Dead battery. Too cold? How long do they last?
#11
01-17-2013, 08:47 AM
Things to know about battery life and where you live:
Cold weather does not kill or harm batteries. Warm the battery and it will return to normal output power.
"All batteries deliver their power via a chemical reaction inside the battery that releases electrons. When the temperature drops, the chemical reactions happen more slowly and the battery cannot produce the same current that it can at room temperature. A change of ten degrees can sap 50 percent of a battery's output. In some situations, the chemical reactions will happen so slowly and give so little power that the battery will appear to be dead when, in fact, if it is warmed up, it will go right back to normal output."
Heat is a battery killer.
"The ability of a battery to hold a charge is significantly degraded by exposure to high temperatures. Most batteries are not rated above 120*F, and even at 120*F their useful lifetime is derated. If you live in a hotter part of the country, be aware that the lifetime expectancy decays exponentially the higher the operating temperature. A battery that might last 10 years in a well controlled 75*F room might last only a few months if it's in a box at 120*F."
It may only be 90*F outside on a summer day, but the temperature in the battery box is going to be significantly higher from the heat generated by the motor. Sitting in stop and go traffic on a hot summer day can easily push the temp in the battery box over 120*.
When it comes to the old question of "how long does a battery last", where you live makes a huge difference. If you live in a colder region, not only do batteries last longer because of the cooler temperatures, but most of them spend close to half their life not being used and hooked to a tender during the winter months.
If you live in a cooler climate, ride the bike for weekend fun (<5,000 miles/yr), don't ride several months a year during the winter, and keep the battery on a tender, getting 5 - 10 years service form a battery is typical.
If you live in a hot climate, ride almost daily (>12,000 miles/yr), your battery may not last 2 years.
Living in hot S. Florida, I've never gotten more than 14-18 months from a battery on the Sporty, and that's using the Harley and Deka AGM's and a battery tender.
The bottom line:
When you see someone on the forum claiming much longer battery life than you're getting, you have to look at the climate differences and how much the bike is ridden vs sitting parked, hooked to a tender.
.
Cold weather does not kill or harm batteries. Warm the battery and it will return to normal output power.
"All batteries deliver their power via a chemical reaction inside the battery that releases electrons. When the temperature drops, the chemical reactions happen more slowly and the battery cannot produce the same current that it can at room temperature. A change of ten degrees can sap 50 percent of a battery's output. In some situations, the chemical reactions will happen so slowly and give so little power that the battery will appear to be dead when, in fact, if it is warmed up, it will go right back to normal output."
Heat is a battery killer.
"The ability of a battery to hold a charge is significantly degraded by exposure to high temperatures. Most batteries are not rated above 120*F, and even at 120*F their useful lifetime is derated. If you live in a hotter part of the country, be aware that the lifetime expectancy decays exponentially the higher the operating temperature. A battery that might last 10 years in a well controlled 75*F room might last only a few months if it's in a box at 120*F."
It may only be 90*F outside on a summer day, but the temperature in the battery box is going to be significantly higher from the heat generated by the motor. Sitting in stop and go traffic on a hot summer day can easily push the temp in the battery box over 120*.
When it comes to the old question of "how long does a battery last", where you live makes a huge difference. If you live in a colder region, not only do batteries last longer because of the cooler temperatures, but most of them spend close to half their life not being used and hooked to a tender during the winter months.
If you live in a cooler climate, ride the bike for weekend fun (<5,000 miles/yr), don't ride several months a year during the winter, and keep the battery on a tender, getting 5 - 10 years service form a battery is typical.
If you live in a hot climate, ride almost daily (>12,000 miles/yr), your battery may not last 2 years.
Living in hot S. Florida, I've never gotten more than 14-18 months from a battery on the Sporty, and that's using the Harley and Deka AGM's and a battery tender.
The bottom line:
When you see someone on the forum claiming much longer battery life than you're getting, you have to look at the climate differences and how much the bike is ridden vs sitting parked, hooked to a tender.
.
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