Battery life

[slowmover]

To play it safe,when is a good time to replace a battery? My 2013 V7 Stone has the original battery and I've had no issues.Kept it on a tender every winter and the bike has 11k miles on it. I'm too old to get stranded. The standard reply I've gotten is 5 years.

[SmithSwede]

I replace mine every two years.  Have had them go flat.   I no longer debate this because a battery is pretty cheap compared to a wrecker, a ruined trip, etc. 

I believe most people "break down" due to bad batteries, some stupid electrical problem, or some tire issue.  My theory is to aggressively maintain these items and thereby eliminate the main sources of trouble. 

Battery life depends of many factors.  I ride my bike every day, so there are a lot of starting events, vibration and heat for the same amount of time compared to a bike that is ridden less.  I live in Texas, so the battery is often HOT.    I also have a lazy voltage regulator that spits out about 15.4 volts, so I'm somewhat over-cooking the battery the whole time the bike is running.  A battery under different conditions might last a lot longer than mine do.

If you really want to get sneaky about this, consider getting one of those remote starter things.  Or buy one of those full size lithium batteries that weight almost nothing, and carry it with you along with the necessary tools.   Then just keep running your regular battery until it fails.  You won't be stranded--you will just have to replace the battery wherever it died.   

 

[Spokane2303]

I’ve traditionally replaced my motorcycle batteries every 3 years.

Never had one fail, so it might be a little premature; but, I consider it cheap insurance!

[Wayne Orwig]

My 2004 EV battery finally needed replacing in 2016.

But then I do not use a Battery Tender brand charger, since those occasionally appear to toast batteries.

[Ncdan]

If one stays in touch with their bike you can tell when it starts dragging a little when starting. If the battery is much over a couple years old, simply replace it before the first cool morning and it won’t start up.

[Lannis]

I write the date on all my batteries when I install them.   My Centauro's original AGM battery went 7 years.   The Yuasa AGM in the Stelvio went 5 years.    The Yuasa AGMs in my Norton and in my BSA went 3 years ....

Lannis

[Gliderjohn]

I have multiple batteries with multiple and different vehicles and I have found no pattern to life or lack of life of a battery. I have had batteries last 8-10 years and others at 18-24 months. The Norge is the only thing I am paranoid about battery wise so I will probably replace it at the first hint of trouble or every three years.
GliderJohn

[Muzz]

To play it safe,when is a good time to replace a battery? My 2013 V7 Stone has the original battery and I've had no issues.Kept it on a tender every winter and the bike has 11k miles on it. I'm too old to get stranded. The standard reply I've gotten is 5 years.

I am still on my second battery. Got 7 years out of the first, 7 and counting on the second. Like Wayne I don't use a battery tender. Due to the parasitic drain on the Breva I top up every three weeks. I use the Yuasa wet cell type.

[Old Jock]

IMHO a lot depends on battery type, manufacturer how it's maintained and conditions (SmithSwede stated his batteries get hot).

I'd expect at least 5 years from a battery, but I freely admit I don't do a lot of miles and don't abuse them.

I got 5 years out of a Yuasa on my Ducati (I think the least time I ever had from a battery), but the Odyssey in the LM 1000 is still great after 7 years and shows no sign of getting anywhere near quitting.

Also ran a Shorai in the Ducati for 4 years too, it was fine but I took it out due to charging issues, which turned out to be the battery lead not the battery. That battery is now in a mates 998 and still running like a champ, probably about 6 years old now.

I always make sure that the battery is well up on charge and cycle them a little, i.e, I don't leave them on tender or maintainer, but put them onto a charger once every 14 days or 28 days depending on the parasitic drain from the electrical systems (the Duc has a noticeable drain from the immobilizer, the LM none).

Just my experience

[Chuck in Indiana]

I have been getting 10-12 years out of an Odyssey. Changed them out when standing voltage started dropping and a proper "conditioning" charge didn't bring them back. Absolutely *no* battery tender for Odysseys. Charge at a minimum of 6 amps, not over 15.1 volts if needed. They'll last practically forever.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

AC Delco 55-6 in my Ambo is now 13 years old. The "Delco Eye" is still green. Tests at 12.7 volts. Spins the engine "vigorously". It's never been on a charger or tender. I have started carrying a set of motorcycle jumper cables just in case, it can't last forever. 

[Testarossa]

I have multiple batteries with multiple and different vehicles and I have found no pattern to life or lack of life of a battery. I have had batteries last 8-10 years and others at 18-24 months.

Amen. This is why I have a cheap voltmeter on each of my bikes. You can spot overcharging (regulator going bad) and undercharging and take steps before failure. Most important for AGM/sealed batteries where you can't check the electrolyte level -- on flooded batteries I do that monthly.

[Sasquatch Jim]

 The truth of the battery question is that the resilience of modern batteries is not as great as with simpler older batteries.  This is by design.  The battery makers decided that batteries that fail sooner result in more battery purchases.  It is sort of like lightbulbs 100 years ago, and other products that were  made with planned in faults and weaknesses.  I. E. more battery failures result in more battery sales.  It is as simple as that.  Industrial greed,
 nothing more.
 I have had more battery failures in the last ten years than in the preceding 40 years totaled.
 I cannot believe this is a coincidence.  I have owned and ridden and maintained more than 50 motorcycles in my life.
 I have been riding and owning motorcycles for 53 years.  That is a lot of experience to draw my conclusions from.

[geodoc]

I do a capacity test on the batteries in my bikes each spring using an old fashioned carbon pile load tester. Take the CCA rating of the battery x .5, apply this load for 15 sec & at 15 sec. a fully charged (w/ no 'top' charge) should maintain no less than 9.6 volts. If you don't have a load tester, take your battery to a battery shop & they'll do it for you. No need to replace a battery if it still has "passing' capacity.





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