Battery Charging and Maintenance

Content Source: 2020 Indian FTR 1200 Owner’s Manual (9931115 R02) > Maintenance Chapter

IMPORTANT

The Owner's Manual for this vehicle contains warnings, instructions and other information you must read and fully understand before safely riding or performing maintenance on this vehicle.Always follow the warnings and instructions in Owner's Manual.

Click the CONTENTS link above for the Table Of Contents, or download a full PDF of the Owner Manual in the Owner Support area of Polaris.com

Battery Charging and Maintenance

IMPORTANT

Read and follow the safety precautions listed on the battery and the proper battery charging procedures outlined in the Owner’s Manual.

AGM Battery Charger Recommendations

Indian Motorcycle recommends using the BatteryMINDer® 2012 AGM - 2 AMP battery charger (PN 2830438) to charge and maintain AGM batteries. The charger can be found on the Polaris PG&A website.

Batteries that fall below 12.5V 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.

IMPORTANT

The use of non-AGM battery chargers 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.

AGM Battery Charging Recommendations – Low Charge

The nominal voltage for an Indian Motorcycle battery is 12.8 Volts when fully charged. The battery will self-discharge when disconnected from a vehicle, and will discharge at a faster rate when connected. If the battery voltage falls below 12.5V, it should be charged immediately using the recommended battery charger.

Batteries which are not connected to a vehicle should be inspected every 2-3 months. The battery must be charged if found to be below 12.5 volts.

Always use the recommended automatic battery charger, and wait for the charger to complete the charge cycle before disconnecting it.

AGM Battery Charging Recommendations – Deeply Discharged (Below 3 Volts)

AGM batteries discharged to a voltage of 3 volts or less may not be recognized by the recommended automatic battery charger. (The minimum voltage threshold recognized by other battery chargers may be as high as 10.5 volts). Often times deeply discharged batteries can be restored by attaching another, fully-charged, battery to “jump start” the low battery. Follow the steps below to restore a deeply discharged battery.

Carefully connect the two batteries’ positive terminals, then the negative terminals using jumper cables.

Connect the recommended battery charger to the low battery and initiate the charging sequence.

WARNING

Always check to ensure the positive cables are connected to the positive terminals before powering the charger on. Reversing polarity when charging can damage electrical components and risk personal injury. Be careful not to let battery cable clamps touch each other.

After the charging sequence has initiated, disconnect the fully-charged battery. Always disconnect the fully-charged battery positive first, followed by low battery positive, low battery negative, and finally fully-charged battery negative
Proceed with charging both batteries to full capacity. Listed in the table below are the approximate charging times for deeply discharged batteries. Always use the recommended automatic battery charger, and wait for the charger to complete the charge cycle before disconnecting it. The recommended automatic charger will indicate when the battery is fully charged on its display.

AGM Battery Charging Recommendations Table

State of Charge	Voltage (DC)	Action	Recommended Charge Time*
100%	12.8-13.2 V	None	None Required
75%-100%	12.6-12.8 V	May need slight charge If no charge given, check again within 4 weeks	2-4 Hours
50%-75%	12.3-12.6V	Needs Charge	4-6 Hours
25%-50%	12.0-12.3V	Needs Charge	6-8 Hours
0%-25%	12.0V or less	Needs Charge	At Least 8 Hours
*Assuming 2 Amps constant current

AGM Battery Maintenance Tips

If the motorcycle will not be driven for more than 2 weeks, maintaining the battery with the Battery Minder 2012-AGM charger (PN 2830438) is recommended.
To help prolong battery life, it is recommended to remove the battery from vehicles 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.
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.