more popular and celebrated than Harley-Davidson. For well over a century, the manufacturer has put out numerous iconic, powerful, and good-looking bikes. Some are even notable for being the few Harley-Davidson motorcycles you can't buy in America. All of this is to say that Harleys are widely beloved bikes that are worth taking care of should you fork over the money to acquire one. This means getting the right parts to keep your motorcycle running at its best.

One of the selling points of Harley-Davidson motorcycles is their accessibility. They can be tweaked to your liking from top to bottom, and they're not too difficult to work on. One of the easiest things to change on a Harley is the battery, with it as simple as disconnecting the current one, pulling it out, setting in a new one, and connecting it. However, what's not quite as straightforward, especially for a new Harley owner, is selecting the right replacement battery that won't fail you a mere few days, weeks, or months after you've installed it. Even if you have one of the Harley motorcycles that are cheap to maintain, that doesn't mean you should waste the same money you save.

Fortunately, the Harley-Davidson brand has a massive, global community around it. If you're looking for advice regarding a new Harley battery, consulting fellow riders for their top choices is a great idea. Here's what many have to say on the matter.

While not quite one of the best-known battery brands on the market, there's no denying that Odyssey had quite a rich and varied product lineup. The brand has batteries for just about every form of transportation, from cars to boats to even fleet vehicles, so it only makes sense that it has delved into the realm of motorcycle batteries as well. Not only has it given motorcycle batteries a shot, but there are plenty of Harley-Davidson riders who recommend their units. "Odyssey Batteries. When it's time to replace the stock battery I always upgrade to Odyssey," wrote a now-deleted Redditor in a thread on the best Harley batteries.

Moving over to the Harley-Davidson Forums, more riders gave the Odyssey battery a thumbs-up. "Odyssey AGM. Mine last no fewer than 8 years......have gotten 12...not inexpensive.....solid brass terminals///no off gassing.....deep cycle/start combo....insane 5 second amp output...high amp charging does not hurt them," wrote user mikethebike, touting the brand's longevity, power, and price. Elsewhere in the thread, user Scotterbum shared that Odyssey batteries are the best they've ever used in their bike. On another Harley-Davidson Forum, user angelrod said they got five years out of the Odyssey batteries in all of their bikes.

If you're interested in an Odyssey battery for your Harley, just know they come at a range of price points. They tend to run as low as around $150 to just over $350 depending on where you buy and which model you need.

Deka is hardly a newcomer to the battery game, with the brand joining the fray over half a century ago. Throughout its decades in business, not only has it expanded its offerings, but it has garnered some serious support from users. Pertinent to this conversation, there are loads of Harley-Davidson riders who stand firmly by Deka batteries. "Deka's ETX30L for HD touring bikes is a quality battery, last I had went 7.5yrs,frined has same type deka maint free agm battery in 1700cc v-twin still going strong that is just a couple months shy of being a full 8 yrs old," said user wscott from the Harley-Davidson Forums of their experience using Deka batteries.

Elsewhere online, those on the Big Dog Biker forums had positive things to say about Deka batteries. "X2 on the Deka, they are great batteries and my last one was seven years old," commented Unsprung, with bigkelk9 also expressing their approval of the battery brand, specifically the ETX20L model. Over on Reddit, u/Darth1Football explained that they've gotten great longevity out of Deka batteries — and saved money with the brand, too, "Deka from Penn batteries OEM for Harley. I've replaced several with an average lifespan of 5 yrs at 20%+ cheaper than Harley branded."

As far as pricing is concerned, Deka batteries are all priced pretty similarly. Most go for anywhere between just under $100 to around $150, so they can get costly, but ideally, you won't have to shell out too much to meet your Harley's power needs.

In the grand scheme of motorcycle batteries, Battery Mart is a name that hasn't quite made it to the mainstream. It's by no means a well-known label, especially compared to those found in stores like Walmart and AutoZone. However, to say that its Big Crank and Mega Crank batteries have won numerous Harley-Davidson riders over would be an understatement. All over the internet, folks have vouched for these batteries. User larsfum on the Harley-Davidson Forums wrote, "I've been running Big Cranks for the past three batteries. Good value and fast shipping. They go on sale often." RK Classic agreed, noting that they'd gotten four riding seasons otu of theirs.

As far as the Reddit Harley riding community goes, Battery Mart is very much a trusted name. In a thread about the Mega Crank battery, several people commented with positive remarks about it and the aforementioned Big Crank. One user even claimed that they can last longer than stock Harley-Davidson batteries. In another thread on the Harley-Davidson Forums, others lent credence to this idea by touting their lifespan. For example, user WP50 praised the quality of Battery Mart's offerings based on their experience: "Myself and the guys I ride have used Big Cranks for a number of years. On my 3 bikes average life was 5 yrs+ Out of 8 have only had 1 puke early 2 yrs."

Price-wise, there's some variation between Big and Mega Crank batteries. Big Crank start just under $100 and can reach around $150 territory, while Mega Crank run a little cheaper between $70 and $100.

Duracell batteries are impossible to avoid, and for good reason. Duracell ranks among the best battery brands on the market, and it provides power to more than just TV remotes, video game controllers, and other small household items. The company has a line of larger, heavier-duty batteries designed for modes of transportation. This includes motorcycle batteries, which many Harley-Davidson riders confidently feel are worth installing. "Duracell lead and it works great. Warranty is solid too. I would happily buy another one if I had too," said Redditor u/exiled_soul of their feelings on Duracell batteries and their perception of the brand.

Another Reddit user, u/HDbear321, made a similar comment about Duracell's batteries in a different thread, specifically highlighting the brand's price and warranty. Big Dog Biker forums user bdmridgeback gave Duracell batteries quite a glowing review, commenting, "Made in USA by one of the best battery builders. I'm on almost 4 years and it cranks like new. Best battery I've ever had. I thought the Big Boar batteries were the longest lasting but this beats it." Other users in a separate thread on the forum from 2021 vouched for Duracell, too, sharing that they'd each gotten a few years out of their batteries up to that point. 

Compared to previously mentioned brands, Duracell batteries don't deviate much from the price norm. These units can run anywhere from around $50 to $150 depending on size, power, and other elements.

It should be said that these battery brands weren't chosen at random. As stated, the testimonials from Harley-Davidson riders greatly influenced their selection, but the process didn't start and end solely at whether these brands were widely talked-about and praised by riders. There were other criteria to consider, first and foremost being the longevity of these batteries. As evidenced by the aforementioned stories about them, these battery brands were highlighted in large part due to their long lives. While most battery brands will likely stick around for a couple of years at least, these batteries stood out for lasting well beyond the average lifespan in many cases.

In tandem with longevity was the price point of these batteries. Some are on the cheaper side while others get a bit expensive, so price alone wasn't so much of a factor on its own. Rather, the overall value for what you pay was taken into consideration. For instance, Odyssey batteries can go well North of $300, but for the longevity you could get out of them for that cost and widespread positivity surrounding them, the brand deserved a mention. Selection was considered as well, since the brands discussed boast more than one motorcycle-grade battery in their catalogue, making finding the right one for you easy.

Getting the right battery for your motorcycle is important, and, evidently, there are plenty of options to choose from. If you ask these Harley-Davidson riders and others, the aforementioned four brands are some of the best money can buy.