Battery Life

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Sep 17, 2012 | 10:35 AM

#11

ElectraGlideSteve

Road Warrior

Joined: Aug 2008

Posts: 1,997

Likes: 94

From: Massachusetts

I buy a new bike battery every 4-5 years whether it needs it or not.

For less than $100, it's pretty cheap insurance.
The peace of mind that I won't get stranded someplace is worth $20 a year.

I waste more than $20 a week at Dunkin Donuts..

Oct 12, 2012 | 03:03 PM

#12

ANTIGRAVITY

6th Gear

Joined: Jul 2012

Posts: 12

Likes: 0

From: LA

It really does seem to boil down to dumb luck a lot of the time. I was sick of getting stuck someplace with a battery that was only a year or two old. The industry as a whole down graded to a cheaper lead grade a few years back and its showing now by all the dead batteries we see. We started our company because we needed/wanted a lighter stronger battery that we could get at the very least 3-5 years out of. We make it all here in the US so we can over see quality control. We always give guys from the forum 10% so guys who are sitting on an older battery if you want to try the best lithium give us a shout.

http://shop.antigravitybatteries.com/

Oct 12, 2012 | 07:51 PM

#13

tonygret

Tourer

Joined: Feb 2006

Posts: 305

Likes: 0

From: California

Batteries are fickle. In the IT world we replace batteries in our backup devices at least every five years. This is industry standard. Our battery backups have at least 4 batteries each and when battery time it's always fun. These batteries aren't much different from the batteries in motorcycles and cars these days. Before I get flamed, I am fully aware of all of the different sealed battery technology out there.

I replaced a battery during regular maintenance on one of my motorcycles several years ago. It is always on a tender. It lasted 11 months. The warranty replacement battery, (same exact model) has been fine for 2 years now. My original HD battery is almost 4 years old and problem free so far.

So the bottom line is you can replace it proactively and get a bad one like I did, or just replace it when it goes bad. It's a roll of the dice!

Oct 13, 2012 | 07:21 AM

#14

Prodriverdon

Road Master

Joined: Feb 2008

Posts: 971

Likes: 1

From: Chicago/Arlington Heights

Got 6yrs out of the stock and changed this year only because I also didnt want any problems.

Oct 13, 2012 | 07:46 AM

#15

YeOldeStonecat

Seasoned HDF Member

Joined: Oct 2010

Posts: 12,204

Likes: 7,750

From: Along the shoreline in SW FL

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gaffy52

Hi - I bought my '07 Bob in September '06, which makes it 6 year old this year, and I am still happily running on the original battery. I keep it permanently attached to a battery optimiser when I am not using the bike, so I am guessing this must make all the difference.

I still have the original in my 06. For the 3 years I've had this bike...I ride most of the year....sometimes if it's a heavy winter it will go for 6 weeks or so without heading out for a ride..maybe a 2 month stretch. I don't have a "battery tender". I've put it on an old fashioned trickle charger for a weekend if I go past 6 weeks without use. So...maybe once or twice over the winter she gets the trickle charger for a day or two. That's about it. I don't believe in fuel stabilizer either....gas come with enough detergents and stabilizers built into it now.

Oct 13, 2012 | 08:29 AM

#16

jeffreydsilver

Ultimate HDF Member

Joined: May 2008

Posts: 6,508

Likes: 169

From: WPB, FL

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hero

Weather plays a huge role. During my time in the UK the battery in my Sportster lasted about 4.5 years- without any tender. Here in the Dubai desert my 2010 WG is on it's second unit already, topping 1.5 to 2 years max, even for cars.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ElectraGlideSteve

I buy a new bike battery every 4-5 years whether it needs it or not.

For less than $100, it's pretty cheap insurance.
The peace of mind that I won't get stranded someplace is worth $20 a year.

I waste more than $20 a week at Dunkin Donuts..

Temperature is the biggest culprit in battery longevity! Things are sort of opposite of what they used to be 20 years ago. Nowadays, heat is by far the worst thing for a battery. With the onslaught of electronics, most vehicles will run better in the cold. I had to replace my battery after 3 years here in NJ, I recognized that it "wasn't what it used to be" and replaced it before failure. Cheap insurance to make sure I didn't get stranded.